Find Your Windows 7 Desktop

PCWorld's Nate Ralph offers detailed analysis of the types of available desktop PCs running Windows 7 and clear logic on how to figure out which is best for you.

"Remember when buying a desktop computer was simple? You'd stroll into your local electronics boutique, pick out the homely beige box with a logical moniker that perfectly complemented your needs (and a copy of Windows XP), and then head home, eager to begin what was sure to be an effortless setup and installation process. No? We don't either. The PC market has always been inundated with more options than the average shopper could hope to puzzle through, and the march of time has only complicated matters. Even the act of buying a desktop has been muddled, as towers of varying sizes have been joined by computers of entirely new designs.

Fortunately, the most important choice you can make is also the easiest: Whatever shape, size, and price range you settle for, you'll want your new PC to run Windows 7. The disappointment of Vista is still fresh on many minds, but Microsoft's latest operating system offers improved performance, surpassing even the venerable Windows XP. And while each class of desktop offers divergent capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses, they also take advantage of Windows 7's features in their own ways."