ITS Computer Buying Guide

Step 2: Laptop vs. Desktop, PC vs. Mac

If you haven't heard any of these four words before, here are some brief definitions:

Laptop - Also referred to as "notebooks," laptops are small, portable computers which contain internal batteries that allow them to function without being plugged into the wall. They have a screen, keyboard, and mouse interface built in to the chassis and resemble folded books. An image of a typical laptop can be found here.
Desktop - Desktops are traditional, box-and-monitor-type machines that have an external keyboard and mouse. A typical desktop usually looks something like this (the actual computer is the box-shaped thing on the left).
PC - Back in the day, this used to mean "personal computer", but has now come to mean any computer running the Microsoft Windows operating system. Dell, HP, Gateway, and IBM all sell PCs (in fact, the only company that doesn't is Apple). Both PCs and Macs come in desktop and laptop flavors.
Mac - Short for "Macintosh", Macs are Apple Computer's own line of personal computers. Macs run the OS X operating system.

Laptop vs. Desktop ... FIGHT

The decision of whether to bring a laptop or a desktop is entirely up to the student. A class will never require you to have a laptop (although some students prefer to take notes on laptops). Those few classes that require the use of a computer will usually meet in one of the Pomona computer labs. That being said, laptops and desktops each have their benefits and tradeoffs:

Laptops

The main advantage of a laptop is, of course, mobility. You can take your laptop to the library and surf the internet using the wireless network while you study. You can take your laptop to class and take notes on it (or check your e-mail while pretending to listen to the lecture). If you have a problem, you can just carry it up to the ITS Helpdesk and get it worked on right away. However, laptops are also tend to be slightly more expensive than their desktop counterparts, as well as more fragile and harder to repair.

If you will be traveling between home and school by plane, and can't be without your computer during breaks, consider this: it is much easier to carry a laptop through an airport than a desktop. (Though if you're only carrying the computer itself and not the monitor or keyboard, it's doable. Not exactly easy, but doable.)

The main tradeoff to a laptop is the price. A laptop will be more expensive than a similarly performing desktop, sometimes by several hundred to a thousand dollars. Component wise, most laptops fall significantly short of desktops with regard to video and 3D performance. This means that many laptops sold today will have trouble running Windows Vista Aero. If you think that you fit into the 'Power User' category, a laptop to satisfy your needs will be very expensive, heavy, and have limited battery life.

What's this I hear about Tablets?

A Tablet PC is a special kind of laptop that allows you to enter information by writing directly on the screen. This can be very useful if you like using a computer to take notes and intend to take a lot of courses where you will need to draw diagrams (such as the arts, science, or math). Tablets are also even more mobile than regular laptops, because you can use them while standing up. If your courses will require a lot of field work, this might be a worthwhile investment. If you're interested in a Tablet, we recommend that you look at a convertible model tablet. These have attached keyboards just like regular laptops, but the screen can swivel to lie flat over the keyboard to get the most out of the tablet functionality.

There are two big downsides to tablets: their scarcity and their price tag. Very few manufacturers make them, and they will cost anywhere from $1200 to $1800. (Also, Apple doesn't yet make tablets, so this option is only for PC users. More on that below.) However, if you're already looking to spend that much money on a computer, you might want to consider picking up one of these truly nifty machines.

For more information on Tablet PCs please see http://www.tabletpc.com.

Desktops

Desktops are definitely NOT something you can bring to class for taking notes. They are larger, heavier, and don't have an internal battery. Once you get them set up, it's usually a royal pain in the butt to break them down again to move them somewhere else. However, desktops are also less prone to failure, and are more easily repaired. Also, desktops tend wield a lower price tag while offering better performance. Desktops usually have larger hard drives, faster processors, and larger screens. They are, as mentioned above, not easy to transport, so if you live far away, keep in mind the fact that your computer has a long journey ahead of it. Another advantage of a desktop is that they're a bit harder for a thief to pick up and run away with. Laptop theft is fairly rare here at Pomona, and you can improve your odds with a security lockdown cable, but it is still something to consider.

Mac vs. PC

Both "types" of computer are capable of doing the same things (more or less). From an academic or non-power user perspective, the effective differences between Macs and PCs boil down to which you are more comfortable using. If you like Windows and are used to it, get a PC. If you've been using a Macintosh all your life, there's no reason to stop now. If, however, you're a dedicated fence-sitter, consider:

Macs are much, much less susceptible to spyware and viruses, and will rarely experience the slowdowns or security problems of an unpatched and unprotected PC. However, a PC can be just as safe and protected, as long as its user follows certain simple precautions.
You can't do everything on a Mac that you can on a PC; some programs are only written to run in Windows. If there are certain programs (like computer games and certain specialized pieces of productivity software) that you love and can't do without, check to make sure that a Mac-compatible version of them is available before buying one of these computers. The newer Intel-based Macs can alleviate this problem to a degree as it is possible to run both OS X and Windows on these computers. ( Note: You will NOT need to buy a copy of Windows to install on your Intel-Mac; ITS has a site-license for Windows XP that covers installations on Intel Macs)
Graphic designers, artists, web developers, and video editors almost all use Macs, since they handle graphics better and offer better software suites. Conversely, almost all computer games are written for PCs.

Once you've come to a decision, click one of the following links to move on to Step 3:

<<<< Back to Step 1

FAQ

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