Nowadays, everybody is going mobile and opting for more portable gadgets. The lone desktop computer sitting in your room finds less and less action as smaller devices are taking over most, if not all, of its functions. The question may be asked—is the desktop still relevant in 2020?
Reasons for Keeping a Desktop
The desktop came a long way since its inception in the 1970s. It has gone through various evolutions, and in many ways, it still pumps iron for a lot of homes and businesses. But while this reliable workhorse dominates the computer world, some more portable and sometimes equally powerful gadgets like the laptop, tablets and mobile phones are coming out. They are replacing some, if not all, of the functions of the desktop. So is the desktop still relevant? The resounding answer is yes, and here are some reasons why:
Maintainability
What the desktop lacks in portability, it makes up for easier maintainability. The more portable options like laptops and tablets are not as repairable compared to the desktop. If you can’t do it yourself, you can call a computer technician. In Salt Lake City, there are a lot of businesses that still opt for the desktop for this very reason. You save a lot of money if you can have your infrastructure repaired rather than thrown away.
Raw power
The desktop is still packed in more computing power compared to the laptop, granting they have the same parts, and when you need more, it’s still easier to upgrade compared to the latter. Portable devices put a lot of emphasis on battery life rather than performance. You can’t have too much performance because it will eat up the battery life. You don’t have such a trade-off with the desktop. Since it’s plugged into the wall, you can focus on heavy lifting instead of saving on battery.
Better expandability
You don’t have to throw away your desktop if you need an upgrade. Do you need more storage for your growing business? Why not invest in a fast solid-state drive. You need a faster network adapter, upgrade to the latest that your motherboard can support. Granting that you can still upgrade a laptop, it is more limited compared to what’s available with the desktop. On top of that, there are laptop models that are just too difficult to open. Often with the laptop, you are stuck with the specs that came with it until you upgrade to the latest model.
The desktop is less expensive
Granting the desktop and the laptop have the same performance, the desktop will still be cheaper. You can quickly get a desktop at half the price of a laptop of the same specs. This is very important for businesses on a shoe-string budget. If you can get the same computing power for half the price, why not? All you have to give up is portability.
So is the laptop still relevant? The answer is yes. There is still room for this reliable workhorse, and it’s not leaving anytime soon. As an end-user, the best thing for you to do is to determine your needs and decide whether a desktop if the best fit for it or not.
