Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Would you buy a laptop or a desktop?

Spent the afternoon specing out computers on Dell's website. Replacing an old Gateway desktop. Undecided which way would be better. Looking at an Inspiron 560 desktop with 20" monitor with 6g ram or inspiron 1545 laptop with 4g ram. Everything else is very similar specs. We have dsl and Lynksys wireless router. Currently also have another Dell desktop and kids have a Dell laptop. The Gateway desktop has been our main computer and where the dsl is connected. WE are using an hp printer that is connected to the desktop but would like to connect it through the wireless to all the computers. Should I replace the desktop with another or would I be ok with a good laptop? Kinda on the fence here. TIA.

Views: 97

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Anstey on March 2, 2010 at 3:28pm
since either one would probably do the job for you, buy the one that would fit your workspace, and you would find easiest to see (the monitor) and to use (the keyboard) Most machines come with built in wireless capabilities these days, so its just plug and play. I like my laptop because of its portability, but when I am doing my books, I like the number pad on the desktop. Of course you can hook an ordinary keyboard up to a laptop, which I should do next time I'm number crunching. After awhile, I don't find the battery lasts very long, so dreams of number crunching under the shade of the big maple haven't really materialized.
Permalink Reply by littlelamb on March 3, 2010 at 6:52am
I'd go laptop, less space on the desk, portable and unless you want to hook up all the fancy things too it like a gaming computer or something, in my opinion a laptop these days are just as good as a bulky desktop.
Permalink Reply by Wayne Black on March 3, 2010 at 3:10pm
Originally I would say depends on what the purpose is. In my situation I need a desktop since the laptop has a screen that is much smaller than my current 24" and it is cheaper to replace parts or upgrade a desktop internally. I like to have multiple windows open at one time so the big screen is handy.
On the other hand I now have a PDA. I will never buy a laptop now. For the price of a decent laptop I can get a killer desktop and a good PDA. I rarely use the desktop since my PDA goes everywhere with me (fits in my pocket). It also syncs with my desktop wirelessly so you still need the wireless network.
Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on March 8, 2010 at 5:17pm
Hi Guys:

I decided to go the laptop route...pretty inexpensive and with the wireless internet...pretty convenient.

Thanks for the feedback.
Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on March 13, 2010 at 5:15am
The laptop is becoming pretty inexpensive so that is likely a good choice for most people.
I think if you are using a computer to storage valuable data - accounting or production records - you may want to have a desk top...it is less likely to be lost, dropped etc. If you are good at backing up your important files to a disk then you may be ok with a laptop.
A laptop with wireless is a good way to go and should make it easier to do work with the computer...you are not tied down to the office desk.
One of my friends who farms alot of acres is looking at a laptop with a Cellular internet access so he will be connected in the pickup or tractor cab.

Joe

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Manitoba Planting Advances; Remains Ahead of Average Pace

Manitoba producers made just minor seeding advances this past week, although overall progress remains ahead of last year and the five-year average.  The weekly provincial crop report pegged seeding at 8% complete as of Tuesday, up 5 points from a week earlier and ahead of 4% last year and 6% on average.   Almost half the spring wheat acres in the Central and Interlake regions have been seeded, the report said, with other regions progressing quickly. Seeding of oats and barley has begun in the Southwest, Central, Eastern, and Interlake regions.  Canola planting has started in the Central region. Sunflowers have also started to be seeded in the Central and Interlake regions. Field peas are being seeded in all regions, while soybean crops are being planted in the Central, Eastern, and Interlake regions.   Manitoba received variable amounts of precipitation over the past four days, ranging from 0 mm to 12.7 mm with most regions receiving less than 0.5 mm.  Southwest:  Good weather ov

Canadian Corn Stocks Hit Decade Low, Soybeans Heavier

Canadian corn stocks as of March 31 fell to a decade low, while soybean stockpiles hit the highest in five years.  Thursday’s Statistics Canada grain stocks report showed total national corn stocks at 7.197 million tonnes, down 13% from a year earlier and the lowest since March 31, 2015, at 6.289 million. In contrast, March 31 soybean stocks were pegged at 2.393 million tonnes, a year-over-year increase of nearly 11% and the heaviest since March 31, 2020.  StatsCan said corn stocks fell amid a more than 50% fall in imports to 1 million tonnes, combined with a doubling in exports to 1.4 million.  Soybean stocks were at least partially buoyed by a larger 2024 Canadian crop, up 8.4% on the year to 7.568 million tonnes.   National on-farm corn stocks as of March 31 decreased 8.5% compared with the same date in 2024, to 4.9 million tonnes, while commercial stocks fell 20.9% to 2.3 million.   On-farm soybean stocks rose 11.1% to 1.4 million tonnes, with commercial stocks up 10.6% to 988

Early Saskatchewan Planting Ahead of 5-, 10-Year Averages

Spring planting is off to quick start in Saskatchewan, with almost 20% of the 2025 crop in the ground already.  The first weekly crop report of the season on Thursday pegged provincewide planting at 18% complete as of Monday. That’s 8 points ahead of the five-year average and 6 points better than the 10-year average. Last year, planting was 12% done at this time.  “Despite multiple storms throughout the province in April, producers were able to get into their fields and make rapid progress over the last couple of weeks,” the report said.  Limited moisture fell throughout much of the province over the last week. The highest reported rainfall was in the Alida area at 16 millimetres (mm) followed by the Lafleche area at 12 mm.  Planting progress is the most advanced in the southwest region, where 43% of the crop was in as of Monday and the first seeded crops starting to emerge. The northwest and southeast regions are also making good progress, at 15% and 14% done, respectively. The we

Understanding Yardage Costs in Cow-Calf Operations

Have you ever wondered where your money goes during the winter-feeding period? Feed costs are easy to spot in a beef cattle operation, but what about the other expenses quietly chipping away at your bottom line? This is where yardage comes in—it is a crucial part of managing winter feeding costs in cow-calf operations.  What is Yardage? Yardage refers to the overhead and non-feed costs incurred while maintaining cattle during the winter-feeding period. These costs include day-to-day expenses such as labor, equipment and building maintenance, fuel, utilities, manure handling and other general expenses like farm taxes and accounting fees. They also include non-cash costs such as machinery and facility depreciation, which represent the graduate loss of value in assets over time. Why Does Yardage Matter to a Beef Producer? Yardage may not grab attention like feed costs, but it significantly impacts profitability. These costs, especially non-cash costs like depreciation, often remain unno

Mother’s Day Q&A with Anna McCutcheon

The hardest part about motherhood is balancing everything, Anna McCutcheon says

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service