Should I buy a desktop or a laptop?
Both are valid options. In the past few years the desire for laptops has grown; last year over 90 percent of first-year students reported bringing a laptop. If you like the portability of a laptop but find desktops easier to work on, consider buying a laptop that can be used with a docking station (sometimes called a port replicator). A docking station facilitates hooking your laptop up to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. When you’re in your residence, a laptop in the docking station can function like a desktop system; when you need to be mobile, just “undock” your laptop. Wireless network access is available in many campus buildings and is gradually being extended to cover the entire campus.
Desktop computers have four separate pieces – the computer itself, the screen, the keyboard and the mouse – usually connected together by cables although a wireless keyboard and mouse may be an option. If you want to move your computer regularly, consider buying a portable one i.e. a laptop. The convenience and compact nature of laptops comes at a price: they can be difficult or costly to upgrade or expand, they can be damaged by rough handling, battery life is usually not as much as you’d like, and they are very desirable to thieves.
