Desk Top Versus Laptop

We haven't had a desktop in over 10 years. There is nothing that a desktop can do that a laptop can't, except for maybe gaming, which I'm going to go out on a limb Tom and say you aren't doing.
Most of my online activity is through a tablet though, that's a whole other thread!

I'm going to go out on a limb Tom and say you aren't doing.

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You never know.

Plus they make some good laptops that can handle gaming.
Ive got a desktop gaming rig, and it serves me well for everything. Ive had Macs and PC's and like them both, though I find that if you like PC's you are going to get more for your dollar. That being said both will serve you well. I dont use laptops any more cause theres no need for me to move around a computer. Im finished with university for the time being and having a cell/smart phone is distraction enough.

I'm a Windows superuser at work. It's the last thing I want to bring home.
I've been lucky enough to have a workroom/playroom. My old school discipline still favors a dedicated workstation. I feel I concentrate on whatever I'm working on better with a workstation. My iMac Pro can handle anything I throw at it. It took me a while to get over the amazing display this computer is built around; I have a second display attached. Now my double-paned desktop is as messy as my real desktop used to be.
In part due to a previous career, I used to collect Apple laptops. Seven or eight years ago, when they started building the batteries into the computer (rather than have them more easily swappable without taking them apart), I stopped buying them. Though I agree my thinking is archaic, I could never get my head around the idea of a Mac laptop being a relatively disposable, replaceable device. An iPad Pro seems to do anything I'd want to do on a portable, anyway.
Suggestion: Go for something you're used to. Go for the iMac. They do seem to have a longer operating lifetime than your typical MacBook.

I know that a lot of people are still using desk tops as home entertainment centers. They've ditched cable to have every TV in the house use blue tooth access to the desk top for all of the online videos, stored movies, and the speed that the desktop provides. I'm pretty sure a laptop could handle it, but when it is being used as a server for your house, there's really no need for the portability.

mso: Your logic is impeccable. Go with what you are comfortable with. I've got Apple and PC scattered around the house in various forms. Unless you are a gamer, in my opinion, the difference between systems boils down to what you know and like. Remember opinion are like .... well, we all have them.

I'm a PC user now, although I've had both Apple and PC's in the past. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. As for laptop vs desktop, again, I have both. They serve different purposes. There is quite a lot that a desktop can do that a laptop can't, such as hosting multiple drives, a RAID array (or three, high-end graphics cards, sound card options and I/O options. Most laptops no longer have optical drives, many do not have wired network connections. My desktop workstation is faster and has much more memory than any laptop. And I've yet to see a laptop with a 27" full-gamut display. That said, it isn't portable.

I'd buy a desktop.
I've both, although different platforms. I've a MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 model), an old Acer laptop, a Linux desktop, and my main system (the one I'm typing on most of the time) is a Windows 7 desktop. I refuse to downgrade to Win10.
A desktop has many advantages over the laptop. I am lucky having bought the Mac before Crapple migrated to a, let's say, 'unified' architecture and started soldering all components to the motherboard. I can still swap my magnetic drive, I still have a DVD drive, I can swap RAM, and I can replace the battery (have done so twice). New Mac lappys? You can't. The SSD hard drive and the memory, are soldered onto the mobo; you can't upgrade. I believe even the battery is no longer replaceable. When your machine starts getting old or cranky, it's time to toss it and buy another one (convenient for Apple, PITA for you).
Now, Apple desktops are using the same approach, I think. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please. So, the only machines that one can still upgrade or fix by swapping bad parts for new ones, and customise to one's needs or preferences are PCs. Unfortunately, there's the issue of Windows 10, by far the worst OS in the history of the PC. I'd rather install Win ME than that POS.
Your personal choice should then be influenced by what you use the machine for. Always. I prefer desktops because they are more upgradeable, faster, easier to fix, and take more peripherals. I have ~10 USB ports on my desktop, versus two on the laptop. Yeah, you could always buy a USB hub, but that's an extra dongle you have to lug around with you.
Then again, I use my desktop for personal, light stuff (web browsing, E-mail, word processing, IRC chatting, & such); work (photography and image making [have the indispensable Wacom tablet and the works], graphic design [Adobe suite]); and entertainment (gaming and DVD movies). The Mac could handle the first category, and I did take it with me to Germany and ran CaptureOne Pro on it (which ran like a dog, compared to my desktop, and require an external drive for photo storage—those hard drives that come with laptops are super small), but it would not handle the last two categories (although it does run some games that are light on resources).

