26 Pros and Cons of Laptops

4
26
Pros and Cons of Laptops

Laptops have become an essential tool for many people, from students and professionals to casual users. With their portability, convenience, and versatility, laptops have revolutionized the way we work, communicate, and entertain ourselves.

However, like any technology, laptops have their pros and cons, and it is essential to consider these factors when choosing a laptop.

In this article, we will explore some of the advantages and disadvantages of laptops, including their portability, battery life, performance, cost, and potential risks.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Laptop computers are light in weight and small in size due to its compact design which allows carrying it from one place to another much easier.
  • Laptop computers are self-sufficient and have everything integrated in it which makes it quite convenient to use.
  • The display size and upgradability and expansion options are limited in a laptop computer.
  • The cost of the unit and its repair is higher for a laptop computer in comparison to a desktop.

The 26 Pros and Cons of Laptops:

Pros and Cons of Laptops

Pros of a laptop 

Nothing can be perfect and laptops are no exception. But they are a piece of innovation that has changed computing in many ways and hence we place the advantages first.

The general plus side of having a laptop is that you can do almost everything related to computing on it, along with the added features.

We will try to talk about them in detail so that not a single speck of doubt remains in your mind.

1. Portability

The most conventional utility of a laptop is its portable nature. They are small in size and therefore can fit in your backpack quite easily.

Therefore you need not keep different computers for your home and workplace and a laptop will let you do both sorts of work in it.

2. Lightweight

Any average laptop that you might buy today will not weigh over 2 KGs, while most of the laptops (not gaming ones) are even lighter than that.

This is one of the factors that make it more portable. The lightweight device when coupled with its compact size can be carried around quite easily.

3. Compact Size

Along with being light, laptops are also compact and thin. This means that you get the ideal screen size of your choice, 15″ generally and even 13″ ones if you are in search of a more compact computer.

Also, there are different screen sizes available and it all comes down to your preference and requirements.

4. Flexibility

A decent laptop has multiple uses and is not meant for a singular purpose. This means that after investing in one such, you can do everything from browsing the web, gaming, editing, ethical hacking, virtualization and so much more.

They are highly suitable for offices as they require very little space, while can also be employed in schools for both the purposes of teachers and students.

5. Everything in One

Laptop users do not have to worry about the peripheral components since they are already present in it.

This includes a touchpad that works like a mouse, a keyboard, speakers, a webcam, etc which means that you don’t need to carry all these separately as you would have in case of a desktop.

Read Also:  Why Does a Desktop Computer Need a Tower?

All you need to have is the power adapter and you can use it anywhere and everywhere given that you get access to an electrical outlet when the battery discharges. Therefore, it is an All-in-One computer, with a battery.

6. Self Sufficient

Another reason why laptops are advantageous because they have a battery which means you don’t have to plug one to a power socket everywhere you go.

Some laptops offer up to 6 hours of battery life at very nominal pricing so you get a full day of usage after a single complete charge.

Also, in case of a power cut, there isn’t a problem as there is no need for a UPS like you would have required in a desktop.

7. Good Display

For those who need a good display, you will also find laptops useful. At present, there are several 4K laptops available which if you can afford, perform as good as a 4K monitor.

So video editing or gaming is an immersive experience and with a good storage capacity, it can even house all your photos, movies, and videos.

So, watching those TV series on the weekends gets easier and more comfortable.

8. Storage

SSD or Solid State Drive storage is quickly replacing hard drives as they are speedy alternatives.

The good news is that laptops now also come with SSD storage options and as soon as you purchase a hard drive for backup storage, you shall have no worries about the storage filling up.

9. Right Ports

They had all the necessary ports in them already, but laptops have been launched with even the Thunderbolt and USB Type-C ports.

This means that they can be connected to all sorts of portable storage devices and file transfers are speedier.

10. Good Connectivity

The laptops have most of the qualities of a desktop, and this includes the right connectivity features as well, both wired and wireless.

A laptop has all its connectivity internally and you do not need an external wireless antenna.

You can easily connect it to Ethernet, WIFI, Bluetooth, and use all these to connect with your smartphone or iPod without a hassle.

11. Variety

Many laptop manufacturing brands in the market make reliable devices.

These come with different specifications in RAM, CPU, Storage, and Graphics. Thus no matter how complex or simple your requirements may be, you will easily find a laptop most suitable for your purpose.

12. Overall Convenience

There are also some other features laptops have that make them convenient to use over desktop PCs.

This includes faster operations. You might have noticed that a laptop usually takes less time to start up.

You can enter the world of computing only with the touch of a button.

13. Less Power Consumption

Then there is also the fact that laptops use less power to function than desktops.

This is because they have a battery and in the right condition it should cost you a small monthly expense to use them.

