Desktop or laptop and what OS

epicdean

I use an old dell 1525 laptop with centOS for all my studying need and VM windows on it.

WafflesAndRootbeer

I use HP desktops and laptops for Windows and Linux.

quinnyfly

Personally I custom build all my desktops, and as for laptops, usually a combo of ASUS <K-series is great for mid-range performance and price> and ACER is my next choice. After having fixed, repaired and serviced well over 60+ laptops, most of the ones coming over my workbench were either (Toshiba, HP "Compaq," and Dell and the odd NEC also). Seems you get what you pay for!!

Most of the choice for PC's is really purpose based, I wrote an article a few years ago on one of my websites about this, but for the most part much of it is still current and goes like this:

Listed below in point form, is our recommendations for buying a laptop with the current technology available. Given the vast array of notebooks the market has to offer, firstly consider three things, affordability, size and purpose.

•How much can you afford? It is true that you more or less get what you pay for when it comes to new computers. Based on this, it is fair to assume that the more you spend the better the computer!!

•You must also consider `portability,' no doubt having a laptop affords you a very handy and distinct advantage over a desktop. Just imagine carrying your desktop computer to work every day! Not to mention the fact that your computer resembles a wheel chock for a 747!! Because laptops are so portable you will need to consider size and weight? They do get heavy, especially the bigger models when you have to lug them around from place to place.

•Be clear about what you intend to use the computer for? Let’s say for example, you want to edit photos, make movies, and play with all kinds of multimedia programs. Then you most certainly will want a computer with truckloads of RAM (Random Access Memory) and a big Hard Drive (loads of space). I will explain these things in detail further down the page.

Tips on buying a Notebook:

· Ask about a spare battery and carry case? How long is battery life and consider weight?
· Ask for a mouse, mouse pad and USB drive?
· Ask for best bundled packages, printer, carry case etc?
· Ask about bundled software, and if disc’s are supplied?
· Ask about terms and length of warranty and cost of extension?
· Ask if it’s a “RTB”, return to base warranty or send away? <If so, how long is turn-around time?>
· Ask about the dead pixel warranty?
· Ask about upgradeability and future proofing your system? <usually limited to RAM and Hard Disk>
· Ask about the Operating System (Win7 64bit? and what upgrades are on offer? <can they include MS office, and not just the 30day trial>
· Ask about including a screen cleaning kit?
· Shop and compare, research and more research, it's your money!!

I would also argue, sometimes it is best to check the screen in the shop, some proprietors will try and refute a dead or stuck pixel should you latter claim to have one. They may cite it as a result of damage cause by you during setup and install etc. It's a very grey area, for the most part, these things are very rare, but I have seen some brand new notebooks out of the box and I had dead pixels staring at me.

You have no way of knowing exactly how these things are shipped to the proprietor, and factory testing and so-called quality assurance does not imply a perfect product. If you get dead pixels, take it back immediately, there is usually a 14-day dead pixel warranty, after that, you're on your own.

As a side note: there is a program called "dead pixel buddy," this helps determine the physical integrity of your screen.

As for desktops:

· What do you intend to use the computer for?
· How much can you afford?
· How much space do you have where it will be located?
· What size screen suites your needs?
· Will the computer be scalable (can it be upgraded?)

Desktops are generally easier to upgrade and repair these days, much of it is essentially parts replacement, most of which you can easily do yourself.

As for the OS, one of the latter versions is perhaps better since more support will be offered, Win 64-bit is great for most modern systems, with older equipment however, legacy drivers may not play the game and this might require some tinkering on your part. You could use a 32-bit edition and have fewer problems, or even go down the Apple Avenue <Apple Av> (as I call it). Some luv Apple and others don't, your flavour is your choice and most likely dependent on what you are comfortable using and maybe more familiar with.

Research and try before you buy, but perhaps more importantly, develop a clear picture of what you want and expect the computer to do, consider your budget as well, this should be the primary motive for choosing a computer.

I hope these considerations may help you save some money and get a decent deal on your future computer purchases.

dead_p00l

Desktop:
Custom built desktop. Quad-core AMD 2.7Ghz CPU, 4 Gb RAM, 6 TB of drive space running Windows 7 Pro 64 bit. Used for gaming, local file and media serving, and some VM's.

