Buying a Windows 8 desktop or all-in-one
For those of us that spend most of our time at a desktop when we use a PC, a desktop PC is an obvious choice, although it's worth considering an all-In-one as they remove much of the bulk normally found in a PC's hardware, freeing up a lot of space in hectic homes.
Touch isn't really going to be of much concern for users planning to spend most of their time within desktop applications such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop.
The majority of all-In-ones coming appearing with Windows 8 have touch technology incorporated in the screen, so this will be a good alternative to the desktop if you plan to use it more dynamically, such as getting the family involved.
The large touchscreen can be tilted or laid flat, so kids will have a blast using the more creative apps available, and you have the ability to move it around the house with ease and watch high definition movies. Ideally you should be looking at around 27 inches screen real estate or more, like the Dell XPS One 27 Touch.
An alternative to either a tablet or a laptop (or even a desktop, for that matter - if you can live without the screen space) worth checking out is a device known as a hybrid or convertible PC, consisting of one part tablet, one part laptop. These devices bridge the gap between a tablet and laptop, giving you great portability allied with the practicality of a keyboard.
A hybrid and convertible PC might seem similar at first, but the way they deliver their thing is slightly different. A hybrid PC has a tablet screen that fully detaches from the keyboard element, such as the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, whereas a convertible is a device with a screen permanently attached to the keyboard which can be folded over in some way to replicate a tablet, or - in the case of Sony's Vaio Duo 11 - the keyboard slides behind the screen.
These futuristic-looking devices might seem other-worldly, but they're genuinely great if you're not sure whether to get a tablet or laptop but you want the benefits of both. Of course, you could always get a tablet, a stand and a bluetooth keyboard and you're part of the way there.
Don't want to fork out for a new Windows 8 PC? Well, you're in luck. Windows XP, Vista and 7 are upgradeable to Windows 8 - check out the pricing details here: Windows 8 release date and price: all the latest details
