> 1. I like big, big monitors.
I've realized that I find it uncomfortable to use more than one screen, so I just use one 27″ 4K screen. But occasionally I open my laptop and put it on a stand to show some extra windows.
> 2. I prefer a full size keyboard.
My favorite keyboard is the older version of the Apple Wireless Keyboard powered by AA batteries. It feels really nice to type on it (maybe because I'm used to it.) I recently bought a brand new Apple keyboard because I thought it would be better (and I could recharge it over USB), but it's much worse.
> 3. I prefer a separate mouse.
I use an Apple trackpad, and I love it. I only go back to a mouse if I'm playing a game.
> 4. I prefer big freaking disk drives installed.
I have a 2 TB SSD, which is more than enough for me.
> 5. I put the desktop under my desk, and with a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse, there is much less of a snarl on my desk.
I like to put my laptop on the desk, and I only plug in a single Thunderbolt 3 cable for charging, gigabit ethernet, and my monitor. I really love my CalDigit TS3 Plus dock [2].
It's really nice that I can unplug a single cable and take my laptop to any cafe or co-working space. (Before/after the pandemic.)
> 6. The desktop has an optical drive I still use.
I haven't used an optical drive for about 5 years, and I don't own any optical disks.
> 7. The desktop has lots of USB ports and they're all in use.
My dock has a lot of USB-A and USB-C ports, and it's in a very convenient location.
> 8. I can replace/alter parts of the machine without buying a new one.
That's a great point, and it's one of the major downsides of using an Apple laptop. I do have AppleCare, and Apple's support is really amazing.
> 9. Desktops are cheap.
That's very true! But I was using a 2012 MacBook for 8 years before I upgraded it, and I think I'll probably continue using my current laptop for another 8-10 years. It's expensive, but it's a very high quality machine and I think it will last for a very long time.
> 10. I can build what I want with parts from newegg. Premade powerful computers are always "gaming machines" and I don't want a gaming machine that comes with a graphics adapter that sounds like a 747 taking off.
I certainly can't do that for any kind of laptop (either Apple or other brands.)
> 11. I want an all-metal case because a machine caught fire once.
Nothing to worry about there
> Edit: 12. My desktop doesn't have a microphone or camera, so they cannot be surreptitiously turned on remotely.
MacBooks have a hardware light that turns on when the camera is active, and I haven't heard any reports about hackers being able to disable it. Although one disadvantage with the newest MacBook is that you can't attach a sliding camera cover anymore, because it will crack the screen when you close it.
The microphone can be surreptitiously turned on, but it's not something I'm too worried about.
