And at equivalent prices, the desktop machine typically has a faster processor, more memory, and a bigger, faster hard drive. The desktop is also more expandable. Switching to a new video or sound card, often required for playing the latest games, is almost impossible with a laptop. The desktop's keyboard includes a separate keypad for entering numbers, a separate mouse, and its screen is usually bigger. But notebooks beat out their big brothers in plenty of ways, such as portability.
College students take their laptops along when they head home or away on break.
They're also great for class or the library, though the two-hour life of most batteries means finding an outlet at some point during the day. But many wired schools provide plenty of outlets, particularly in libraries. And you can always take an extra battery. The smaller screens on notebooks are more crisp-looking, unless you get the cheapest models, which use inferior technologies that go by several names to confuse you. If you buy a notebook, be sure to get one with a TFT or active-matrix screen.