Switched

When shopping for a computer, you need to decide whether you want a laptop or a desktop. If you need to work from anywhere except the computer desk in your home, a laptop is clearly the way to go -- many portables are as or more powerful than their bulky, stationery desktop cousins.

That said, desktops usually offer more bang for the buck -- $1,000 can buy you a pretty powerful desktop with most of the fixin's you need to live a productive and fun computing life (in other words, it can handle everything from basic office tasks to video editing and music management with aplomb), but the same money will only get you a so-so laptop.

Also, if you plan on using your computer as the central hub for all your music, movies, and online entertainment, then getting a souped-up media-centric PC or Mac that plugs into your TV and home theater system is the way to go. Otherwise, pricey, top-of-the-line desktops are useful only for hardcore gamers and video editors -- if you don't fall into either of those categories, then don't spend an arm and a leg (more than $1,800) for a desktop.

Laptop Types:

Most often, laptops are divided up into four general size categories: ultra-portable, thin-and-light, mainstream, and desktop replacement, each with its own particular pros and cons. But, that list has now been complicated by the emergence of the Netbook, a very small, low-power laptop aimed at basic tasks like Web browsing.

Ultra-portables are for those who want to carry their laptops everywhere everyday. They weigh less than 4-pounds and have long-lasting batteries (four hours or more on a single charge), but also have tiny screens (12-inches or less) and slightly sluggish processors. Ultra-portables sometimes also lack bulky extras such as DVD drives and extra inputs, which make them ideal for business users who need to have a computer with them at all times for work, but do not care about entertainment, gaming or editing their videos or pictures.

If performance and screen real estate are important, but you still plan to carry your laptop around much of the time, then make the jump to a thin-and-light notebook. Models in this category generally weigh in at about 5-pounds and pack in beefier processors, as well as 13- or 14-inch wide screens. This size category is popular with business users or students who need to carry their computers with them always, but want more power for fun tasks like watching movies or downloading and listening to music. Thin-and-light notebooks also have regular-sized keyboards, which will be a relief to anyone who has to write TPS reports and/or term papers

So-called mainstream laptops are, more often than not, cheaper and less svelte versions of their thin-and-light cousins. 15-inch wide screens are the norm, as are weights of about 6-pounds. These specs make them portable, but they're a bit big to stick in many backpacks and can be tiring to carry around with you every day. Still, you won't get more bang for your buck in another category, which makes mainstream laptops an ideal choice for those on a budget.

At the top of the heap are desktop replacements. These over-sized monstrosities are good if you want top performance, but are tight on space or want to be able to compute from various locations in your home (since they can be easily moved from room to room). 17-inch screens are the standard, but 19-inchers are available as well. The models in this category contain top-of-the-line components that are far better at handling video editing and gaming than the other types of laptops. They also weigh anywhere from 7-pounds to 10-pounds. But with such big screens and powerful innards, desktop replacements only have an average battery life of about two hours, so don't expect them to last for too long away from an outlet.

Netbooks -- the Asus eeePC, Everex Cloudbook, and Acer Aspire One -- are the latest fad from the computing industry. Companies desperate to make a little extra cash have created a whole new category of computer designed to be sold as a second, cheaper (around $400) PC. Though small and cute, netbooks aren't really ideal as your main computer since the keyboards are just too small for long typing sessions and some won't even let you install any software. If you're just looking for something light to lug around with you to check e-mail and browse the Internet when you're out of the house, but don't need "real" computing power, then look into one of these little guys. They usually come with Linux or XP (never Vista) and usually have 7-inch to 10-inch screens -- not really great for watching a movie, but fine for some quick correspondence or reading the news.

Desktop Types:

If you're getting a desktop PC, then size makes less of a difference. Most desktops are roughly the same size and shape (a blocky desktop tower that fits under your desk), but increasingly popular are all-in-one and small form factor (SFF) computers.

Small form factor (SFF) computers -- the HP Pavilion Slimline, Dell Hybrid, the Mac Mini and anything from Shuttle -- cram everything (computer, DVD or Blu-ray drive) into a small-cake-sized unit that literally will fit on your desktop. SFFs typically don't come with a monitor, but they're also only around $500 and tend to be optimized to plug right into an HDTV, if you're planning on using it as your entertainment player as well as a computer (in fact, they can make a nice alternative to buying pricey Blu-ray players and Tivo/DVRs, since they can handle the tasks of both of those components). SFFs often use laptop components to cram as much power in as little space. As a result they also use less energy than a standard desktop. And in this economy keeping your electricity bill as low as possible is always a good thing.

All-in-ones -- the iMac, Dell XPS One, and Gateway One, among others -- are also useful for saving space. By hiding all of the PCs components behind an LCD screen, all-in-ones cram as much computer as possible into something that looks just like a flat-panel television. Besides reducing desktop clutter, the generally stylishly-designed all-in-ones look nice on the media credenza in the living room.

Standard mid-towers -- which look just like every desktop you've seen for the past 15 years -- are still the most popular style of desktops, however, and tend to offer the most bang for your buck. They require no specially-designed compact parts, which keeps cost down, and their larger size allows for more airflow, which is necessary for keeping higher performance components cool. High-end gaming PCs that feature Intel's Core 2 Extreme processors and dual-graphics cards usually fall into this category. Again, only hardcore gamers need consider a gaming PC.