The way we interact with computers is evolving constantly, and if you’re a small business owner, there’s a tendency to just go with the flow while deciding whether your employees should use a laptop or desktop computer at work.
While laptops remain a popular computing solution for many, especially companies with team members who are in the field a lot, the reality is that desktop computers offer numerous advantages over laptops, for professional applications. Whether your business trades in words, numbers, images, or some combination of the three, the power, durability, and flexibility that desktops provide make them the best choices to deliver the specs your day to day operations demand.
Not convinced? Consider these six reasons why desktops are the superior alternative to laptops for your business computer needs.
1. Power
Simply put, desktops are more powerfulthan laptops. This is due mainly to the computer’s size, heat output, and powerconsumption. Additionally, desktops simply have better specs and run faster andsmoother than laptops. Industry research shows that desktop computers are equipped with more impressive processors and a betteroverall speed. Even with similar model numbers, laptops are not aspowerful as desktops.
While laptops offer the convenience ofportability, only desktops provide the adequate computing power required formore substantial tasks, like running complex healthcare applications, managingenterprise data storage solutions, or running powerful design programs.
2. Size
Just as desktop computers are morepowerful, they also come with full-size parts that work better than theirminiaturized components designed for laptops. Your laptop may be outfitted witha top-of-the-line mobile processor, but it will not compare favorably to itsdesktop counterpart. In this particular case, bigger does actually mean better.Even a small incremental increase in size lends itself to better functionality,therefore guaranteeing that your desktop will outperform a laptop. Thefull-size parts ensure a faster and slicker experience that puts desktopcomputers several steps ahead of a laptop and maybe ahead of your competition.
In recentyears, NUCs, or “Next Unit of Computing,” have started to change the way consumersand businesses think about the traditional desktop computer. A NUC, designed byIntel, is a small form factor computer case that provides programmers theopportunity to create customized computing systems for various applications.The small footprint of these systems, combined with their powerful processingabilities and customization options, make these an increasingly appealingalternative to not only laptops but traditional desktops as well.
Whether you choose a traditionaldesktop or a NUC, its size not only matters from a functionality standpoint buton a user experience level, too. Desktop computers offer higher quality screensand more powerful audio capabilities; with a laptop, your staff is limited bythe smaller size of the screen and often subpar speakers. With a larger,higher-quality screen and more powerful sound system, a desktop enhances yourexperience by providing clearer, crisper picture and higher quality, moredefined sound. These advantages make desktops ideal for consuming media, yes,but they also make desktops necessary for professional applications like webdesign or video editing.
3. Durability
Since desktops are larger and easier tocool, thermal damage is much less of a threat to their components than it isfor laptops. Superior temperature control means computer parts last longer.Also, solid-state drives (SSDs) fight the effects of time much longer thanconventional spinning platter hard drives. Fewer moving parts meansignificantly lower chance of mechanical failure. For these reasons and more,desktop computers win over laptops by presenting components that can betterwithstand the test of time. Your hardware investments will east up less of yourbottom line.
4. Portability Factor
Even though the case for mobilecomputing is compelling, a laptop’s portability is actually detrimental to itsperformance. Not considering the fact that laptops are more susceptible totheft, just the added physical wear alone is enough to bring down the value ofa computer. Aside from broken screens, when laptops are carried and bumpedaround a lot, they are more susceptible to damage and failure.
5. Upgrades & Repairs
Laptops generally need to be replacedmore frequently than desktops, especially if you’re looking to upgrade. And thecost of replacement units comes straight out of your company’s bottom line.Because it is much easier to upgrade desktops, the full-size machines provide abetter option once again. You have the option of upgrading unique parts in adesktop, while you would have to buy a whole new laptop for the sameperformance, as most laptops limit their upgrade options to just memory andstorage.
If you run abusiness that requires multiple computers for your employees, the ability toupgrade desktops makes them a far more cost-effective IT solution compared tolaptops. This frees up resources that can be invested in additional office techto make your workplace more productive.
Just like with upgrades, desktops makeit possible to conduct a few repairs and increase the lifespan of your machinemuch more tangibly. You can replace virtually any part of the desktop and stillkeep the entire unit. This option is severely limited, if not impossible, inthe laptop counterparts.
6. More Cost-Effective
Overall, desktops provide a betteroption for the reasons cited above, but another crucial advantage is the factthat they tend to be significantly less expensive out-of-the-box. Whileretailers often sell laptops at a premium (often due to their portability,which, as we’ve noted, has pros and cons), desktops that offer more power,durability, and flexibility are available at a relatively lower price-point.Consider this in conjunction with the increased longevity and the opportunityto upgrade and repair a desktop far more easily than a laptop, and it’s easy tosee why a desktop is a more cost-effective choice when it comes to professionalcomputing.
Small and slim desktop options, including NUCs, are available that do not take up too much space in your work area. A large variety of options is available to upgrade your company’s workstations and attain maximum productivity for each of your employees individually and for your company as a whole.
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