It all really comes Down to Who’s Using it
We are choosing to start this article in the way most other resources would end their articles. We would always maintain that irrespective of which investment may be more cost effective in what way, it is ultimately going to be the person’s job role and purpose of the computer they use, that makes the decision more viable.
A laptop is definitely the right option when the user would need to carry the work around, so we shall ignore this part of the discussion which has an obvious answer. The desktop is likely to be the right option when it comes to the need for more performance per dollar and ease of maintenance, when you know that the machine is well intended to be stationary.
Note that we still use “likely” above when in favor of the desktop, and that’s what we shall discuss, to help you make the right decision in your exact situation.
Power Consumption
Laptops tend to consume lesser power at the expense of screen size and some other factors. Firstly, a smaller screen would consume lesser power than a larger screen using similar technology.
Secondly, the cooling system of an aluminum skin laptop need not have a moving fan and provided the laptop is not cooled by a fan that is added power saving when you compare it to the 3-4 fans most desktops would have.
Thirdly, most desktops still tend to have larger hard discs or hard disks with moving parts versus the now more common SSDs in the laptops, making the former more power-hungry.
Fourthly, power efficiency is not that high a priority for CPUs of desktops as it is for those of laptops, which focus on longer battery life.
While a computer may not be a very power-hungry device, when you multiply each figure by a hundred, over a year’s time, the saving could get quite significant and if the work is such that screen size is not a deciding factor, laptops can make a better choice even for fixed applications, but do continue reading the other points to get more clarity.
Ease of Repairs
Should there be a hardware issue, the desktop is without a doubt the easier to repair as its parts are easily accessible and replaceable. The trend of the market of laptops off-late is that they are not even user-maintenance friendly and opening up most laptops voids their warranty. This is getting increasingly common in the industry and the trend seems like it shall last in the long run.
Space Utilization
A laptop definitely takes up much lesser of your real estate space. Further, a user tends to keep a laptop closer to oneself versus a desktop, due to the typically smaller screen size. Now this is a great advantage for offices with space constraints and at times when offices tend to add employee strength in the same facility, this could be a key deciding factor.
Performance
While this battle is slowly getting closer, there is still a performance gap between desktops and the laptops. For the same price, a desktop computer would still outperform a laptop in almost all cases. Exceptions to this rule can exist.
Upgradability
Another area where a desktop excels is at being upgradable. From processors, to Hard Disks, to accommodation multiple hard disks, to getting a graphics card upgrade, a monitor upgrade or even a better pair of keyboard and mouse, the desktop computer is simply the one to choose as a long term investment.
Ergonomics
A lot of scientific evidence favors desktops and certain keyboard-mouse set-ups for being ergonomically ahead of most laptop computers, especially for long use. For example, it is recommended that the screen be at the level of your eyes while the keyboard be easily reachable while your arms are in a position that doesn’t stress your shoulders and trapezius muscles. However, making all this fall in place while still having a straight back, might not be possible while using a laptop. The desktop benefits from having a separate keyboard and mouse, the placement of which can be independent of the placement of the desktop, making the setup flexible enough to manage the correct ergonomics for any user. This can work wonders for your employees and also make their output much better, especially if their job makes them spend long hours on the computer.
Laptop computers can also be set-up with a separate keyboard and a mouse at ideal placements and that can be a great option of a set-up when the user needs a desk-based set-up with a portable option at times.
Conclusion
To wrap up, we would maintain that the right decision for your business can be taken by the business owner keeping the above points in mind. A need for portability, power efficiency and space utilization would make a laptop the winner while almost all other factors make a desktop the winner.
Whether the ideal option is a little beyond the budget or whether the business owner needs funds to purchase new computers, ideal options of business funding could cater to enhance or simplify the purchase process and your business could benefit from making the right investment even if it’s just a tad higher than you may have had in mind.