Broadly Speaking, there are three classes of computers you might be using for working from home; Desktops, laptops, or tablets. All three come in a wide range of price points, but generally between the three you’re trading off between mobility and power.
Desktops
The desktop computer doesn’t move, ever. It’s a PITA to even move it over to a new desk. But with that immobility, you get by far the more powerful machine. If you’re doing video editing, or genome sequencing, or just want to have 50 programs open at once, you’ll want a desktop. Additionally, desktops are the most customizable of the three. Different components can be added or removed, meaning extra storage, webcam, or extra monitors can be added or upgraded as needed. Price points range from $150 for a thumbstick computer up through $60,000 for a home personal supercomputer.
What Desktop Computer Should I Buy?
Tablets
At the other end are tablets; so portable you can put one in your pocket and lose it there. Your tablet can follow you anywhere and everywhere, allowing for productivity whenever you have a free minute. That mobility means there’s little room for computing power; tablets are often barely able to do two things at once, and really only suited for word processing and watching videos. But maybe that’s all you need.
What Tablet Should I Buy?
Laptops
In the middle ground there are laptops. Portable enough to bring with you wherever you’re going, but at the same time powerful enough to run almost any program that a desktop can. This versatility is why more laptops are purchased every year than tablets and desktops combined. But that versitility isn’t free either. A laptop can easily cost twice as much as a desktop of similar power, or a tablet of similar mobility.
What Laptop Should I Buy?
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