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Laptop vs. Desktop: What to Know Before You Buy
Your budget, mobility needs and everyday habits can help narrow the choices
9-minute read
A desktop gives you more screen space and flexibility, while a laptop makes it easier to take your computer wherever you go.
AARP (Getty Images, 3; Alamy, 2)
Key takeaways
- Laptops offer portability but tend to cost more than desktops with comparable features.
- Desktops offer more screen space, ports and upgrade options, often for less money.
- Tablets and foldables are lighter, more portable alternatives for browsing, email and other everyday tasks.
Got a tech query? AARP members and readers are invited to send me their questions about devices, online safety, social media and navigating today’s technology.
I’m replacing my 10-plus-year-old HP desktop PC. My family and friends say I should get a laptop, but I’m leaning toward another desktop. I prefer a regular keyboard, and don’t need a computer on the go. —Donna U.
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One thing you haven’t mentioned, Donna, is budget, but it’s important to note that taking the mobile route usually comes at a high cost, since laptops, or “notebooks,” are almost always priced at a premium compared to desktop machines with comparable specs and features. You definitely get more bang for the buck with the latter, especially when factoring in their larger screens, which can be a deciding factor for older adults who don’t see as well as they once did.
But desktops also have more ports and connectors in general, as well as the ability to boost memory.
If you stick with a desktop, consider the design
If you are firm about staying with a desktop, consider the computer’s physical “footprint.” How big is the desk where you plan to park it? Do you want a desktop tower design or an all-in-one computer with an attached monitor?
Towers allow you to choose your own monitor and other components, which, depending on how you mix and match, can work out cheaper. You can also upgrade the memory more easily if that ever becomes an issue.
A mini PC is another option, especially if you don’t have a ton of space. In some cases, they’re cheaper. But these small boxes may lack the ports found on full-size desktops.
Keep in mind you must also add a monitor, keyboard, mouse and, in some instances, cables to connect everything up.
Think about what you need from a computer
Some decisions you have to make apply across any type of computer you ultimately choose: the machine’s processor, memory, number and type of ports, and storage capacity for what will almost certainly be an SSD, or solid-state drive.
I’m guessing you won’t need top-of-the-line specs since you’ve had your old machine for more than a decade. You’re likely to be pleased with even a budget computer, given the progress made in chips and other components during that time.
But much depends on what you intend to do with the computer. The requirements are certainly higher for someone with designs on video editing or even robust gaming compared to someone who will mostly browse the web, exchange emails and do some word processing.
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Don’t rule out a laptop
Before dismissing the portability angle, ask yourself whether it would be nice to easily carry a computer when you travel outside your home, however infrequently, and also move it from room to room in your house.
If you decide on a laptop, consider the machine’s weight, which matters more for people who take it on the road.
In your case, Donna, you might be a candidate for a desktop-replacement laptop, which is generally a robust notebook with performance and specs that may match or exceed those of its desktop counterparts. As its name suggests, the machine will stay put on a desk or table most of the time, but you can move it if you have to.
Desktop-replacement screens tend to be larger (15 to 18 inches), which is good news, though it also means the computer is on the heavier side, typically 5 to 8 pounds. These larger machines often appeal to gamers. Prices for desktop-replacement laptops start at around $1,300, but there’s a pretty wide range.
The sweet spot for standard-size laptops nowadays is within the 14- to 16-inch range and weighing 3 to 4 pounds, give or take.
The compact machines known as subportables or ultraportables have typical screen sizes between 11 and 13 inches. Since they weigh about 3 pounds or less, they may be a road warrior’s best friend.
But there are no hard-and-fast rules here, and you may have a laptop with a slightly larger display that weighs less than one with a smaller display.
Prices are all over the map for laptops across almost every category and are determined by factors such as screen quality, materials and design, storage, memory, connectors and ports, weight and battery life.
You can spend as little as a few hundred dollars for a budget machine or several thousand dollars for premium models with the most robust specs, though for most consumers, spending that much is overkill.
Try the keyboard before you buy
For some people, another motivating factor for sticking with a desktop is the desire to continue using a regular keyboard.
I get that, though I can tell you that once you get used to a decent keyboard, even on a middling laptop, you may not notice much of a difference. In fact, you should by no means assume that laptop keyboards are cramped; I've typed on many excellent ones through the years.
I advise potential laptop buyers to bang away on keyboards in a store whenever possible; it may take more than a few minutes to determine what you do and don’t like. Consider the “travel,” or how hard you have to press down before the keys register the keystrokes.
And do you like the trackpad’s placement, which you can’t even see on some models anymore? In those cases, you get used to the feel of where it is hidden below the keyboard, letting you perform scrolls and clicks as on any other trackpad.
You can make a laptop work more like a desktop
Of course, with any laptop, you can always buy a full-size wireless Bluetooth keyboard as an accessory to use when you’re at home. There’s a pretty wide price range; you might spend between $50 and $100 on a keyboard, give or take.
For that matter, you can also buy an external Bluetooth mouse or trackpad if you prefer either to the built-in pointing devices on the laptop.
While we’re discussing accessories, an external monitor is also an obvious option to use in conjunction with, or instead of, the laptop screen at home. Here again, it may require recalibrating your budget.
Prices are all over the map for a large 27-inch monitor, but you can count on paying several hundred dollars for top-notch resolution and picture quality. 4K displays, similar to the screen tech on most TVs nowadays, are considered the state of the art.
To save money, consider a 24-inch monitor with 1080p resolution, which is typically available for under $150 and may be perfectly satisfactory for basic tasks.
What about switching from Windows to a Mac?
One last thing to consider: Since the computer you will be retiring is from HP, it is a Windows PC. Thus, I’m going to guess that you plan to stick with Microsoft’s operating system, since you didn’t mention Apple or a Mac.
I’ll leave it at this: These rival platforms have more in common than ever before, since so much of our computing these days is done on the internet. Many people take advantage of online or cloud storage, too, and with rare exceptions, both PCs and Macs can handle versions of the same programs.
To be sure, you will still find diehards crowing that theirs is the superior computing system. And all else being equal, Macs are still more expensive than Windows PCs.
Other machines to consider: tablets and foldables
It sounds like you’re set on a new PC. But for some people, it’s worth asking: “Do I need a computer at all?”
The answer may be yes, but if you mostly browse the web, look at photos, send emails and only occasionally do more substantial work, a tablet may be worth considering.
Tablets have touch screens, are far lighter than even the lightest notebook and are often less expensive.
A tablet may not cut it, however, if you frequently edit photos or videos or have a job that requires heavy-duty multitasking. And if you’re writing a lot, typing on a touchscreen is generally more difficult than using a computer keyboard, though you can add one as an accessory. And you’ve already mentioned that you prefer a regular keyboard.
If a tablet sounds appealing, I’ll toss yet another question your way: What about a foldable? These are smartphones that unfold into small tablets and have garnered a lot of attention lately with the launch of the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first entry into the foldables category. Duo starts at around $2,000, so it is not exactly a budget option. Nor are other premium foldables from Google, Motorola and Samsung, which also command prices well into the four-digit range.
Foldables come in a few different designs, including clamshells, passport-style phones and devices that open like a book. If you’re considering one, it may help to get your hands on a few in a store.
Older adults who can afford them may appreciate their flexibility. When folded, some resemble conventional smartphones, with an outer display and a size that still fits in a pocket. Unfold them, and you can prop them up at different angles depending on whether you are reading an e-book, watching a movie, video-chatting with a friend or doing other stuff.
With PCs, you’re choosing Windows or a Mac. With foldables, now that Apple has entered the category, the choice is between iOS and Android.
The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
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