New All-in-One PC

New All-in-One PC: a reader asks…

I’ve been using an HP laptop for many years now, but I think it’s time to get a new computer. So what should I get? I use Outlook and Word, go on the internet, do very little online shopping, and print pictures transferred from my iPhone to my computer. My laptop sits on a table in my bedroom and has never moved, so I really don’t need a laptop. I’m getting older, so a larger screen would make it easier to see things. Oh, and I occasionally do things with audio CDs (like copy them to my computer using iTunes, and creating audio CDs from iTunes). Any thoughts?

The only real advantages having a laptop over a desktop are portability and not being totally dependent on the electric plug for power (having an internal battery). It sounds like in your case, you’ll be much better served with a desktop computer.

Let me suggest something slightly different – an all-in-one computer. A standard desktop consists of a monitor, keyboard and mouse, along with a CPU box sitting underneath or somewhere and a pair of speakers. An all-in-one computer puts that CPU and the speakers into the monitor housing, so you have fewer pieces to place.

When you go shopping for an all-in-one computer, be sure to get a model that has a CD/DVD burner (not all models do). One possibility is the Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 510 series. For Mac users, this is similar to the iMac. The IdeaCenter 510 series includes a wireless keyboard and mouse, although you can substitute wired versions if you prefer not to have to change batteries on occasion. The screen is going to be quite a bit larger than your current laptop, the 510 series have 23″ screens (versus your laptop’s +/- 15″). And I should mention one more thing, this all-in-one PC has touchscreen capability, so you can tap on the screen like a tablet instead of clicking with your mouse.

One thing to be aware of is that you almost certainly will be also getting a newer version of Microsoft Windows. Likely your old laptop is running Windows 7, and a new computer will have Windows 10. I have several articles on how to best setup and use Windows 10, I suggest you peruse my library for articles that will help you.

It may take you a few minutes to familiarize yourself with Windows 10 but I’m betting that you’ll be quickly into the groove and using Windows easily.

If you live in an area with frequent power outages and have come to depend on the laptop’s battery for uninterrupted computing work, then may I suggest you invest in an UPS? That’s an uninterruptible power supply which can be as small as a large power strip with a battery built in, or a box nearly the size of a desktop CPU. it depends on how long you want to use your computer in an outage, which might not be much if your internet service is also out during that time.