There aren’t many businesses without at least one computer anymore. Most have multiple devices running from a server. Whether remote or in the office, you’ll need to understand how to choose between desktops and laptops for your employees. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each.
Desktop Computers
As the name describes, a desktop computer sits on a desk and stays in one place. Desktops come in multiple sizes, including a mini desktop. Let’s look at the positives and negatives of choosing desktops for your employees:
The Pros of Desktops
- Easier to repair and upgrade
- Keyboards are easily replaced
- Less expensive than laptops
- Dual monitors if needed
- Can hold more RAM than most laptops
- Easily have multiple tabs open and can run many programs at once
- Large screens
The Cons of Desktops
- Not portable
- Takes up more space than a laptop
- Many cables and towers look unattractive
- Intimidating to set up
- May require extra accessories to do all that’s needed
Laptop Computers
Laptop computers have everything in one place and are easily movable. Let’s look at the positives and negatives of choosing laptops for your employees:
The Pros of Laptops
- Portable, great for flexible schedules and remote workers
- Everything in one purchase, including the mouse, keyboard, and monitor
- Easily set up
- No cables and towers to deal with
The Cons of Laptops
- Difficult to repair or replace parts
- More expensive than desktops
- Very difficult and sometimes impossible to upgrade graphics cards or the CPU
Ask Your Employees
When considering desktop or laptop: which is right for your employees, the best people to ask for advice are the employees themselves. They’re the ones using the computers. Don’t assume because employees are working remotely that they want laptops, or because they’re in the office every day they will need desktops. As we mentioned, both have their pros and cons, and employees have their reasons for preferring one over the other.
Using the pros and cons lists for both desktops and laptops is helpful, along with speaking with employees to find out which computers help them with productivity. Choose wisely from the beginning, and your company’s computers will give you years of service.