Should genealogists use a desktop or laptop PC? I used to favor portable computers that I could take with me. I don't any more. Yes, I know that's speaking against the tidal wave of current opinion. But it reflects my own personal experience.

The computer industry wants you to choose a laptop. So do those seeking membership in The In Crowd. Since there are so many on the laptop side of the fence, I'll present the other argument here.

Laptops cost more. They break when dropped. They're slower (or cost thousands more). Their internal components  are brand-specific, ensuring you'll pay more for less when it comes to service. (Most laptop repairs involve Return to Factory waits and expense.)

Most laptops feature a mouse-alternative called a touch-pad that most users judge second rate by comparison. Laptop batteries don't last as long as you'd like, so carrying a spare in typical. So is carrying a cord to plug it in "just in case." Net, you pay more for less, just to gain portability.

But those arguments are not genealogy specific. Mine are. Most archives are not yet laptop friendly. (Just try to find an electrical outlet to use.) Some Archives specifically forbid bringing your laptop into their reading room.

For me though, those are details. My biggest argument against laptops is how we do genealogy at home: at a desk or table, connected to power, phone line, printer, scanner, and digital camera, surrounded by paper (interview notes, photocopies of historically records, etc.) How do you unplug from all that? (Granted, you can. I just find it is not worth the trouble.)

Some laptop users even recommend using a handheld PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). That's carrying the portable argument to its logical next step. Along with cell phones, PDAs have certainly caught on as a popular gadget. I used to use one, but found it only slowed my efforts. Sometimes, pen and paper is most productive.

In fairness, I have an uncle who is convinced I am wrong and I am not about to argue with him. To each his or her own. Get whatever works for you, just make "works for you" the criteria.