If I was setting up a server, and had the SSL certificate(s), why wouldn\'t I use HTTPS for the entire site instead of just for purchases/logins? I would think it would make
Well, the obvious reason is performance: all of the data will have to be encrypted by the server before transmission and then decrypted by the client upon receipt, which is a waste of time if there's no sensitive data. It may also affect how much of your site is cached.
It's also potentially confusing for end users if all the addresses use https:// rather than the familiar http://. Also, see this answer:
Why not always use https when including a js file?