Laptop Vs Desktop

Which type of computer is the best for you as far as your work-from-home business is concerned? There is a lot of debate over whether laptops or desktop computers enable the home business entrepreneur to get the most work done, so it is important to decide which option is the best for you.

Laptop Pros

Laptops offer a lot of freedom when it comes to where you work. You can take your work outside on a sunny day and watch your kids play while you catch up or keep up with the day’s tasks. With a laptop you can also pack your work along easily on daytrips or weekend getaways and vacations, and not have to worry about the money you are missing out on by not being at home. Most accommodation services like hotels and motels now offer wireless Internet services for laptop users, so it is possible to keep getting work done even when traveling. If you usually stay at people’s houses when you are on vacation, having a laptop will mean that you do not need to worry about taking up time on their computer or about brining along disks or emailing files that might get lost on your way. Even the smaller details of your business are made easier with a laptop, as you can regularly check your emails while you are away even if you don’t fell like doing any actual work. This way, you can keep tabs on your clients and negotiate deals for when you get back.

Laptop Cons

The portability of the laptop means that you are seriously in danger of never leaving your work behind. This can become a real problem, especially if you are on vacation with your family. You will have to exercise a great deal of self control and limit the amount of time you spend on your computer while you are away from the house. Laptops also do not lend themselves to convenience as far as being able to print out your information; most is stored right on the computer and never comes out. The situation is the same when it comes to backing up files; laptop people have a tendency to forget about putting their work on disk.

Laptops are also easy targets for thieves, and if you don’t take a lot of extra security measures you can lose all of your business information in addition to your computer. Finally, laptops are a lot more susceptible to damage than a desktop computer is, due to the fact that they are constantly being moved around.

Desktop Pros

Desktops convey a sense of business atmosphere that laptops just do not. Humans often feel like they need a sense of being anchored to a work space in order to get things accomplished, and the heavier desktop along with all the wires they heed to operate certainly roots them in place. Desktops are also commonly the family computer, and almost every household has one. This means that they are usually the machine of choice when it comes to starting up a household business, as it is already there.

Desktops are set up for work, with all the hardware and accessories that you will need to operate the business attached to them. Most people are much more familiar with working a desktop than they are a laptop.

Desktop Cons

The sense of permanence a desktop offers can also be a con. People who work solely with a desktop do not have the ability to take their work with them. The amount of wires and hook-ups also mean that there is a lot of potential to have something disconnect, and desktops are much more prone to electrical surges than laptops are. A desktop will, of course, require a desk, so working from one will mean that you have to adjust everything to fit your working style to prevent injury.

A lot of home-based workers find that they actually use both a desktop and a laptop, depending on their needs and what they do. This combination allows a fluid exchange of permanence and portability, but you will have to make sure that you are dedicated to transferring files on a regular basis if you go the combined route!