You may prefer to use your system in a permanent place, so your choice must be desktop. Go for a laptop if you have a need to be mobile.

Are you a student who travels between home and library? Are you a infrequent or frequent user of internet for browsing, downloading and uploading? Your decision should be tailored to your own demands.

Desktops can be upgraded in the future, users can add several PCI devices, multimedia systems, cameras, TV cards, wireless devices, the choices are endless.  There are very few chances to upgrade a laptop, generally speaking they are what they are when they are bought.  Extra RAM and bigger disk drives can be fitted but changing processors or motherboard is costly and there is not much room in there for too many add-ons.

Budget is an essential factor to be considered. Affordable prices are in abundance for high-spec desktops, but for laptops cheap really does mean gutless.

If the screen goes on your desktop, you'd buy a new one.  The screen on your laptop is built in so costs much more to replace and have fitted by a qualified technician.  Same goes for other parts of the Laptop, mouse, keyboard, speakers... With so much onboard equipment repairing a laptop can be very costly indeed.

There can be no overall winner in the case of Desktop PC versus Laptop as both have their uses in the right environment.

For the consumer of computers the following factors should be considered before choosing between desktop and laptop: