Which Mac is right for you? Page 2 of 4

Desktop or laptop? Professional or consumer? Here’s how to decide.

by Adam C. Engst, Macworld.com

Desktop or Laptop?

Answer the following questions and award yourself one point for each yes answer, in each category—Desktop and Laptop.
The category in which you have the most points is probably your best bet.

Laptop

Do you expect to move many times in the next few years? yes 

Do you travel frequently and primarily on business for which you need a computer? yes 

Do you live or work in tight quarters where you'd have trouble finding a spot for a desktop Mac? yes 

Do you need to work in different places (library, conference room, and so on) frequently? yes 

Is your work environment so uncomfortable that you'd rather use your computer while sitting on a couch or in an armchair? yes 

Can you work effectively on a relatively small display? yes 

Do you like the feel of Apple’s laptop keyboards? (Test them in person if possible.) yes 

Do you use external peripherals infrequently? yes 

Are you careful with small, expensive, fragile objects? yes 

Do you prefer to use your Mac in a common living area with other people around? yes 

Do you lust after a truly cool laptop Mac? yes 

Would you mind buying your next Mac a bit sooner than would be necessary with a desktop Mac? yes 

Is performance less important to you than portability? yes 

Total Laptop Points:  0 Desktop

Is your life relatively fixed in the sense that you aren’t likely to move frequently? yes 

Do you travel infrequently and primarily for pleasure (making a computer an unwanted and unnecessary load)? yes 

Do you live or work in spacious quarters with plenty of room for a large Mac and monitor? yes 

Do you work in pretty much the same place all the time? yes 

Is your work environment comfortable? yes 

Does your work (desktop publishing, large spreadsheets, and so forth) require a large display? yes 

Do you prefer a full desktop keyboard (from either Apple or another manufacturer) to a laptop keyboard? yes 

Do you regularly use an external hard drive, printer, USB media card reader, or other peripherals? yes 

Do you prefer relatively durable electronic devices that are difficult to damage? yes 

Do you prefer to use your Mac alone to avoid interruptions? yes 

Do you lust after a truly cool desktop Mac? yes 

Is it important that your Mac remain useful as long as possible? yes 

Do you need the best possible performance? yes 

Total Desktop Points:  0

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