For your intended use, I'd buy a laptop and hook a 24" monitor to it. When/If you actually need mobility, you can detach the laptop from the monitor and there you go. You can buy a good quality wifi Logitech keyboard for $29. I personally wouldn't pay the premium for Apple and I can't since there is some proprietary software we use in my company that doesn't play well with the Apple OS. I recently purchased a really nice ASUS laptop with plenty of power for a little less than $600. You can get a reasonable 24" monitor at Best Buy on Sales for around $125 or less.

I've never owned either.

I gave up my desk top over a decade ago. I have been using a Dell laptop for a number of years and it works fine. I did try an Ipad for a few days and found it wasn't for me. There is just something about having a lap top in my lap warming my nut sack that just seems so natural.

Plenty of food for thought here

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Yeah, like when we learned Harris has a propensity for warming his nuggets by the warmth of his laptop.

There is just something about having a lap top in my lap warming my nut sack that just seems so natural.

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Tom, I don't see you being the kinda guy that totes a laptop around with you. Sure, it makes it handy to have it where you want it, but temptation to prowl the interwebs long past bed time is a bad habit to start.
I'd say that a good desktop would suit you just fine. If you're looking at Mac, they do have those all-inclusive systems and even a standalone box that you can plug into a monitor/TV, if I'm not mistaken. Would still need a mouse/keyboard, but hey, it's a cheaper way to go through them I think. If they still do it, that is.

There is nothing that a desktop can do that a laptop can't, except for maybe gaming,

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My Alienware laptop games just fine :mrgreen: So really, there's nothing a desktop can do that a laptop can't. It just depends on what you're looking for and what you're willing to spend.

I don't get the impression mso needs a powerhouse machine. Yes, the performance of a laptop can be impressive but at a significant premium. Unless you're gaming, using cad, super large spread sheets, heavy photo or video editing or something else that requires a ton of memory or processing power, you can buy all the laptop you need for $600 or so. That is, unless you're sipping the Apple koolaid.

Embers, what device are you on?

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A Samsung Galaxy Luna Pro. $50

@mso489 - I'm slowly being pushed towards replacing my 15-inch Macbook Pro because it can no longer be upgraded, so I feel your pain. I do 95% of my work (freelance writing and advertising design) on a 21-inch Imac and I find the screen large enough. I would not place either with a non-Mac computer though because in general there are fewer viruses and malware written to attack a Mac.
I would suggest going to the Apple website and looking at the bottom of the page for the "Refurbished and Clearance" computers. You can usually find some good deals there that can save you from $400 - $500. And, when Apple refurbishes a computer it comes with the same warranty and service plans that a new one comes with.
For me, the hesitation in buying a new computer is that I'm reducing the amount of work I do as I shift into retirement.

"I don't get the impression mso needs a powerhouse machine. Yes, the performance of a laptop can be impressive but at a significant premium. Unless you're gaming, using cad, super large spread sheets, heavy photo or video editing or something else that requires a ton of memory or processing power, you can buy all the laptop you need for $600 or so. That is, unless you're sipping the Apple koolaid."
+111

When we had our business we had 2 Macs, 8 PCs all desk. We owned a printing business.

Now that we are "citizens", 2 laptops that do more than we do. All less than $500.00 each.

And they run circles around some of the desktops we had in business.

I had wifi keyboards at first, now used to the built in.

Saves so much space & like the mobility aspect. Just going from the spare bedroom/home office to the screened in porch to smoke everyday.

For personal use I only use a tablet and my smartphone.
Here it's a ton easier to post photos from a smartphone.

I just mount the motherboard to the wall.