14. Small Profile

And finally, a laptop takes little space on your desk. This means that you can also keep it anywhere in your house without any trouble, be it on a table, your bookshelf, or even in a drawer.

Read Also:  Computer Apps and Their Types Explained

With storage not being a problem, you need not buy a desk or cabinet separately just to store it. 

Cons of a laptop

As we have already seen the advantages, it is now time to take a look at the disadvantages a laptop has. Make sure to check these out as well.

15. PCs are better performers

The main problem here is that in a given price range, a desktop will be able to provide more performance than a laptop.

In the long run, you will realize that a desktop PC can perform better than a laptop.

Moreover, a PC with similar specs of a laptop will cost you much less.

16. Restricted Display Size

Also, if you are interested in a bigger display like that in a monitor, then laptops would not be of much help to you since the largest screen size found in a laptop is about 17 inches.

For multi-monitor setups as well, PCs provide more convenience since in many cases your laptop might not have the extra video ports.

17. Limited Upgrades                                                            

The compact size of a laptop is its biggest strength, while also a weakness.

The small space makes it more difficult to add or replace parts than doing so on a regular tower-based PC. No matter how much you spend, a laptop will never be as upgrade-friendly as a desktop.

Also, in a laptop the choice of upgrades is limited since most laptops will only allow you to upgrade the RAM or maybe the storage but in most cases, you won’t be able to change the GPU anyway.

18. Difficult to build

Another weakness of a laptop is that you cannot build it yourself unless you are a professional.

Building one’s PC by own is not very difficult, all it takes is the knowledge and right choice of components, an outer case, and some experience that can be easily gained by watching some tutorials on YouTube.

But things are not as simple in case of a laptop and chances are you will never be able to acquire the basic materials, like a new case.

19. Cost

You might have noticed that high-performance laptops are very costly. In devices like these portability comes at a cost, and in most cases that cost is quite high.

The average gaming laptop is available at about 1000$, a price not everyone can afford. Rather, performance cravers usually go for desktops due to the obvious reasons.

20. Repairs are expensive

Along with the initial cost, laptops repairs also cost significantly higher.

There are a lot of parts and when any of it is damaged your laptop might need to be taken apart completely for repairing it and this is not possible for everyone.

Taking it to the service center or a local technician is not going to be cheap and it will also take time to repair it.

21. Battery Issues

The laptop you buy may have a great battery life but I assure you that no matter how branded or expensive the device may be, the battery will need replacement after 4 years even under proper usage.

If you don’t, the battery backup will deteriorate to the point where while working on it, you will need to keep your laptop plugged to a power source constantly. Thus the whole point of buying the laptop is defeated.

Read Also:  Why Should You Get a New PC? (10 Reasons)

22. Less Endurance

Laptops due to their inherent portability are prone to falling, shocks, and water spillage when you are working outdoors or even use them at home.

Some modern laptops have a layer of protection, but all of them don’t. This is why you need to be very careful with them and a fall from your desk or coffee over the keyboard can cost you expensive repairs.

A display replacement on a smartphone is quite costly these days, so you may imagine how expensive it will be on a laptop.

23. Gets outdated soon

If you are someone who wants to or more importantly needs to stay updated with the recent changes in technology, then a laptop is not something you should be going for.

This means that a laptop will be able to serve you for long if your needs don’t evolve and there is no major hardware problem in it, but since you are stuck with almost the same configuration throughout, a few years after the purchase you will feel that it has grown quite old and is not able to fulfill your demands.

24. Less protection

Just like any other portable electronic gadget, laptops have the problem of theft. From your desk, bag, and almost any public place, anybody can steal it and before you can do anything, your sensitive data might be at risk.

Although there are software encryption and other methods of protection like carrying it in an anti-theft bag reduce the risk, you still cannot entirely rule out the possibility of a mishap like this.

25. Tends to heat up

All laptops have a problem of emitting heat under heavy workload or when used for a long session. Production of heat creates unwanted noise in the cooling fan which disrupts your working.

Overheating will cause system crashes, and prolonged overheating might ultimately damage the parts inside.

26. No customizations

On a desktop, you get to customize the parts as you deem fit. But this is not possible on a laptop. While upgrades are extremely limited, there aren’t many parts that you can swap with customized parts either.

The most you can do is add an RGB keyboard, that too if it fits in the space. You have to adjust to whatever the concerned brand provides you.

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it must be clear that there are some aspects in which laptops have a leading edge, while in others they are not that good enough.

What must be kept in mind is that laptops are built mainly for portability and not immense performance.

This is why you cannot judge its merits based only on its power. The fact here is that neither a desktop nor a laptop can replace the other completely, and there will always be a need for both.

About Taylor

AvatarTaylor S. Irwin is a freelance technology writer with in-depth knowledge about computers. She has an understanding of hardware and technology gained through over 10 years of experience.

4 Comments
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments