Now that you have made the decision to equip your home office, what is the second step? The primary decision you need to make is what kind of computer to buy. Your choices are desktop, laptop, tablet.
Desktops are the traditional computer. The major benefit of desktops is that they can have the fastest hardware. In addition, the components in a desktop are usually easy to access, so you can add better components to the computer later on, instead of getting yourself another brand new desktop. You could upgrade the video card, or add more memory. Desktops also usually contain six or more USB ports, whereas laptops only have two or three. The most powerful CPUs and GPUs require big cooling fans, and these will only fit in a desktop. These computers also support numerous monitors. While desktops today are much smaller than they used to be, they are not meant to be portable. They are designed to be stationary. If portability isn’t a concern, or if graphics design or gaming are your pastime, then a desktop is certainly a good choice. Reliable desktop manufacturers are CyberpowerPC, Intel, and Shuttle.
Laptops are smaller and more easily portable than desktop computers. Laptops used to be not as functional as desktops, but recently, laptop computers have been designed to be nearly as capable as desktop models, for everything with the exception of the most complex programming. One drawback of laptops is their small size, and CPUs installed in them draw less power. This is relevant because it means that laptop computers cannot have the big fans that are needed to operate the most powerful CPU’s. It is typical to find an AMD or an Intel procecessor in a laptop. Additionally, you get fewer USB ports. The components are precisely installed, and retrofitting once you have bought the computer may pose a problem. You sometime are able to change out the hard drive. The main reason to get a laptop is that it is portable. Good laptop computer brands are ASUS and Toshiba.
Tablets can resemble laptops without the keyboard. With the globalization of touch screens, tablets are universal. You can, in fact, obtain a convertible laptop/tablet combination. Alternatively, you can spend money on a separate removable keyboard for numerous tablets. One of the reasons that tablets are so popular is that they are weigh very little. Tablets can usually port their screen image to full size monitors also. You might not think that a tablet would make a good office computer. This couldn’t be further from reality because tablets are quite capable now. For instance, you can use email. You can also attend online meetings. Tablets are great for a mobile lifestyle. There are three major operating systems for tablets, one of which is Android. Reliable tablet brands are Amazon and Razer.
Consider file storage. Internal hard drives are usually standard equipment on laptops, desktops, and tablets. You might want an external hard drive to keep your data backed up and stored safely at home. Invest in a rotational drive or an SSD. You may want to find the cloud for extended storage. You can easily decide on SD and micro SD cards to increase the storage capacity of a tablet or laptop, or to transport files between devices. Phones and cameras also utilize SD cards. USB Drives are very common and make it simple to transport data between devices or to share data with a colleague. A select few tablets, however, don’t have USB ports. Sony Memory Sticks are used only in Sony branded products. Excellent storage brands are Kingston, Komputerbay, and Buffalo.