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Computer shopping comes down to what you will use the computer for, whether you are buying one for a family, or you’re a student looking for something lightweight that you can carry around in your backpack. Finding the best computer for you is a tricky balancing act of weighing aesthetics with capabilities and portability with functionality. This article will save you time, and might even save you money.

The Hipster

If you mostly use your computer for web browsing and media, then aesthetics and convenience should be your only concerns. You either want the latest computing trend or a timeless mainstay. For the former, the word netbook should pique your interest. For the latter, “Buy Mac” should be your mantra.

Netbooks are small computers that have just enough processing power to perform the day-to-day tasks you need them to. The Asus Eee PC 1005 is a candidate for the best computer in this category for both its visual appeal and impressive set of features.

As for Apple, all of their laptops could comfortably waltz into computing beauty pageants. The relentless focus on design has meant the Macbook Pro editions have always been seen as cutting edge. They even introduced a little product called the iPad that could very well revolutionize how we think about computing. Computer shopping is made easy when everything a manufacturer makes is both attractive and powerful as long as you don’t mind paying a premium.

The Worker

This is for the person who needs their computer to work. Long periods of use, coupled with multitasking and the odd resource-intensive application define your computing experience. Whether you go desktop or laptop depends entirely on preference, since the price difference has become mostly negligible. Computer buying then boils down to the most balanced offering. To this effect, the best computer would be any core release from the major makers. Dell’s Studio range of laptops fits this bill in that they are tailored for media but handle everyday home and office use with ease.

The “Power User”

Photoshop, Autocad, Maya, Pro Tools, Avid. If you know what these applications are, you’re likely a “power user”. Very careful computer shopping is critical for you: a netbook would self-destruct if you so much as brought an installation disc for these apps near it, and ‘regular computers’ would chug horribly, rendering them barely usable. What you need is a beast like the HP Pavillion Elite: massive hard drive space, cutting edge Nvidia graphics cards, and top-of-the-line Intel processors. It also helps that these computers can run any video game you can think of fresh out the box without the need for upgrades. The best computer for a “power user” is, without doubt, a powerful desktop.

Leaving You to Your Devices

Different people need different things out of computers. This list covers the full spectrum of computer users, and while some of you may fall between the categories, a good rule of thumb is to always get that little bit more than you think you’ll need. This way the computer does what it needs to, so you can focus on what you want to. Essentially, the best computer you can buy is the one that listens to its master.