I'm technology able, but hardly proficient. Our tower is dying a slow death, it is about 7 years old. Time to upgrade, but are desk tops worth the money anymore? I do my PhD work on it, the kids play games, but nothing too massive.

Can you have wifi without a desktop?

Thanks

You can certainly have wi-fi without a desktop.

We haven't had a desktop in years. That said, our very slow laptop is nearing the end of its useful life and I think we are going to replace it with a desktop. It seems you can get the same specs for a lot less $ in a desktop than a laptop. We never use the portability of it as we pretty much use our iPad or phones for general web surfing and prefer to be at a desk for doing actual computer work.

an All-in-one like this one may be something to consider:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883266016

I HAVE to have a desktop because I game on it and like to be able to do an update here and there on it.

It sounds like you don't need much in terms of processing power, so it really comes down to portability vs cost. The desktop will be cheaper, the laptop can go with you.

Unless not having your computer with you really hampers your ability to get things done, I would stick with a desktop. It's probably not worth paying for a laptop if you think you might take it with you or you just "want the option"; I've not seen a whole lot of people get real use out of their personal laptops including in school (although that was a few years ago now).

For workstations yes

I love desktops. You can hook them up to bigger screens more easily, you can upgrade them/repair them much more easily than laptops, and you tend to get more speed/power for less money.

And they're pretty much dirt cheap these days for basic set ups. Like you can get a pretty dang good desktop for $350. And you can even get a decent all-in-one for about the same. I've set up two all-in-ones for my parent's office and they like them a lot. Both were a little over $300 on sale, and do everything they need them to do.

My current desktop is going on 6 years old, and it can be a little l**** when running HD video, but I built it on a budget and for the most part it's running pretty strong.

Unless you are doing something pretty intensive (serious data analysis, high graphics stuff, work station setup) its hard to beat today's laptops.

Pretty much all have the ability to handle most tasks a family does, plus you get the portability.


There are micro-towers and mid-size towers if you want a "tweener".


Personally, I think you like playing around with the hardware, want the ability to upgrade later, change out parts, there is a reason to get a desktop.

If you just want something to open, do word/excel/internet/light gaming, get a laptop. More and more, this describes most people, hence why the desktop market is dwindling and tablets and laptops are exploding.

i use a desktop at work, and probably always will because it's big and powerful. At home, my wife and I each have HP "sleekbooks" that are ultra portable, slim, and powerful enough for the work we do at home. We have a big 27" full HD monitor that we plug the laptops into via HDMI, and connect a wireless keyboard and mouse, and essentially have a desktop set up. Then we can always unplug, and go work on the couch. This works very well for us, and gives us lots of flexibility...and I don't think I'll ever go back to a desktop set up at home.

In your case, I think you should get a desktop if you have no plans to be mobile/work anywhere other than your desk, because you can get more computer for cheaper...but if you have any desire to work in different places, or take your work on the road, etc...definitely look at laptops. As others have mentioned, for the type of things you've described, you likely don't need the TOP of the line specs, so you should still be able to find a good deal on a good laptop.

And finally, as with all home computers...my suggestion is to give the kids their own. Whether that is your old one (wipe and reinstall Windows and you may get more life out of it), or their own new system, or even something like an inexpensive Chromebook, having separate computers for parents and kids makes a lot of sense to me.


If you need suggestions on any of the systems/components mentioned so far, just say so and I'm sure plenty of people here would be glad to provide you with links on some good deals. Just mention your budget, wishlist, and maybe what kind of programs/games you use it for.

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i use a desktop at work, and probably always will because it's big and powerful. At home, my wife and I each have HP "sleekbooks" that are ultra portable, slim, and powerful enough for the work we do at home. We have a big 27" full HD monitor that we plug the laptops into via HDMI, and connect a wireless keyboard and mouse, and essentially have a desktop set up. Then we can always unplug, and go work on the couch. This works very well for us, and gives us lots of flexibility...and I don't think I'll ever go back to a desktop set up at home.

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This is my use case too but I use a laptop at work too combined with a desktop dock (for ethernet, kb/mouse and my dual monitors). To me its all about having the flexibility to have a desktop and portable option in one device.

Thanks, all great suggestion..