COMPARE AND CONTRAST ESSAY - “PORTABILITY VS PERFORMANCE; WHAT’S THE DEAL?”

In this fast-changing world where everything develops so easily, there are some tough decisions that we have to make in which we really have to weigh “which is” form “which is not.” For example, most people have a hard time in choosing between laptops and desktops. This essay will help a lot because I am going to differentiate laptops form desktops(towers) in terms of the former’s portability and the latter’s performance as both their advantage and disadvantage if we are about to buy one. PORTABILITY VS PERFORMANCE – you decide!



Let us first tackle the good and bad qualities of laptops, parts of this context may also be found at http://www.tech.yahoo.com titled “Laptops or Desktops – which is right for you?” which was published last 2008. When we talk about the major advantages of laptops over desktops, nonetheless, we talk about their portability. As we all know, they are created for user’s convenience. They can be of huge benefit because they to allow us to take our computer to and fro practically anywhere else most especially for college students like us. Moreover, it can also be a substitute of a home computer. But along with its benefit as a portable and handy gadget comes a large drawback – it is also easy for someone to walk it off as it is easy for us. Based on researches made, laptops are stolen at an alarming rate for they are just easy to steal. And when our computer is stolen, not only we do lose the value of the computer but also all of our valuable data. Another major drawback is that their parts are “proprietary”; meaning, that if your laptop breaks, the company which created it is the only one able to fix it. Laptop is a craze itself; it is why they are expensive – another major drawback. It is the portability of the laptop that we are actually paying, but is it worth it? Its battery life is very limited, so what is the sense of portability if we cannot use it for long? It is not that I dissuade people from buying laptops because they are essential in the computer market, but so far, there are too many people who are dissatisfied with what they purchased and wished that they bought a desktop instead. In relation to this, let us figure out why they prefer desktops over laptops through the next part of the essay.



If laptops take pride on its portability, on the other hand, desktops take pride on their performance. Desktops, in general, are designed for heavier use and large capacity, which is why they are ideal for home usage. They are also easier to use for most people. Unlike laptops, they are easier to fix if ever problem arises because any local computer stores can fix them. They are also way cheaper and tagged by computer enthusiasts as the “Forefront of New Technology” because most every new technology for computers is released on a desktop system first. Lastly, desktops are self-sufficient and they do not rely on battery power to function. However, desktops have some drawbacks too. They are not too portable because they are split in functions; the main brain is linked to the screen, power source, speakers, keyboard and mouse through wires. They are also not that “in” among college among college students. Its main advantages in summary are that they are the fastest personal computer available, that they can be the cheapest available and that they have the most expansion capabilities.

Of course, if there are some differences between the two, there are some similarities, too. For me, they are both not that affordable for people who belong to the lower class of our society. It is why most people belonging to that bracket prefer to just rent on computer shops and the like. They also run the exact same software. To sum it all up, they are essentially identical except for their differences in performance and portability.

When buying a new computer, choosing between a laptop and desktop can be a hard decision to make, but keep this in mind; they only run the exact same software; the decision therefore lies on one’s personal preference; if you are looking for a good computer that you can take with you, then laptop is a good choice. Alternatively, a desktop is a better choice for someone who is either looking for the cheapest available, or is looking for the best in the market.


Reference List:
“Laptops and Desktops’ Difference”. Retrieved on November 16, 2009 at http://www.e-sortment.com/laptops_and_desktops_differences.htm.

REFLECTION:
I find it less difficult than the previous essays since I am beginning to improve my writing and I can understand better how to follow the process of writing plus the outlining. Again, I am glad that the result is quite good. I think the readers will have better understanding regarding the differences and similarities between laptops and towers if they will read this.