I think it is all in what you like and have tried/are used to. I have used both, and find that both have strong points. for a large monitor, i would probably go widescreen; I watch movies.
As for USB ports, etc... they seem unnecessary. Almost all computers have some ports in the front that are easy to access. Money for little benefit.
I use a laptop for many reasons: 1. I need one for school - I use it in class. 2. Portable 3. At my desk it is powerful enough that I can plug my keyboard and mouse in and have essentially a desktop. 4. I can write on it. (tablet PC). 5. Why not?
I nominate Resource Hacker. It does what it needs to, is small, powerful, and not bloated. The author has stopped development as it is good where it is. Also very useful for messing with things...