Most of the systems I build for friends and clients are destined to spend their days performing basic computing tasks like checking email and Facebook accounts, shopping for shoes and such, word processing, household finance spreadsheet analysis, Skyping, and so on. Computer hardware capabilities have so far outpaced the requirements of these tasks that many people now do them on their phone.
But when it comes to considerations like a comfortable, ergonomic keyboard and mouse, a larger display, user serviceability and upgradeability, and of course the satisfaction that comes only from DIY, the desktop is still king of the computing hill. In the last few years I've continually marvelled at how much computing power so little money can buy. Read on for our lastest recommendations for building a capable computer on a budget.
