In this article I'm, going to cover form factor. Form factor is the basic design of the pc and I will be discussing the three most common. These are the full sized desktop, the laptop and the all in one pc. Each has its benefits and drawbacks and knowing them can help you make your next PC buying decision.
The All In One.
The All In One PC is a a computer that combines a monitor and a computer in one unit. They tend to look like slightly thicker PC flat panel displays and can sometimes include a touch screen. All in all, the All In One is the weakest of the three choices. The reason for this is that its main benefit is also its largest drawback. The fact that the monitor is integrated with the PC means that if anything goes wrong with the monitor you have to send the entire unit in to get repaired. If you are out of warranty repairing the unit will be expensive because of the compact nature of the unit. Further, because the All In One PC packs a lot of technology into a relatively small space it can be relatively expensive to repair and its upgrade options are limited. Basically what you get is a desktop PC that looks stylish, but has all of the drawbacks of the laptop without its one benefit: portability. I rate the All In One PC as the worst choice of the three unless you literally live in a closet.
The Laptop
It is important to understand that the laptop has all of the weaknesses of the All In One. At the same price as a given desktop a laptop will have less memory, slower memory, a slower DVD-RW drive, a slower hard drive, a less powerful graphics adapter, and no surround sound option. In addition to this only memory and hard drives are easily replaced or upgraded. As with the All in one if your monitor goes out in a laptop it might make more fiscal sense to replace the laptop. It is fragile, it overheats easily and all of the components are less powerful versions of those found in desktop PCs, but it can move. Portability is the one benefit to the laptop and if you need to move your PC from house to work or from country to country than it is a good idea to have one at least as a secondary PC if not as your primary unit.
The Full Sized Desktop
The Full Sized Desktop is the most versatile and least expensive of the three options. If you don't need to move your PC the Full Sized Desktop is the machine for you. Many Full Sized Desktops at around $700.00 currently contain Intel I-5 processors, eight gigabytes of memory, one terabyte 7200 rpm hard drives, 16x DVD-RW drives, dedicated graphics cards and wireless cards. These specs in either an All In One or a Laptop are either unavailable or would cost much more. Another advantage to the Full Sized Desktop is that if the monitor goes you just replace it. If any internal component goes besides the motherboard it is often relatively inexpensive and easy to replace. Also if you have a working monitor and need to buy a new Desktop then they will both be compatible with each other. Want to upgrade your DVD-RW drive to a blu-ray player? You can do it in a Desktop. Likewise your video card, sound card, memory, hard drive etc. The desktop is really what most people should buy as their primary machine..
If you are shopping for a PC now, let me help you out and you will end up with the best computer for your needs at the best price.
