Released on: March 6, 2008, 12:39 am

Press Release Author: gurpreet singh

Industry: Computers

Press Release Summary: On TV and in the movies, we see a lot of portable computers
being used in homes and offices. Does that mean that\'s the trend? Is that what you
should get?

Press Release Body: On TV and in the movies, we see a lot of portable computers
being used in homes and offices. Does that mean that\'s the trend? Is that what you
should get?

Portable computers cost more, so unless you really have the need for one, you get a
lot more computers for your money with a regular desktop PC. The main thing is
portability. If you need a portable computer, get a laptop. (\"Laptop,\" \"portable,\"
and \"notebook\" all refer to the same thing, by the way). Otherwise, a desktop
computer is a better buy, and better ergonomically.

The Price Difference

You might wonder why laptops cost more than desktop computers with comparable
features and power. That is largely because it is more expensive to manufacture
laptops and their parts. For portable computer components, factors such as
compactness, the amount of heat they generate, their weight, and power consumption
are more important than they are for desktops. Those factors add to their
manufacturing costs.

Space Requirements

While laptops are certainly compact, a desktop computer with a flat panel monitor
can take up almost as little space. While called a \"desktop\" computer, the computer
itself is most often kept on the floor. That leaves just the monitor, keyboard and
mouse on the desk, which is really very similar in footprint to a notebook computer.


A great way to further reduce the space taken up on the desktop computer is get a
keyboard drawer to hold the keyboard and mouse. That way, they slide out of the way
under the top of the desk when they aren\'t needed.

Be Mindful of Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of designing and arranging things so that people can
interact with them more comfortably and safely. The basic ergonomic principals for
computer use tell us that, 1) the keyboard should be as close to your lap level as
possible (assuming you touch-type), 2) the monitor should be about arm\'s length in
front of you, and 3) the top of the monitor should be at about your eye level. Try
achieving that with a laptop computer! Two words: im-possible.

It is obvious then, that a desktop computer is much better ergonomically than a
laptop is. For prolonged use, especially, you\'re much better off with a desktop
computer.

And Don\'t Forget Usability

Another aspect of ergonomics is usability. Because of size constraints, laptops also
are lower on the usability scale than desktop PCs are. For one thing, laptop
keyboards lack the separate groupings of the different sets of keys with space
between them. For another, there are fewer keys on a laptop\'s keyboard, so some of
them have to perform double duty. On a standard keyboard, you don\'t have to deal
with that.

Screen Resolution

Computer monitors -- the bulky ones, anyway -- can be set at different resolutions.
In other words, you can change the fineness of the image on the screen. The range is
typically 640x480 -- that is 640 pixel across and 480 pixels up and down -- to
800x600, 1024x768, or even higher. At 640x480, the icons and such appear quite
large; at 1024x768, they are substantially smaller. The most common resolutions
today for desktop computers are 800x600 and 1024x768.

Something They Don\'t Tell You

Laptop displays, on the other hand, have a fixed, or native, resolution. You can
change the setting, but then the images and text don\'t look good. While people tend
to think that bigger numbers are better, a higher screen resolution may not work as
well for you. It may make everything too small to see comfortably.

Remember, the laptop\'s screen is smaller than a desktop\'s. While a typical desktop
computer screen is 17\" or so a laptop\'s is usually in the range of 12\" to 15.\" That
is a big difference. Make sure you can see everything clearly before choosing a
high-resolution laptop.


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