This battle for the chair of best, between PC and Laptop has been going on for a long time. For a long time, personal computers ruled the computing industry. And then, Laptops came to replace them. However, they could not replace the personal computer fully. Personal computers have their unique advantages. In this blog post, we will compare the PC and Laptops, and what to choose among them, in case a user wants to buy the new one.
Where do laptops outperform the PC?
Laptops came after PC. So, they are evolutionarily considered better than personal computers. The following features make them better:
1. They are a breeze to carry: Laptops are of small size. Hence, they are portable. Taking them anywhere is no problem for you. Those who travel a lot can rely on them as trusted friends. Desktop, on the other hand, needs special arrangements for movements. They are big and are not so compact to carry in one part. They are not portable. Thus, Laptops win the portability race.
2. Virtually occupy no space: The user can place them anywhere they want. The user does not have to allocate a room in their home. Desktops, on the other hand, carry a fixed space at home. This space cannot be shared with anything else. Thus, in terms of space management too, Laptops win the race.
3. Very Easy to Use: just plug the charger in the power slot. Make sure the power button is on.
It’s that easy to use a laptop. The user does not have to worry about assembling or connecting the different parts of the system. Comparatively, assembling a personal computer is more difficult. A combination of several parts makes it up.
4. Works well for less power: Laptop’s battery is small. It requires less power to recharge and thus it can operate on less power. Also, a laptop can operate on a battery. But a desktop requires a continuous supply. Thus, for saving electricity too, Laptops are better.
5. All-in-one design: Every part a computer needs to work, is built inside the small package. The user does not have to deal with different parts as in a Desktop. Thus, in terms of design too, the Laptop wins the race.
Although Laptops have been famous for a Long, that certainly does not mean they are better than the Desktop. Desktops have certain undeniable advantages.
Where PC outperforms Laptops :
1. Reign of Power: With the compact size of Laptops, there comes a power limit as well. On the other hand, Desktops are extensible and so is their power. It can house larger processors, being larger. Thus, it has more power too. Moreover, a user can extend their power as much as they want by using the better parts. This facility is not available with laptops where almost every part is fixed on a single chip. Thus, PCs or desktops are more powerful than laptops.
2. Upgrade Desktops with Ease: As discussed above, Desktops have parts that are attached separately. Thus, every part is handled differently. If the user wants to upgrade any single part for more power or due to malfunction it is so easy to do it. On the other hand, laptops are built so compact that it’s difficult to separate different parts, Let alone upgrade them. So, PCs or Desktops are more upgradeable than laptops.
3. PCs are cheap to buy: Laptops being modern technology cost more than laptops. Desktops on the other hand are cheaper and more affordable to the user. With the same price as a desktop, a user can buy more powerful parts for a desktop. Hence, in terms of affordability too, the Desktop is better.
4. Desktop has larger screens: Screen size has an important part to play in many professions. Consider, for example, professional dealing in the stock market. Every small detail on the graph matters. Big screen size helps a lot in such professions. Desktops have larger screens than laptops. Thus, they are more suitable for such jobs. The monitors of any screen size under the compatibility limit can be attached to a Desktop. It’s difficult to have such a facility with a laptop while having all the facilities like portability intact.
5. The user can design her PC according to her needs: A laptop comes as a package. A user hardly has any choice for specifications within the package. On the other hand, while setting up her PC, a user can choose every different part according to her specifications. Thus, in terms of customization, the Desktop wins the race.
6. Connectivity is extensible in PCs: Laptops have a limited number of ports due to their compact size. However, PCs or Desktops provide a much higher number of ports. Thus, PCs have more choices in terms of connectivity.
7. PCs are easier to protect from stealing: The bigger and heavier an object, the harder it is to steal. PCs being bigger and heavier both are difficult to steal. Laptops being so easy to carry, are easier to steal too.
8. PCs are simple to repair: A PC has different parts organized into a unit. But if there is a defect in any part, it’s easy to separate that part and repair it. The user does not have to carry the whole desktop to the repair center. Even though laptops are easier to carry, it’s hard to diagnose the defective part. They are harder to repair because parts are fitted in compact spaces.
9. They can work permanently: Yes, this is true. PCs can be kept ON virtually all the time with a continuous power supply. However, this is not the case with Laptops. There are many areas like cryptocurrency where computers need to run for very long times. Laptops do not fit this requirement. They are virtually noncapable of doing it.
10. A lot of space for storage: A PC can have as much as internal and external storage devices installed, as much as a user wants. Laptops usually can handle only one internal storage. Thus, in terms of storage too, PC or Desktop wins the race.
Then what to choose: PC or Laptop?
Now the question is what should a user have, A PC or a Desktop? In an ideal world, a user shall have both. But if a user cannot afford both, they must choose.
The user shall choose the Laptop:
- If the user travels a lot, portability is his major concern. However, these days even more portable options like Tablets and smartphones are also available. The user can choose any, based on their requirements.
- If the user does not have requirements like gaming, which demands a higher processor. It’s good to have if users must do simple jobs, not resource-intensive. However nowadays, powerful laptops like Mac Book Pro 14 are available too.
- If a user can afford the laptop.
- If storage is not an issue for the user. Laptops usually have only one internal storage and it’s difficult to upgrade it to have multiple.
However, The user shall choose Desktop:
- If the user is low on budget. PCs are valued for money. Their services are inexpensive and they provide a wide variety of services. There are great Desktops available in the market at affordable prices.
- If the user application demands powerful processors. Some applications like Gaming demand powerful processors. Hence Desktops are more useful as they have bigger processors, both in size as well as power.
- If the user is required to run the device for long periods. For example, cryptocurrency mining takes days to complete. Laptops do not suit these requirements as they run on battery. Batteries have a small life, and they can’t be run continuously beyond a limit.
- If the user applications require a lot of storage. For example, data analytics requires a lot of storage to store the data, which is analyzed later. A PC can have extended storage as much as a user wants.
- If the user requires a big screen for her use. For example, professionals working in the stock market, require big screens to analyze the graphs. PCs usually have larger screens than laptops.
- If the user requires frequent upgradation to the system. It’s easier to upgrade a PC than a laptop.
Thus, Both Laptops and desktops are right in their place. In order to make the right choice, the user must consider their own needs. While laptops are increasingly gaining the share of desktops, they have not completely replaced desktops. In the modern world, developments are happening every other day. So, users have a lot to choose from. Hybrid computers are also a new option. Combining the benefits of analog and digital computers, they offer the best of both worlds. While the analog part performs the processing-intensive tasks, the digital part does the controlling at which it’s best. VLSI hybrid computer chip is a great invention in this regard. There are also Heterogeneous computers. These computers encapsulate more than one type of processor. Thus, they specialize the processing according to the task. There are various laptops like AMD laptops which house the capabilities of both laptops and desktops.