To laptop or desktop, that is the question. For years I have urged clients to go with desktop computers. They are easier to upgrade, easier to fix and offer a higher ratio of computing power to dollar over a laptop. Secondly, it is usually easier to sit at a desk and use a large LCD monitor and sleek keyboard and mouse. Your laptop track pad would be numbing your finger from all the late night surfing.

But times are a changing…. laptops are getting faster, cheaper and easier upgrade. With the mobile power generation firmly among us, why can’t we have the laptop and desktop? Well, you can. And it is fairly cheap to do so. Here is what you need to do:

1. Get yourself a fast and sleek laptop. Try a fast dual core Gateway T-6859U, an ultra portable Acer Aspire One or a dual core Toshiba Satellite
2. Get the latest sleek wireless keyboard and mouse combo. These can range from $19 to $300. I have a $29 combo and love it. Almost all keyboard and mice are now USB connection, but make sure they are a USB connection.
3. Keep your current LCD or get a new 22” inch widescreen LCD for show.

Now you have all the pieces for your home laptop docking station. When you are out and about, you have your laptop. But when you are home or in your office, just plug in three cables – the USB mouse and keyboard and the LCD monitor. Once connected, boot up and you will have a brand new desktop with wireless connectivity. Most new laptops also have a function key to hot switch between the laptop and LCD monitor (mine is function F7).

You can add two more cables to really get your new laptop / desktop cranking, one for a great set of speakers and two - possibly a gigabyte LAN connection.

Try it out if you already have a laptop. It has saved me on syncing music, sharing files and pictures by cutting down to one main PC – a laptop and a desktop.

For the hard core gamers out there, I still believe that desktops are your best option. You can’t just throw the latest nVidia or ATI card in a laptop!