I speak from experience when I cite the many benefits of laptops in this day and age. For writers like me (who also happens to work as executive assistant), a laptop’s flexibility (it can be used in the boardroom, at coffee shops, at home, or even while on the beach) and mobility (it is compact enough to travel with the user, an advantage not readily offered by the desktop PC) make it a heaven sent gadget.
Growing up with desktop Macs and PC compatibles, there was a time when I swore I would not purchase laptops when I heard about just how prone to viruses they were. Other perils like Spyware creators and hackers may also possibly infiltrate the laptop. However, because my work required that I multitask even during break times, getting a laptop soon became a necessity rather than a remote option. Thank God for security network features and devices, I have learned to address unwanted intruders like Spyware. There may have been other glitches I wasn’t prepared for, like when my laptop battery got drained and conked out on me, but overall, I have been a satisfied laptop owner for close to a year now.
The benefits of laptops to working professionals, I think, are pretty obvious. For students, the advantage are also countless. Since laptops can be easily lugged from classroom to laboratory and back, it contributes to time management. Instant access to the internet can also lead students to numerous online resources, reports and discussion groups. It is interesting to note how one will often find students huddled together and collaborating on group projects with their laptops.
So who says laptops are not a necessity? In two words, my succinct reply to the question, “Why use laptops?” is “Why not?”