[quaizywabbit]

there are pro's and con's for every choice you make....whether you're trading off convenience for cost, or a multitude of other things.

a laptop is small. portable, and lightweight. Whereas a desktop version is bulkier, needs a mouse/keyboard, etc...

The desktop will allow for off the shelf components(usually much cheaper than those for a laptop) and usually will allow for upgrading (to a point)

Most Laptops have some upgradeable components(such as HD, Ram, etc..)
but these components are more expensive and are usable only in that class of laptop.

MTU's Shuttle is a very nice compromise between both worlds...