That’s sort of like asking “should I buy a Honda or a Chevrolet?” when a better question might be “should I buy a Fit or a Suburban?”

Since you don’t mention whether you want to save gas or haul a boat, I will assume some generalizations about what you might actually need in a computer and base my answer on that.

Laptop computers range in size and capability. In general, the smaller the laptop, the fewer features. An emerging market is the micro laptop or netbook starting at about $300. What they have going for them is portability. But essentially, they are dvd players with some email capabilities … certainly not a real comparison for your current desktop.

If you mostly attend to email, do a bit of web surfing, and need a small laptop that can travel with you, an ultraportable might be just the thing for you. The ultraportables are the smallest and lightest true laptops at between three and four pounds, but consequently you sacrifice screen and keyboard size and performance. The ultraportables also tend to be pricey, starting at around $1,000. You pay a premium to get everything to fit in that small package.

Up from the ultraportable is the thin-and-light laptop. This still gives the advantage of being small and easy to carry with some increased capabilities. This is probably the entry point for Propeller Heads who have no upper body strength except what can be gained from repeated keystrokes. Again, this is probably not your best bet since it’s still relatively expensive ($1,000 and up) and is still short on features; guess that eliminates this one from my Propeller Head wish list.

Maybe the midsize laptop is more appropriate. With that, you move into a decent screen size. Midsize laptops are more reasonably priced, starting at about $500 and increasing in price depending on screen style and quality and processor speed. They may also have more of the features you will want. But at 6 to 8 pounds, you won’t want to haul this one with you everywhere you go.

If you think you may still really want a laptop because all the cool kids have them, perhaps a desktop replacement laptop priced from around $1,000 is for you. The desktop replacement should approximate the features and power you’ve grown to expect from your PC. With the desktop replacement, screen sizes will range from 17 inches upward. Processor speed should also rival what you would find on your desktop. If you’re going to be carrying this along with you, you may want to build up your biceps. At 7 plus pounds, you will notice the weight.

Your best bet when making your purchase decision is to go to one or two of the big box retailers. Be sure to have your current specs with you to price out what would be comparable in a laptop. Then if you’re pretty sure given the price of gas that you’re going to be staying home more, save some money too and stick with the desktop. Feature for feature, desktop PCs will still be a better value, and will be much easier to upgrade in the future. You can quit worrying about having to bulk up because your desktop, like you, will be staying at home.

To learn more, take a look at http://reviews.cnet.com/laptop-buying-guide/.