Tuesday 7 August 2012

The Laptop Vs. The Desktop


My office is small.  I mean seriously tiny.  Some people have a pantry bigger than my office.  (However  let that be no reflection on the A grade work that comes out of it!)  What my workspace lacks in space and grandeur is made up for in efficiency and utilisation of that space.  It’s not the sort of flashy office that you showcase to clients.  It’s a functional space in every sense of the word. 
I recently walked through a display house which had the most luxurious home office with giant walk in storage cupboard, very glamorous mirror finish desk and chic wallpaper and was seriously depressed for days by the size of my humble home office.  I had office envy. 
With my serious lack of space in mind I find myself looking longingly at a smaller PC.  Small in physical size, not necessarily capacity.
One of the joys of my Virtual Assistant job is mobility.  I have a laptop PC.  It’s nothing special, however it  does give me the option of being very  mobile.  Hey, I can even work from the beach at Christmas Time if I’ve got a decent internet connection.  Nobody knows where I am when I’m working.  So, I am beginning to ask myself why do I even maintain a bulky desktop PC?  Time to do some research…
Generally speaking, laptops seem to provide less “bang” for my buck when compared with a comparable desktop computer. The smaller components in a laptop make them more expensive and I think you can see that reflected in the price.
Although there are some things that can be upgraded/replaced in a laptop, it is just not as easy to keep up-to-date and in good repair as a bulky desktop machine. This is a concern for me as my business is technology reliant and I often need to upgrade my equipment to keep pace with technology.  Another factor I need to consider is Ergonomics. With a desktop PC I have more control over the placing of my keyboard, screen height and mouse pad.  A lap top does not allow me this flexibility and given I spend a great deal of my day at the keyboard I need to keep in mind the strain on my neck, shoulders and eyes if I am spending the whole day in a fixed posture.  I don’t need to see my Physio any more often than I already do.
No, I think I am going to have to stick with my desktop and use the lap top when I need  more mobility.  I’ll save my pennies for a bigger office.

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