I'm now a junior game designer and I currently have a HP Pavilion dv6 Laptop which is not powerful enough to run something like Valkyria Chronicles.
I want to get a PC so that not only can I play games with high specs but also do other things like learning game engines.
My parents are arguing that Laptops are better than Desktops in the sense that they think that Laptops are cheaper and easier to use comparing to a desktop which isn't portable. I want a desktop because even if its true that Laptops are just as good as a desktop, The fact that desktops have more processing power than laptops further proves that the latter simply isn't ideal for not just gaming but also for trying out various software.
Now that I'm a junior game designer, I want to know whether game designers need a powerful PC or are just fine with some inferior laptop if they are to do work even outside of just playing games? If they do need a powerful PC, do game companies offer them such PC's or is it something that a game designer has to use his/her cash to just get it by him/herself?
On top of this, I would also like to know what various softwares do game designers use for their work. Currently, I'm just using word and powerpoint during work but I have a feeling that I will probably have to start using other types of software sooner or later.