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Desktop digest: 13 things you need to know to buy the perfect desktop

Despite the laptop gaining strength as the PC du jour in recent times, the desktop still has a place in the home. Here are our top 25 things to consider before buying or building your own desktop.

Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz)

A slight bump to the specifications for the same price, the option to upgrade the graphics means the 24-inch iMac keeps the Editors' Choice it earned last year.

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Reviews

  • Apple Time Capsule (1TB) Network Storage

    Apple's hybrid 802.11n wireless router/networked hard drive offers some powerful data backup features for Mac owners, but Windows users and those who demand speed from their 802.11n network will be disappointed.

  • Apple Mac Mini (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo)

    The Mac Mini remains unique as the smallest mainstream desktop, but competition from Dell and HP has narrowed the gap in features while also offering room for expansion, and at a better price.

  • Apple iMac (20-inch, 2.4GHz)

    With its super-elegant new design and a strong configuration, Apple's new iMac competes with the PC desktop market better than perhaps any previous Mac to date.

  • Apple iMac Core 2 Duo (17-inch, 1.83GHz)

    The 17-inch iMac is missing a few features you might like — SuperDrive and a remote control, to name two — but it still makes a stellar home PC, thanks to its great design, new Core 2 Duo processor, and superior software bundle. Plus, its price makes it a borderline budget PC.

  • Apple iMac Core 2 Duo (24-inch, 2.16GHz)

    Other vendors might offer more flexible configurations and better deals on components, and the specter of HD video looms darkly, but the 24-inch iMac's sprawling display and convincingly capable features should set most people's minds at ease.

  • Apple MacBook Pro (1.83GHz)

    The MacBook Pro delivers unparalleled style, a solid set of features and software, and a few transitional performance issues that keep it from rivaling the most powerful PC laptops.

  • Apple iMac Core Duo (20-inch, 2.0GHz)

    Apple's Intel-based iMac Core Duo boasts an enviable combination of a first-rate design, an impeccable software bundle, and the newfound ability to run Windows in addition to Mac OS X. You simply won't find a more feature-packed, versatile mainstream computer.

  • Apple Boot Camp (beta)

    Apple gives the people what they want: Windows on Macs. Geeks proved it could be done through a variety of complicated hacks and now Apple makes it a breeze with a free download. We take Boot Camp for a test run.

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DIYs and How-to

  • DIY: Desktop buying guide

    What you need to know -- from finding the type of PC that fits your lifestyle to catching up on all of the latest trends.

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The Explain Series