Originally Posted by
oddduck
I work in IT, so my opinion might be a little sqewed. DH and I both use our computers for a number of things that most people don't (video capturing, encoding, design work, etc). Our desktop computers (we have 2 of them in our den/office) are used all the time. We are actually considering getting 1 or 2 more as the kids have "claimed" both of ours. We also have a few laptops, which are used less often.
That being said, our den is on the main level, and has a 42" LCD tv in it and a sofa (for when I get booted off the computer). I find desktops computers a lot less restricted and more reliable. If my mouse fails on my desktop, I just buy a new mouse, not a new motherboard (and yes, I have had this happen). I can easily add another 3-4TB hard drive if I start to run low on storage on a desktop. It's a bit more of a pain to increase hard drive side on laptops and drive sizes have not caught up (or caught up at reasonable prices). Desktops are much easier to work on for repairs and upgrades. Certain things are just not possible if you have a portable laptop (like dual display) - great if you are composing something in one window and browsing the internet with the other (eg Flyers in window A and typing Sales in window B).
I'm all for laptops, but there is a time and a place. I don't find them to be desktop replacements. I will likely always have a desktop, even if it is used more or less like a server with lots of stored data on it and a beefy processor and video card (and a good amount of ram) for when I need it.