QOTD: For Which Apps Do You Need a Desktop?
Besides for Crysis, that is.
Laptop sales have already surpassed those of desktops. For the longest time, laptops were a premium item as they were far more expensive than their stay-at-home equivalents. But now thanks to mainstream-friendly prices, laptops are now the preferred computing form factor, as indicated by the sales split.
Even Microsoft's latest ad campaign shows fictional shoppers trying to find the perfect computer, all of which only look at laptops. An examination of brick and mortar retailers also reveals the preference towards the portable computer.
Here at Tom's Hardware, however, a lot of the products we review and report on are for the desktop computer. While the latest AMD and Intel CPU architecture eventually do find their way into laptops, the latest and greatest in technology almost always makes its debut on the desktop.
Perhaps for the reason of technological lead alone is why we still cling to our desktops. We'd like to find out why you still have a desktop (or why you got rid of it). We know that cutting-edge games is a big reason, but what about for other specific applications that demand a desktop?
For our QOTD, what we'd like to know from you is which applications do you use that still require the use of a desktop?

All joking aside I need it primarily for games like Empire Total War, Mass Effect, Crysis, Oblivion, and of course, folding@home (smp+vmware and gpu)
I have a fairly powerful laptop, a Dell XPS m1530 with a 2.33ghz Core 2, 3gb ram and an Nvidia 8600m GT 512mb.
Rendering video or 3d still absolutely chugs on the laptop.
I will always prefer my Core i7 for heavy graphics work because the quad core is a huge speed boost and I like having huge dual monitors.
My laptop is great for light work, but serious stuff i turn to the desktop
This is why the netbook buzz is so strong. They are cheap and they provide the functions most people require.
But seriously, I like to have all of my stuff in one place and I like to have a computer that I can do ALL of my stuff on. So therefore, a high-end desktop is the only choice for me.
However for other users it depends on their needs. It all depends on who you are and what your computing needs are.
So what do you need your desktop for? I probably cannot do heavy virtualization without one, other than that I dunno?
At work I need a desktop because we run pretty demanding cad apps.
I have 2 laptops but I only use them when I need portability.
Gaming. Because you honestly cannot expect me to run Crysis on my dad's $900 Toshiba junker.
Desktop > Laptop all the way to my grave...