Notebook Or Desktop Computer?

July 22nd, 2007

Via Slashdot comes a ComputerWorld article predicting that notebooks will soon be more popular than desktops, with more portables shipping in 2008 than desktops. Current Apple sales trends bear this out.

While this is pretty exciting from a small, mobile computing standpoint, I still think the choice depends on the situation of the user. There are clear advantages and disadvantages to both. I hope there isn’t a day where desktops are phased out for notebooks, but it seems that in my lifetime this could very well happen.

Advantages of desktops:

• Still cheaper.
• Easier to repair yourself. Notebooks are getting better but most of the take it apart, swap out parts stuff is way easier on a desktop.
• More reliable. Notebook computers will inevitably be dropped, liquid spilled upon.
• Theft is less likely. Portable means someone can steal it more easily.
• Using WiFi, especially in public, is less secure. It’s still a good precaution to use an actual cable for sensitive information.
• Backups are more convenient on a desktop. I think this is true because attaching a second hard drive, which is inconvenient on a lap top, is easier with a desktop.
• Maybe you’re an uber-gamer or power user that must have the top of the line processors, scads of external storage, and video cards that need enough space as they get hot enough to fry bacon. In that case, desktops still rule.

I suppose with some discipline one could over come some of these items with a “docking station” strategy, meaning when the laptop comes home, you plug in Ethernet, an external drive, and back up everything, but I get the feeling this isn’t that common, especially with casual users.

But there is another strategy. Prices have sunk low enough that we can buy two computers — a desktop and a laptop. Even the “consumer” level Macs (desktop (iMac) and portable (MacBook)) are powerful enough for our needs.

Having two computers also allows for great redundancy. Here’s how I use each machine:

MacBook: I consider our portable more of a networked computer than an essential machine. There are few applications loaded on it. I use it for for Internet browsing, watching DVDs, and running websites and blogs most of which are done online or with nothing more than a text editor. When I check email via the laptop I only use web email with the intent of downloading emails and deleting them off the server via the desktop only.

iMac: Our desktop is the true “home” and primary machine. It has an external hard drive and DVD burner attached, and all the more critical programs and data on it that I would be seriously pissed to lose or have stolen: Quicken, tax stuff, photographs, major projects, music and video files, graphic files, downloads of all emails, etc. Regular backups are made to the external drive, and our iPods are synced to the desktop only. Apple’s iLife actually seems to encourage this set up as iPhoto and iTunes on the iMac allow for networking so I can check out music, photos, and video that’s stored on the iMac via the MacBook when I’m at home.

As a result of dividing the computing tasks in this manner, I get all the benefits of the laptop’s portability but much less of the worry. I don’t have to back it up that often. If it were smashed or stolen I would be annoyed — but not suicidal, as there isn’t any critical information on it. I recently went through both a hard drive failure and a water spill that caused some stress — but only regarding the hardware, not the data on MacBook.

I’m sure others have different setups, but my main point is that despite my love of the MacBook, I’m still very cautious about using it as a primary machine. They are definitely more prone to unfortunate accidents.

Anyhow, if / when desktops are phased out in some future decade — I guess I’ll just buy two MacBooks and leave one at home.