← Back to list

Pros and Cons of Buying a Laptop

What You Should Consider Before Getting a Laptop

Matthew A in ILLUMINATION’S MIRROR · 2026-06-15 18:06 · 0 claps · 2.6 min read paywalled
#pc #windows #computers #computing #laptop
Open on Medium ↗

Pros and Cons of Buying a Laptop

What You Should Consider Before Getting a Laptop

Photo by Dell on Unsplash

Photo by Dell on Unsplash

Laptops are the main alternative to desktop PCs. All include the standard Windows OS, such as Windows 10 and 11, and the best laptops are comparable to desktops. Overall, there are a few pros and cons of selecting a laptop compared with desktop PC alternatives.

Pros

Among the most noteworthy advantages of choosing a laptop rather than a desktop is the portability factor. Laptops are a good deal smaller than desktops and, because they have batteries, are much more portable. In fact, even without the battery, they are still much more portable because they do not require a keyboard or audio peripherals.

Given this, you can take your laptop outdoors with you. When the sun is shining, this can be an advantage. Why not take the laptop to the garden? Or perhaps down to the beach?

Photo by Johnny Africa on Unsplash

Photo by Johnny Africa on Unsplash

Other advantages of laptops are that they have better hardware than other portable alternatives. For example, netbooks have more basic hardware than laptops. As such, not all software will likely run on netbooks.

Laptops can also be more colorful and trendy than desktops. For example, laptops can come in a greater variety of designs and colors. Dell’s own laptop range includes up to eight colors for their laptops.

Photo by Nikolay on Unsplash

Photo by Nikolay on Unsplash

Another advantage of laptops is that they do not actually require a mouse. This is because laptops also include touchpads, which can make the mouse more redundant. In fact, laptops require no additional peripherals or extra cables to connect to speakers.

Cons

Despite such advantages, laptops also have a few disadvantages. To begin with, desktops have superior hardware to their laptop alternatives. Therefore, for multimedia and gaming, desktops are usually a better option, as they will usually be faster.

Among some of the other disadvantages of laptops is that they are less flexible than desktops. In this respect, desktop hardware and peripherals are much more flexible. For example, peripherals such as a keyboard and monitor can be changed. Hardware components such as RAM and hard disks can also be upgraded. Thus, laptop hardware cannot be upgraded in the same way.

Photo by Anthony Roberts on Unsplash

Photo by Anthony Roberts on Unsplash

Laptops also have smaller and less flexible displays than desktops. On average, desktop LCDs may be closer to 17, 18, or 19 inches. In this respect, most laptops will have smaller displays than this.

Laptops are also only as portable as their batteries last. A few hours of portability can be provided, but no more.

These are a few of the advantages and disadvantages of laptops. Their portability, color and design, touchpads, and superior hardware to netbooks remain among the laptops’ most notable advantages. However, laptops cannot be upgraded, have smaller displays, and desktops have the best hardware for PC gaming.

Read more of my tech articles on Medium:

How Older PCs Compare With Current Models

The Do’s and Don’ts of Windows Software Installation

Tips for Buying a Desktop Computer as a Gift

What Are PC Expansion Cards?

The Advantages of Desktop Computers


메타데이터
post_id
e4a48214b136
slug
pros-and-cons-of-buying-a-laptop-e4a48214b136
url
https://medium.com/illuminations-mirror/pros-and-cons-of-buying-a-laptop-e4a48214b136
canonical_url
https://medium.com/illuminations-mirror/pros-and-cons-of-buying-a-laptop-e4a48214b136
author_url
https://medium.com/@mav44233
status
ok
fetched_at
2026-06-21 15:33:18