There are many choices in the computer market with different models and designs all created for different benefits and uses. Computer manufacturers design systems made for all possible uses with a variety of features to perform any type of computing task. There are also different models and designs available and a whole mobile sector that makes it easy to compute from anywhere without being tied to a plug.

As far as desktop systems go there are two main designs, the all-in-one and the traditional desktop computer system. Each has its own benefits and pros and cons. The choice sometimes comes down to how and for what the computer will be primarily used.

The all-in-one model is where the monitor and CPU are part of one unit so you do not have a CPU tower and a separate monitor that takes up more space as is the case with the traditional desktop system. The all-in-one eliminates the bulky and messy cables and connection wires that are part of the traditional set up.

There are some important differences between an all-in-one desktop computer and a traditional desktop computer. The traditional desktop is big and bulky. It can take up a lot of room, especially when you have a limited amount of space, with the CPU tower, plus the monitor as well as other peripherals, such as a printer or scanner.

The all-in-one also has no cables except for the power cord and peripheral cables and so it creates much less clutter under your desk. Overall the all-in-one desktop is able to provide you with much more space because of its compactness and size, which makes it much more space friendly. Another benefit of them is the fact that they come with notebook computer components, which require less power and generate less heat and so they save on power, which saves some money.

There are some cons with the all-in-one models. As opposed to the traditional desktop computer, which has plenty of room for expansion such as adding a hard drive or more memory, the compactness of the all-in-one leaves little room for it. So while the all-in-one is more efficient, it is less upgradeable. But unless you need a lot of features or you are a power user, the all-in-one because is a great choice for aesthetics, space and power saving benefits. However, for extreme gamers or power users the traditional system is a better choice.

Have you ever looked at the specs for a computer and felt like you were reading another language? Gigahertz (GHz), Gigabytes (GB) and Terabytes (TB) are common terms in computer advertisements, but what do they mean to a person in the real world. Lets get behind the numbers to find out what they really mean and why you need them.

RAM

Random-Access Memory (RAM) is a form of computer data storage which allows the information to be accessed by the Central Processing Unit (CPU). This memory is reset each time the computer is turned off. By increasing the amount of RAM in your computer, you allow it to work faster by reducing the need of the CPU to access information on the hard drive, which is read at a much slower rate than the RAM. Typical sizes of RAM on new computers range from 1GB on the lowest end computer, to around 8GB on the most optimized models.

Hard Drive

In addition to RAM storage that is erased every time the computer is turned off, every computer also has storage that isnt erased where all necessary programs, documents, and operating information is stored. This storage is called the hard drive. Hard drives are much larger than RAM because the amount of long-term storage necessary is much larger than short term. For example, a computer is required to have 16GB of hard drive space available for Windows 7 alone. To give an idea of how much storage some of these hard drives hold, a large high resolution photo can easily take 2 to 3 megabytes of space. A two hour movie will take about 2GB, whereas 1TB is about the same amount of information as all the books of a large library, or around 1,610 CDs worth of data. Drives range from around 40GB for a lowly computer to a massive 2TB, which could store the contents of two large libraries.

Clock Speed

The clock speed is a measure of how quickly a computer conducts basic computations and operations. The clock speed is measured in megahertz (MHz), which is a million cycles per second, and gigahertz (GHz), which is one billion cycles per second. Where clock speed is often debated is between different chip makers whose 1GHz always tends to vary slightly. It is important to research the differences between the chipmakers to find out how they stack up against each another.

A great way to compare specs on desktop computers is through Shopping.com. Shopping.com pioneered online comparison shopping and today is one of the fastest growing shopping destinations for a comprehensive set of products from thousands of trusted stores from across the Web. With a singular focus on shopping, Shopping.com offers shoppers easy-to-use search tools, engaging content and time saving navigation, along with millions of unbiased product and merchant reviews from the Epinions community, all in one place.