Desktop or Laptop ?

[tixntox]

My old Dell Dimension C521 has been playing up a little lately, throwing up checkdisk black screens and deleting bad sectors (all very worrying), so I've been wondering about what to replace it with, if or when it goes? I also need to back up my data but don't fancy sending it to a storage database in cyberworld. Any suggestions or advice appreciated. I don't game etc, as I just do a bit of surfing and word processing.

Mike

[robert75]

I had a Dell computer and absolutely hated it, biggest mistake I ever made. I thought it was poorly put together and within a very short space of time started packing in. Got a Sony Viao and within a few years that started having problems. Switched to a laptop a couple of years ago buying one cheap in the sales and to be honest its perfect for me and the family.

1. It doesnt take up too much room and gets tucked away in a bag at the end of the day. 2.Didnt cost much so when it does start packing in its no great loss to me 3.I just got an external HD for my storage use. I never bother storing stuff on the laptop that way if it does pack in I dont loose anything and I can always move important things about.

Its now reached a point that I use my laptop for music (Just get some decent speakers) For DVD's (Just use a HD cable) I have ended up getting rid of a fair bit of clutter in the house. I am now looking at one of these tablets for my next purchase.

[Pras]

jep get a laptop.

I only still have a desktop as I still play 3D FPS games...

[Glamdring]

The only point being that you can fix anything that goes wrong with a PC yourself. Most laptops need expert repairs.

[eagletower]

The only point being that you can fix anything that goes wrong with a PC yourself. Most laptops need expert repairs.

Good point, but I am now on 5th Laptop and not one of them have ever needed repair.

[petethegeek]

The only point being that you can fix anything that goes wrong with a PC yourself. Most laptops need expert repairs.

Extending the point slightly; it also generally applies to upgrading, updating and expanding most of the hardware components.

[eagletower]

Extending the point slightly; it also generally applies to upgrading, updating and expanding most of the hardware components.

But the OP mentions he will generally use it for web surfing and word processing is he likely to ever upgrade his computer's components?

[jjgreenwood]

Microsoft surface rt for you I reckon

[lysanderxiii]

The only point being that you can fix anything that goes wrong with a PC yourself. Most laptops need expert repairs.

I thought that too, until I started to have little things wear out on my laptop. I few trips to eBay for spares and youtube for instructional videos and provided the motherboard doesn't go out, I can keep it "as it was when I bought it" condition....

[Glamdring]

The newer laptops with the slimmer designs are less easy to open but yes, you can if you're brave enough, remembering to back up all data first.

[rfrazier]

I prefer really small desktops. I have some mini-itx computers. One reason is that they can be upgraded rather easily. Another is that you get more bang for the buck. Another is that they are more configurable. Another is that replacement isn't an all or nothing process. Another is that they are more comfortable to use. Let me expand on two points.

Monitors seem not to die as quickly as I want to replace a computer. Indeed, at this moment I'm using a Belinea 15 inch monitor that I got years and years ago for my main system, which is now being used on a little (Shuttle XS35) I have at my wife's college flat in Nottingham. It is easier to reuse parts from a desktop. I also have favourite keyboards, which have shuffled from computer to computer.

I see an increasing number of people spending an increasing amount of time hunched over. They are often looking at phones, but also looking at screens on laptops. That's because the keyboard is connected to the screen. When one gets a choice, i.e., when using a desktop, one finds that the natural and comfortable position is to have the keyboard some distance from the screen. One also finds that it is better to have the screen raised so that no hunching is involved. One could, of course, use an external keyboard and monitor with a laptop. This just turns it into an overly expensive desktop. It would make a difference if one made use of it as a portable computer quite a lot. I don't have much need of this, and prefer to avoid it. (Nowadays, my phone is usually enough for what very little portable computing I have to do. And, even with it, I like to get it far enough away from me that I minimize the hunching. The 5 inch screen allows this, which is one reason I like a bigger screen on my phone.)

Best wishes,
Bob

[jmeizosopaz]

Really each one make your work, I prefer Deskstop.

[Captain Morgan]

Desktop or laptop is really up to you both have advantages / disadvantages.

my 2p is don't wait for the existing one to crap out on you, get an external hdd asap they aren't that lumpy and get your data safely backed up. that way you can afford a little longer on the procrastination ;) of desktop / laptop...

you can get 500Gb from Amazon delivered next day for around £40-50 or I'm sure currys / pc world have a click and collect at around the same price.

You haven't said how much data you have so hard to say if this would work for you, but consider a product for online backups called Spider Oak first 2Gb is free & then $85 I think for the next 100Gb per year.
yes its online but and this is a big but, no one can access your data other than you, its encrypted before transmission to Spider Oak & the Key to decrypt is only held on your devices, this means that not even Spider Oak can view the data or filenames once they have your data backed up.
The bad point of this is that if you ever forget the Key / Password then your data backup is unusable.

I use it for the Mrs business and it also allows her to keep her desktop files in sync with her laptops smart eh.

Looked at dropbox, google drive, Amazon etc and didn't like the security on them hence Spider Oak, that said YMMV, your home is at risk if you do not keep up payments on any loan secured against it, etc and should make you own mind up.

Whatever you chose, get that data off before the pc dies, its so much easier that way trust me!

Si

[patrick]

Good point, but I am now on 5th Laptop and not one of them have ever needed repair.

If that were true you'd still have the first one.

[GRK]

I always think that tablets are for viewing stuff, desktops are for doing stuff, and laptops are a compromise for both activities especially when you have to travel or are based in a number of different locations. If I had to spend an entire day working on something that required keyboard and pointer inputs then the desktop wins every time, especially with the luxury of a large screen or better still with two screens that allow you to keep an eye on sales corner at the same time as the sometimes tedious work content

I'm also getting alarmed at the trend for the slimmer, fancier laptops to depend on wireless connectivity at the expense of a LAN connection plus an optical drive. I tend to prefer my computers with lots of different ways to connect to things rather than becoming a slave to the iCloud

regards
grant

[swanbourne]

If you don't need the portability of a laptop then I would always go for desktop. Easy for a comparative novice to upgrade and generally, cheaper components.

Eddie

[Gurmot]

I've never owned a desktop (unless you count my old Atari ST with a PC 286 converter card!). I find laptops much more versatile for use around the house, taking on hols, etc and if they go wrong you tuck them under your arm and take them to someone to fix.

[bobdog]

Have a Acer desk top and a Toshiba laptop for when Ime feeling bone idle and cant be bothered to go upstairs and use the desktop but for my money the desktop is far better to use instead of balancing that bloody tea tray on your knee and not using a proper mouse.

[Glamdring]

Plus the fact you can choose a really good keyboard rather than the often indifferent ones that come with laptops.

[monogroover]

Portability is the only advantage of a laptop in my view. If that's not important a desktop machine is strongly to be preferred. A lot more ergonomic in my experience firstly, and easier to replace or upgrade parts.

[hogthrob]

In the evenings, when your wife has once again assumed command of the TV remote so she can watch her crap, you can use a laptop to keep yourself amused whilst being in the same room as your beloved.

[tixntox]

My son in law (computer engineer) has advised me to get another hard drive, copy the old one and swap it soon before I lose the old one! I'll give it a go (much cheaper option) and see how it goes. Thanks for all the tips and advice. Much appreciated and thoroughly digested.
Mike