So what does that make the venerable desktop?

If you answered "A doorstop," you're wrong, oh cynical one. Why? Despite its declining popularity, the desktop computer has many advantages over its clamshell counterpart. Here are ten good reasons to buy (or build) one.

Go ahead--compare a desktop and laptop with similar prices. Invariably the desktop will have a faster CPU, better graphics hardware, a larger display, and more storage.

Case in point: Compare Apple's $1500 and the company's $1500 . The iMac has a 21.5-inch display, a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, and a 1TB (7200-rpm) hard drive. The MacBook Pro has a 13.3-inch screen, a lesser 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 CPU, and a 500GB (5400-rpm) hard drive.