When it comes to running a small business, you’ve got a lot of decisions to make. In the past few years, more small business employees and freelancers are opting to work from home. This means traditional office spaces are dwindling, while shared workspaces and remote working arrangements are on the rise.
What this means for small business owners is they need to equip their employees with the right hardware for both in-office work and outside the workplace. And because most people aren’t tethered to a desk, choosing between laptop vs desktop can become a big factor in deciding what’s right for your small business.
If you’re wondering whether a laptop or a desktop is best for your business, below is a comprehensive guide to help you make a decision:
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Great Value for Your Money
When comparing a desktop and a laptop, the main factor is the price. This is probably the most fundamental reason why business owners like desktops. You can find a great desktop at an affordable price.
Are you tired of dealing with a slow and lagging laptop? Then you should think about purchasing a desktop. You will likely get a desktop with better specs at the price of your slow laptop.
Most average model laptops cost around $600 to $1,000. However, if you’re looking for a laptop with better specs or upgrade yours to better components, this amount could easily add up to thousands of dollars. But you can easily purchase a desktop with better operating power at a much lower price.
Therefore, if you’re working with a tight budget and you’re looking for an efficient device, a desktop is the better option; it gives you value for your money.
Portability
Are you working in and out of an office often? Do you travel for business, or you’re on the field a lot? Then a laptop could be the best option for you.
Manufacturers such as Lenovo created laptops for comfort and portability. This means business people can take their work with them when traveling.
You can’t overlook the ability to travel with your laptop and answer a few work emails whenever you are. You can check your emails when on a flight or even at a coffee shop.
Thankfully, designers have come up with sleek and more portable laptops for maximum comfort. This means you can easily find a laptop that weighs less than a kilogram. Additionally, different laptop companies have mini-computers that you can take wherever you go.
While there are also mini desktops that people could move around with, the level of portability and comfort doesn’t match that of a laptop. That’s because you need to bring a keyboard, mouse, and monitor with you, and this becomes less efficient and feasible.
Hence, when considering portability, nothing beats a laptop.
Upgrading and Scaling Down
When thinking about the best business computer, you only have two options; desktop or laptop. But the choice isn’t as simple as that. Most small business owners also want computers that are easy to upgrade.
Some Windows laptops allow users to upgrade their memory. Unfortunately, this is as far as you can go when upgrading the laptop.
In most cases, the processor of a laptop is fused to the motherboard, making it impossible to remove or upgrade. The same case also applies to the graphics card.
When it comes to laptops, upgrading is out of the question. But it’s easy to upgrade everything on a desktop. You can swap out the RAM, GPU, CPU, hard drive, and even the graphics card.
This means you will have a more powerful desktop at a fraction of the price.
Laptops Consume Less Power
When it comes to power consumption, desktops use more power than laptops. Manufacturers state that a desktop uses twice the power a laptop would. But when you look at the computer and the additional peripherals, such as to monitor and CPU, it’s not hard to see why it needs more power than a laptop.
Additionally, more manufacturers create energy-efficient laptops to help keep your electric bills low. Unfortunately, the amount of power consumed is never a significant issue for many people. However, it takes longer to set up a desktop than a laptop.
Desktop Is Great for Your Posture
Because laptops are portable and easy to use from anywhere, it’s easy to develop bad posture when using them. There are numerous ways to make it easy and more comfortable to use a laptop. Typically, this means emulating and copying the posture you would use a desktop.
If you’re using your laptop in bed or on a sofa, it’s best to get a laptop stand and use a mouse if you’re typing a lot. This is much better for your back and wrist.
On the other hand, using a desktop requires a fully-loaded desk and a chair. This means you won’t have to keep bending over to reach for the keyboard. Another great benefit of the desktop is the larger screen display, which is much better for your eyes than a laptop display.
Security of the Device
For any startup company, security is a major concern. Any startup business needs to ensure that their hardware is secure to protect their private information. You wouldn’t want your company’s sensitive information to end up in the wrong hands.
Desktop computers are easy to protect against adware and malware. That’s because they are physically secure and are stored in one location, making it challenging to snatch. It’s tough for thieves to break into your company and steal all your desktops.
On the other hand, laptops are less secure and easy to snatch. Because of their portability, laptops make an easy target for thieves, leaving your company information in the wrong hands. If you choose to purchase laptops for your office, it’s best to create strict policies to protect any devices that aren’t used in the office.
Ensure your employees have strong passwords on the laptop and talk to them about safely carrying the laptop with them when traveling or on their way home. Ask your employees to avoid connecting the laptop to unsecured Wi-Fi networks, and use encryption tools to ensure the data on the laptop is secure.
You should also have a mobile device management tool to help your IT team or administrator easily wipe off a laptop to eliminate any essential company information in case of theft. This is the best way to prevent sensitive business information from falling into the wrong hands.
PC Quality
While most people purchase laptops because of their portability, the most underrated drawback of laptops includes charging cord and battery problems. The charging cords and batteries are prone to damage, especially if they are mishandled and dropped.
On the other hand, a desktop comes with sturdier components and is more durable. However, it’s more expensive to repair damaged components of a desktop than replace a laptop’s battery and charging cord.
Functionality
In the past few years, laptops have greatly improved in functionality. Today, there isn’t a significant difference between a laptop and a desktop when considering functionality.
If you choose a laptop, you can always purchase extra hard drives to ensure your employees have additional storage. Moreover, you can store your data in cloud-based storage for maximum security.
When it comes to speed, the two choices are quite similar. However, a faster laptop will be more expensive than a desktop functioning at the same speed.
Another important factor to consider when looking for a computer is internet access. Thankfully, you can find Wi-Fi internet anywhere you go, making it easier to work with your laptop if you like traveling. Thankfully, both laptops and computers come with wireless and Ethernet connectivity and will work perfectly with your office or home-based internet.
Another factor to consider is which device is easier to use. Because desktops come with a separate mouse and a larger keyboard, they could be the best option for you. Laptops come with more compact keyboards and a built-in touchpad, making it challenging to type or use the mouse.
You can always add an external full-size keyboard and mouse using the USB ports on the laptop. This could mean having more items to carry with you, reducing portability. Additionally, the extra mouse, keyboard, and mouse come at an extra cost.
Another downside of a laptop is that everything is integrated into the motherboard, which can be quite troublesome. It’s challenging to fix the components of your laptop if damaged.
Laptop vs Desktop: The Final Recommendation
Choosing between laptop vs desktop for your small business can be very challenging. But it all comes down to your employees and business needs. To get the value for your money, you should consider purchasing a desktop, as it’s faster and more comfortable for people working online.
Desktops are great for people who don’t move around often and have a permanent working station. But if you’re a frequent traveler and work from different locations, a portable laptop is the best option. Hence, it all comes down to your needs.
If you need more business-related articles, check out other posts on this site.