Sure, desktops may SEEM cheaper than laptops, but keep in mind that those prices only include the tower, unless the store is having a special.

 

You also have to buy a monitor (a good $100 to $200), a keyboard and mouse ($15 each, for a total of $30), and a set of speakers (another fifteen bucks). This raises the price of a desktop computer, for even basic functionality, by a good $245.

 

These "peripherals" typically come standard on a laptop - physically built into the core laptop itself.

 

So, all else being equal, which is cheaper, overall?

 

a desktop + keyboard + mouse + monitor + speakers,

 

or

 

a laptop?

Bang for the buck is important. Desktop processors are generally more powerful than laptop ones, since heat dissipation issues are not so important. The monitor is usually bigger, and the keyboard has more functionality/ergonomic quality. More capacity for RAM.

 

And what if you take the longer view — when you eventually replace the desktop unit you don't have to replace the monitor, mouse and keyboard.

The monitor is usually bigger, and the keyboard has more functionality/ergonomic quality.

 

While I'd agree that a desktop keyboard is bigger and better laid-out, I find that most of them are cheap mushy crap and difficult to type on. I lose a good bit of typing speed if I'm forced to use one.

 

My mom still uses her IBM Model M keyboard for desktop typing. That thing will last forever.

When I was computer shopping late last year and early this year, the price of most desktops + all that other stuff was still cheaper than the notebooks I was looking at.

From a price/performance standpoint desktops are at an advantage, even with the extra peripherals you need to buy (Some of which you may still want to buy for a laptop anyway, like a mouse and speakers, since the included equivalents are generally subpar on most laptops).

If you take the long view and intend to upgrade your system around the chassis and motherboard at later intervals, then yes desktops work out cheaper.

 

Upgrading the HDD, GPU, CPU, and memory in laptops is very expensive per unit performance, compared to desktop components.

I just built a desktop with parts from newegg.com, and I spent less on it than I did on my H.P. pavilion dv7 notebook, and the desktop is 100x better than the laptop for gaming. With a laptop you are paying for the portability and convince.