The Importance of Having a Laptop

With laptops functioning much like desktops despite their small size, purchasing a laptop for work, school or play seems like a no-brainer. Laptops afford you the best of both worlds with the maximum portability of a tablet or mini-notebook but larger memory size for all of your files, like a desktop. If you don't already own a laptop, consider the benefits of having a portable computer at your fingertips wherever you are and whenever you want.

When it comes to education, a laptop allows you to keep yourself organized. Walk on any college or university campus in the United States and you'll see thousands of students toting their beloved laptops from class to class. This is because a laptop allows you to take notes, research and write essays and reports from one standard location. Typing notes can also be quicker than copying by hand, meaning you're able to retain more for studying and future reference.

Companies that send employees "on the road" often use laptops to stay connected. Employees who travel may need to access work files and stay in touch using email and video chat, and laptops offer a convenient way to have files, software and data on hand. Even if you don't travel for work, using a laptop allows you to transfer your unfinished work home with you so you can catch up on your duties without having to use thumb drives and CD-ROMs to transfer files.

While it may seem like a desktop is the obvious choice for at-home computing, a laptop can be a valuable investment for your house. Consider the times you could use a computer will full portability, for everything from reading a recipe while you cook to surfing the Web while your significant other watches TV or using your webcam to video chat with friends and family anywhere in the house. So long as you have wireless Internet access, you don't need to be tethered by anything other than the occasional power cord.

Laptops are for more than just surfing the Web or typing reports; they can be complete entertainment machines. With the increasing availability of legally distributed media online, you can use your computer to watch movies, view music videos, download albums all while sharing, playing games and keeping in touch with friends. When you want to watch a movie online, sitting in front of your desktop can ruin the experience. Instead, you can take a laptop on the couch or in bed so it functions more like a television and less like a computer.