I have a question about laptops vs desktops.

If a person does not want to buy a desktop, with the tower, the monitor, etc. etc. and that person uses the computer a few hours a day. But that person can be on that computer for 3 hours straight. Maybe 4 even. Can a person (when their computer breaks down), go out and buy a laptop, put it on the desk where their computer desktop used to be, and can a person then use the laptop as their personal computer?? I can't find anyone who will answer me. I have asked computer tech people and they only say "A laptop is not a desktop and should not be used in place of a desktop".

Well, why not?? If you can put most everything that is on a desktop (like microsoft word, windows xp, WHATEVER??, why is it a big thing if you don't want to buy a whole computer set up. I mean, if all I want to do is go on the internet, check my forums, look up stuff, do e-mail and occasionally print something out, well, can't I just buy an Apple, or a Dell, and the bring it home, put it in the same place the computer used to be, hook it up to the same printer the computer was hooked up to, and then plug in the dsl modem thing. I don't need wi-fi or whatever that is. I have a dsl modem.

I can use a laptop with that right?

I just want to make sure I know my options, if this Hewlett packard thing ever blows up on me.

Thanks to anybody who can give me a clear cut answer. I told Alan, (when we were going to buy a new computer last year, I said "why not buy a laptop, then we can move it around, sit in the kitchen, sit in the bedroom, blah blah, but then I asked the computer guy at the store, what is better, a laptop or a PC and he said "well, you need a PC, because a laptop will never take the place of a PC" . See why I'm so confused??

Melody