Laptops:
Older HP laptop running XP, Dell E1505 running Backtrack 5, Dell E6500 running Win 7, Toshiba running Win 7

Servers:
1 older Dell 1RU running Centos
1 older Dell 1RU running FreeBSD
1 older Dell 1RU running Ubuntu Server
1 Newer Dell 1RU running Centos
1 older Dell 2RU running Debian
1 older custom built 2RU running Debian

Roguetadhg

I prefer desktops for the heavy workloads. Including that the graphics cards aren't watered down versions of their name-sakes (Nerd rage). Laptops are good for traveling work, but not so great for anything intense - including gaming.

I'd stay away from toshiba laptops, mostly because of the laptops I used to see were toshibas - including my fiance's

onesaint

Mac Book Pro with VMFusion and Win/*nix VMs for on the go (usually 1 widows VM, maybe a few *nix VMs at once). Honestly, I can't recommend much else with IBM out of the game. The Lenovo T series wasn't bad for a while, but then turned to junk. There is some Ok stuff at Dell, but each model seems to have it's issues. The Korean companies (Samsung, Asus, etc.) are up and coming, but I still have reservations about QC and cheap builds.

I found I kept crashing my Windows workstations and only the sever hardware I had would take the beatings. When it came time to look at quad core dual Xeons there were two choices available, HP or Mac Pro. I went with the Mac and again run lots of VMs on it well. Windows ram limitations and just vista in general helped that decision. I recently built a shuttle PC for VMs which is working out great (ESXi then SL6 host, RHEL/CentOS guests).

I find running OS X pretty handy as it handles bash well and is nice and stable. I can toss all kinds of VMs on it with VMware Fusion too. The down side is the cost and slowness to add new generation architectures.

ptilsen

Athlon X6 with 16GB of RAM, SSD, and Win7 Pro. VirtualBox handles pretty much as many VMs as a I throw at it, with very few hiccups. I wouldn't mind upgrading the CPU, but I'm content with what I have. I doubt I'll have any more upgrades until Windows 8, possibly with SP1.

I've been in need of a new laptop for a while, but the hardware is just not what it should be for the price. As a gamer who wants at least a mid-range video card, high-res monitor, without getting a high-end gaming laptop or DTR, there are basically no good options. All the manufacturers basically stopped making non-gaming laptops with good discrete graphics. I'm hoping things change in the next six months, but I'm not holding my breath, either.

Edit: I could never see myself outright buying an big OEM desktop or any kind of Mac. They're all overpriced. I'll buy used server if there's a need and a I don't combo kits and pre-assembled SFF PCs, but for my own desktops I will always part it out and assemble it myself based on my own requirements.

poriggity

Personally, I prefer laptops, but I am always on the go, and need a computer that will do my work from anywhere. That being said, you can find good deals on nice laptops for cheap. I just bought a lenovo G570 with a 500Gig HD, 4 GB of ram (expandable to 8 GB) and an intel i3 dual core processor for $400. Hard to beat for the price, IMHO.
Scott

RobertKaucher

My i7 laptop with SSD and 8 GB RAM has done everything I need thus far. Not a big gamer but I do run local instances of SharePoint and SQL Server.

kriscamaro68

My main desktop\gaming rig is a corei7 920 oc'd to 3.7ghz with 12gb of ram and 2 120 gb mushkin ssd's and a 500gb black for storage with a 5850 vid card. I have 2 24" 1920x1200 lcd's that make working on it not so bad. - Built myself

My lab computers are:
core2quad 9550 with 16gb of ram, 1 240gb mushkin ssd for vm's and a 500gb western digital black for os/storage Running server 08R2 - built myself
core2quad 6700 with 8gb of ram, 1 120gb mushkin ssd for vm's and a 500gb western digital black for os/storage Running server 08R2 - built myself
dual xeon 3.4ghz 64bit cpu's with 8gb of ram and 2 500gb hd's for os and vm's Running server 08R2 - Hp Workstation bought for $15 from local univ.
amd 6000+ with 4gb of ram 60gb ocz ssd for main os and a plethora of other hd's right now in a storage pool using Windows 8 in a vm. Running server 08R2 - built myself
amd 3800+ with 2gb of ram and a 200gb hd with Backtrack 5 on it. - built myself

kurosaki00

For home I prefer Desktops (Windows/gaming/Self built)
Although right now I have an Asus G74x
for work Mac and laptop

Mrkali

I'm currently running an antiquated Gateway FX 7811 laptop that I picked up in 08 for home/work and occasional light gaming. It's currently running Windows 7 & Fedora 16. It is getting time to update.