“For the same reason that some people buy a pick up truck rather than a sedan or sports car. You get more for your money with a Desktop you can easily build and have control over what goes in it. And I like a 23” screen”.
First of all the person said, “I am not tech-savvy” so, it is highly unlikely they will be tearing into the tower and configuring/updating the internals.
Secondly, you can buy a monitor any size you choose and couple it to any laptop.
And, lastly, a laptop is portable so, you are not stuck to a certain desk in a certain room.
However, if he ever wants or needs to change or upgrade components it would be far easier to a mid or full ATX desktop. And the parts would likely be cheaper relative to performance. And laptops typically have a shorter lifespan.
There's no two ways about it. A desktop with similar parts as a laptop works faster and smoother. That's because desktops usually come with full-size parts that are often more powerful than the similar counterparts designed for laptops. It's especially noticeable with processors and a computer's overall speed. Laptops may come with processors that have similar model numbers, but they're rarely as powerful as the desktop counterparts. - https://www.businessinsider.com/laptops-vs-desktops-2018-8#you-get-better-performance-even-if-they-have-the-same-parts-1
More: https://techguided.com/laptop-vs-desktop/; https://store.hp.com/us/en/tech-takes/laptop-vs-desktop-pc but to each his own.
Secondly, you can buy a monitor any size you choose and couple it to any laptop.
Sure, and a real keyboard as well, and keep it plugged in, which means you are using it like a Desktop while paying for a laptop.
And, lastly, a laptop is portable so, you are not stuck to a certain desk in a certain room.
True, and this if possible and warranted, it is best to have both. And used for God and good.