How it scores
Every rule, every point
Each form starts at zero. Every rule that matches your answers adds or takes away points, shown below. The highest total is the best fit; on a tie, the order of the columns decides. This table is printed from the same list the chooser runs.
| Rule | When | Laptop | Laptop + desk setup | All-in-one | Mini PC | Desktop tower | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | It leaves the house most days or every week | +3 | +3 | -3 | -1 | -3 | Only a laptop carries its own screen, keyboard and battery. |
| T2 | It leaves the house a few times a month | +2 | +2 | -1 | · | -1 | Occasional trips still need something you can pack. |
| T3 | It never leaves the house and is used at one desk only | · | · | +2 | +2 | +2 | At one desk you pay nothing for portability you will not use: a bigger screen and keyboard for the money. |
| P1 | Used around the home (couch, kitchen, bed) | +2 | +1 | -1 | -2 | -2 | Moving from room to room needs a battery and a built-in screen. |
| P2 | Used at two desks | +1 | +3 | -2 | -1 | -2 | One laptop that plugs into a setup at each desk keeps all your files in one place. |
| P3 | Used in classes or meetings | +2 | +1 | -2 | -2 | -2 | Classes and meeting rooms mean a lap or a small table. |
| U1 | Away from an outlet up to 3 hours | +1 | +1 | -2 | -2 | -2 | Desktops, all-in-ones and mini PCs have no battery. |
| U2 | Away from an outlet 4 to 8 hours | +2 | +2 | -3 | -3 | -3 | A working day on battery rules out anything that plugs into the wall. |
| U3 | Away from an outlet more than 8 hours | +3 | +2 | -3 | -3 | -3 | Long days unplugged need a laptop picked for battery life. |
| S1 | Wants one big screen | -1 | +1 | +2 | +1 | +1 | A laptop screen alone is small; an all-in-one includes a big one; the others use a monitor. |
| S2 | Wants two or more screens | -2 | +2 | · | +2 | +3 | Several monitors need several video outputs; towers have the most. |
| H1 | Already owns a monitor | · | +1 | -1 | +2 | +2 | Your monitor keeps working with a mini PC, a tower or a docked laptop; an all-in-one pays for a second screen. |
| H2 | Already owns a keyboard and mouse | · | +1 | · | +1 | +1 | They plug straight into a desk setup. |
| D1 | Only a tight corner for a desk | +1 | · | +2 | +2 | -2 | A tower needs floor or desk room; an all-in-one or a mini PC hides behind the screen. |
| D2 | No desk at all | +3 | -1 | -2 | -2 | -3 | Without a desk, only a laptop has somewhere to live. |
| W1 | Video editing or gaming | -1 | · | -1 | -1 | +3 | Heavy work runs hot; a tower has room for a full-size graphics card and the fans to cool it. |
| W2 | Photo editing, programming or big data (and no heavy work) | · | +1 | +1 | · | +1 | These jobs like a large screen and more memory. |
| W3 | Video calls | +1 | · | +1 | · | · | Laptops and most all-in-ones have a camera and microphone built in. |
| W4 | Schoolwork | +1 | · | · | · | · | Schoolwork tends to travel between home, class and the library. |
| G1 | Wants to add parts later | -1 | -1 | -2 | +1 | +3 | A tower takes new memory, drives and graphics cards; laptops and all-in-ones often have soldered memory. |
| G2 | Should last 7 years or more | · | · | · | · | +1 | Standard parts in a tower can be replaced one at a time as they wear out. |
| R1 | Shared by the household | -1 | · | +2 | · | +1 | A shared computer that stays in one place is easy to find and keep charged; each person gets their own sign-in. |
The Carry / Stay beam
The beam compares the best "carry" score (laptop, or laptop with a desk setup) with the best "stay" score (all-in-one, mini PC, desktop tower). The verdict reads Both when the laptop with a desk setup wins or the two sides are within one point.
The brief
Memory and storage follow the heaviest task you picked: web, documents, calls and schoolwork are light (8 GB memory minimum, 16 GB comfortable; 256 GB SSD minimum, 512 GB comfortable); photo editing, programming and big data are medium (16 / 32 GB; 512 GB / 1 TB); video editing and gaming are heavy (16 / 32 GB; 1 / 2 TB, plus a dedicated graphics card for gaming). These are Carry or Stay rules of thumb, not maker requirements. The operating-system minimums are quoted from Microsoft, Google and Apple, with links.