Getting PC at home - Starting a new era?

Even though I have been in IT field for the past 5 years, I always hesitate to get a PC. Why?

Here are my Utopian reasons to back my thoughts...

1. I have little or no need to have a PC at home - that's true actually. I am not much interested in browsing/gaming/chatting, etc.

2. I work at graveyard shift, more than 10hrs looking at the computer. So I hate seeing the same at home too.

3. I don't own a credit card - so no possibility for online shopping or paying bills.

4. Five years back its very hard to get an Internet connection when Airtel still providing only mobile services, Reliance still busy extracting crude oil from earth and Tata busy manufacturing cars. BSNL was the main source but they had a clumsy procedure and it would take ages to see Google on the home page. Further the tariff were sky-high.

5. Its not wise to invest considerable amount on something I seldom use.

Citing the above reasons, I skipped buying a PC whenever I got a chance.

Years rolled on and Internet has changed its face and become something inevitable. Recently I had a mandatory situation to get a PC and of course Internet connection. The only question I had is whether it should be desktop or laptop. After doing some research I found that one can get a decent desktop at ~20K whereas one has to invest ~30K for a low-end laptop. I am not going to take my stuff out of my house and I don't need the sophistication of lying down in bed while working at system. After evaluating all the pros and cons, I have decided that desktop would be fine for me.

Go for laptop only if...

a. You will be working round the clock - executive/sales kind of role

b. You will working with the content transferred from the office

c. You will be using your stuff outside your home like presentation, marketing, etc

d. Of course you have lot of money and itch to spend lavish.

Otherwise my recommendation would be desktop.

I have posted my experience of purchasing a PC and Internet connection in different posts.