I haven’t always had a clear opinion on this question. Back when I worked in the real world or even further back when I was at school, laptops were really the best way to go. It’s hard to heft a desktop, monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the library on campus so you can write that paper that’s due at midnight. Obvious when you think about it.

Of course, it’s easy to choose laptop when, in my case, the Michigan State University Computer Store had “sales” on those white MacBooks almost every week. They nearly threw those things at us students, everyone had one and nobody paid more than $500 bucks, and if there was a way to get your financial aid to pay for it? Free laptop. I don’t know if MSU still does this with MacBooks, but I wouldn’t doubt it.

Macbook from 2010

My computer usage changed a lot once I had my own place and stopped traveling to work. No longer did I need the convenience of a laptop, and a desktop made more sense. I could have something more powerful (when I was deluding myself that I wanted to be a gamer), I could have a better keyboard (which caused me to start collecting keyboards), and I could more easily use multiple monitors. I also loved the ability to upgrade my desktop. I could use one of those for years, and almost every part was easily, and mostly, cheaply replaceable. I didn’t have to go to the Genius Bar to get my laptop looked at, didn’t have to pay for a screen replacement that would probably cost nearly as much as the laptop itself, and I didn’t have to go without my computer when the Genius Bar turned out to be not-so-Genius.

When I started to use Linux back in 2017, I was even more thankful for this choice. Linux is great, but most of my friends use laptops, and they all have some problems that I’ve never experienced. No WiFi means there’s no WiFi problems. I also never have to deal with battery life or anything silly like that.

To this day, a desktop computer is my daily driver. I have a few laptops, but I really don’t use them. Maybe as I get out of the house more, I will start being interested in more mobile computing, but I think even then, I’ll prefer my desktop where I have all the niceties that I’ve come to adore over the last 15 years.

So, what about you? Laptop or desktop? Sound off in the comments or email me.