Desktop computer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

This article does not cite any references or sources. (January 2008)Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

A stylised illustration of a desktop personal computer
A desktop computer is an independent personal computer (PC), as opposed to smaller forms of PCs, such as a mobile laptop. Prior to the wide spread of PCs a computer that could fit on a desk was considered remarkably small. Today the phrase usually indicates a particular style of computer case. Desktop computers come in a variety of styles ranging from large vertical towers to small form factor models that can be tucked behind an LCD monitor. Often the display screen is stacked on top of the computer case, to save space on the desk top. Most modern desktop computers have separate screens and keyboards. Until the advent of the laptop, the history of the desktop computer is identical to the history of the personal computer.
Contents[hide]
1 All-in-one
2 Health effects of desktop computers
3 Comparison with laptops
4 References
5 See also
6 External links
//

[edit] All-in-one

This section does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007)Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

It has been suggested that All-in-One PC be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)
All-in-one computers are desktop computers that combine the monitor into the same case as the CPU. The term, "all-in-one" was initially associated with Digital Equipment Corporation's VAX "all-in-one" software which provided a common menu to choose: email, spreadsheet, database, file system, etc. The "mouse" had not been popularized for personal computers yet, so everything was driven by the keyboard. Some early personal computers (such as the Commodore PET) combined mass-storage, processor,and display in one cabinet. The original Macintosh introduced in 1984 by Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) was one of the first all-in-one computers, In 1998 Apple released the iMac which was also an all-in-one computer. These types of desktop computers save desk space and are easier to set up, but are limited when it comes to expansion to improve their capabilities.[citation needed]

[edit] Health effects of desktop computers
Carelessly-arranged computer screens and keyboard can lead to ergonomics problems such as eyestrain and repetitive strain injuries while using a keyboard for long periods. The height of a standard desktop is not recommmended for keyboard use, and stacking the monitor on the case aggravates posture problems.

[edit] Comparison with laptops

Desktop computer with several common peripherals (Monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, microphone and a printer)

Please help improve this article by expanding this section.See talk page for details. Please remove this message once the section has been expanded.
Main article: Laptop#Disadvantages
Desktops have the advantage over laptops that the spare parts and extensions tend to be standardized, resulting in lower prices and greater availability. For example, the form factor of the motherboard is standardized, like the ATX form factor. Desktops have several standardized expansion slots, like PCI or PCI express, while laptops only tend to have one mini PCI slot and one PC card slot (or ExpressCard slot). This means that a desktop can be customized and upgraded to a greater extent than laptops. Procedures for (dis-)assembly of desktops tend to be simple and standardized to a a great extent too. This tends not to be the case for laptops, though adding or replacing some parts, like the optical drive, rechargeable battery, hard disk, and adding an extra memory module is often quite simple.
Another advantage of desktops is, that power consumption is not as critical in a desk top because a desktop is not powered by a rechargeable battery and there is more space to remove the heat. Due to this, both Intel and AMD manufacture special CPUs for mobile computers (i.e. laptops) with lower power consumption that also have lower performance levels.

[edit] References

[edit] See also
Desktop replacement computer
Laptop
Personal computer
Operating system
Software

[edit] External links
HowStuffWorks Major components of a desktop computer
[hide]
v • d • eComputer sizes
Larger
Super · Minisuper · Mainframe · Mini · Supermini


Desktop
Micro · Home · Personal · All-in-One · Workstation · Server
Mobile
Cart / Portable / Desktop replacement computer · Laptop · Subnotebook · Tablet · Ultra-Mobile PC · Electronic organizer · Pocket computer · Handheld game console · Portable / Mobile data terminal · Wearable computer
PDAs / IAs
Handheld PC · Pocket PC · Smartphone · PDA phone
Calculators
Graphing
Other
Embedded system · Wireless sensor network · Smartdust · Nanocomputer
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_computer"
Categories: Personal computers