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If you look back over the past several years, when people were still buying CD's with music on them, the main option available for computing was Desktops. Laptops were only for people who were taking their computing outside of their office or home.

Today however, laptops have become extremely affordable. This being said more people are getting their space back on their desk by getting laptops and saying bye-bye to the bulky desktops. You can now have a computer that is practically invisible when placed in your home.

Home networking is on the rise and even printers are now able to be accessed using wireless capabilities. This means no messy wires that are unsightly.

As with most things that have benefits there are also downfalls that the sales people like to avoid mentioning to you when they are trying to sale you something.

First off and most importantly is that laptops normally are much less durable than a desktop is. One thing that you need to consider when making a decision on a laptop is how you will be using it. If you are looking to buy a laptop that you can travel with then you will want to get one with plenty of shock resistance that is designed for travel. This might add to your initial cost but over time will save you money on repairs and data retrieval that can be costly.

Laptops also tend to have less power for their price and are actually not really that good if you are looking for using your computer mainly for gaming. This doesn't mean that there are not any great productivity and gaming laptops being made. However with the way that software demands are changing the laptop that is good for gaming today might be the computer used for word processing tomorrow.

You will also find that laptops lack in the upgradability department. Most graphics cards are integrated in the laptops motherboard. This means that upgrading them is not impossible but difficult. The size of the screen is not changeable and neither is the keyboard. You can use add on components to address some of these issues however. This will make it more bulky and awkward.

If you are looking for something for daily computing chores then a laptop would be fine. However if you are looking for something for intensive work such as gaming, video editing or drawing and you don't need portability then at desktop is what you need to look for.

A Windows XP slow start up can be annoying and destructive to your computer's performance. That's because crucial processes and applications can all be affected by a Windows XP slow startup. Fortunately, there are a bevy of methods to speed up the booting process of Windows XP.

Run the Disk Defragmenter

Since the files on your computer's hard drive inevitably become fragmented, your system has to spend more time matching files. This, in turn, slows down your machine, especially at startup.

The Disk Defragmenter works to defragment the hard drive and thereby speed up your computer. You'll immediately notice the benefits of running the Disk Defragmenter. Here's how to run the Disk Defragmenter in Windows XP:

1. Click My Computer
2. Select which local disk you wish to defragment. Right click that disk.
3. Select Properties.
4. Click the Tools tab.
5. Click Defragment Now.
6. Click Defragment.

You should defragment the majority of your hard disks. A defragmented disk will operate much quicker.

Run a Boot Defragment

You can also specifically defragment files and processes that are associated with startup. This wonderful process can really speed up your computer. If your computer is booting up slow, you definitely need to run the boot defragment. Follow these steps:
1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Select
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
3. From the list at the right, select Enable.
4. Right click and then select Modify.
5. Change the value to Y in order to enable, and N in order to disable.
6. Restart the computer.

Microsoft first included the Boot Defragment in Windows XP, and it is one of the most useful features for fixing a slow startup.

Destroy Viruses, Spyware, and Malware

Malware, spyware, and viruses can all contribute to a slow boot in Windows XP. These malicious programs often suck precious resources from your computer, making it extremely difficult to even start your computer.

Obtain a good anti-virus and anti-malware program and run it. If you can pinpoint and remove these programs, your computer will start much faster.

Registry cleaners will absolutely speed up your computer's boot time. This is because registry cleaners can thoroughly address and repair problems related to a slow startup.

In fact, registry cleaners can actually restore your computer's speed so that it runs like new. Most registry cleaners are available for download online. Find a good registry cleaner and run it, so your computer will run like a cheetah, not a turtle.

Read about speeding up a Windows XP slow startup and fixing errors.