The circumstances of society and the COVID pandemic have led to a situation in which teleworking is the order of the day, and this has led a large number of users to find themselves in the position of having to buy or renew the PC from your home to be able to carry it out. In this regard, consumption and efficiency have become more important than ever, which is why mini PCs and laptops have become the preferred tool for teleworking, but which of the two options is the most suitable for you?
Both mini PCs and laptops have the advantage over a conventional consumer desktop PC, since these computers consume considerably less and therefore save a lot in the electricity bill when a calculation is made over time and In addition, in general they are cheaper options when we talk about the initial investment than having to buy a complete PC.
Advantages of using a mini PC to telecommute
Mini PCs have a very small form factor, which means that they take up very little space, and that is a great advantage for many users who do not have room or do not want to have a full PC taking up space on their desk. In addition to being very small and taking up little space, these devices are also usually quite silent since, as they have low consumption components, they do not get too hot and therefore do not require advanced cooling systems.
As a general rule, mini PCs equip laptop hardware but as they have more space to accommodate the hardware components, they allow slightly larger cooling systems and in fact in many cases this space allows to install storage units of 2, An additional 5 inches even, which can also become an advantage both for lovers of silence and for those who need to have large storage capacity on their equipment.
Of course, a mini PC is still a small PC so in order to telework with it you will need to have it installed in a fixed space, with its monitor or monitors, keyboard, mouse and more. Therefore, with respect to a conventional desktop PC, the advantages it gives you are simply a lower consumption, a generally lower sound level, which take up less space and are generally cheaper, neither more nor less.
Advantages of laptops
The advantage of low consumption is something that we also have in laptops, although it is true that when we talk about laptops with slightly more advanced hardware, their consumption can be much higher than that of a mini PC, which is why They are also usually more expensive equipment, which heat up more and make more noise.
In exchange for that, the great advantage of laptops is undoubtedly the freedom of movement they give you, since they can work independently and this means that you do not need to have a fixed position in which to telework with them, but rather You can take it to the living room, the kitchen or even the park if you connect to the Internet using your smartphone connection, something that is very common today. Therefore, the biggest advantage of laptops is mobility at the expense of being more expensive and consuming devices.
Of course, as a general rule and unless you have an external monitor, a mouse and a keyboard, a laptop is much more uncomfortable than a PC to work, to begin with its smaller keyboard and screen and because the trackpad has a lower sensitivity than a mouse. This means that you could put it in a fixed place on the table to be able to work with it, but then it would lose its reason for being compared to a mini PC, right?
Which option is the best for teleworking?
There is no doubt that when you have to spend 8 hours sitting in front of the PC to telework, a mini PC will be a better option (compared to a laptop) due to the versatility and comfort that having a larger monitor will give you, as well as the peripherals . However, if you are someone who has to be able to work anywhere or if you simply have to connect to work sporadically, then a laptop could be the best option for you.
It is clear that the needs of users change, and for us the best alternative would be a middle ground, although it is true that it implies a greater investment of money: the ideal is to have a fixed position with a docking station for the laptop, so that when you need to work at home you can simply connect the laptop and work with your monitor, mouse and keyboard, and when you need to take your work elsewhere, you can always disconnect the laptop from the dock and use it autonomously.
In terms of performance, it depends a lot on what you want to spend because of course you have options both very low consumption and low performance as well as very high-end options and a performance that has little or nothing to envy of a desktop PC both in terms of mini PC as in laptops, but like everything else, if you want a higher return, the investment should be higher (they are more expensive), they will generate more heat and make less noise as well as consume more energy, so again we are facing a situation in choosing a mini PC or laptop might not be the most appropriate when all you need is a desktop PC.
In short, both are good options for teleworking, but it is up to you to assess what you want to spend and if you need the greater comfort that a mini PC will give you or the greater versatility and mobility that you will only be able to achieve using a laptop.
