The Apple II, introduced in 1977, quickly moved into the business world to run spreadsheet and word processing applications. But the Apple II was also good for playing Atari-like games because of its color graphics and so the machine became a popular home system. 1981 saw the introduction of the IBM PC, available with up to two floppy disk drives and based on Intel's 4.77-MHz 8088 processor. IBM's box quickly took the business world by storm. With few exceptions, the desktop choices now boiled down to Apple versus IBM.

IBM, however, used a nonproprietary architecture, so hardware and software manufacturers began churning out expansion options and DOS-based applications, and the race was over. The IBM PC took its place as the business machine of choice, spawning a new industry of third-party hardware and software companies and paving the way for clones-IBM-compatible machines-to enter the growing marketplace. Through the 1980s, Intel continued to make strides in processor technology, engineering the 80286 (12.5 MHz), 80386 (33 MHz), and 80486 (50 MHz) processors. In 1993, Intel introduced the first Pentium chip, which contained 3.1 million transistors (the 8088 had 29,000) and featured clock speeds of up to 66 MHz. The result was a mixed blessing for PC buyers. The increased processing power meant more productivity for the desktop user, and competition among desktop manufacturers kept prices manageable, but with so many new PC companies claiming to build the cheapest, fastest machines, deciding on the right machine became daunting.

Many PC manufacturers have dropped out of the race or merged. Still, because CPU manufacturers such as Intel, AMD, and Motorola realize that people have different needs, these companies continue to design processors that push the envelope; not just in terms of raw power, but with an eye toward functionality and value, too. So even though there are many factors to consider when choosing a desktop, purchasing the right one has become easier than ever before.

In this buying guide, we've separated desktops into two main categories: Business and Home. Each category is broken down into subcategories. We'll take a look at a variety of important features in addition to the processor, such as memory, hard drives, optical drives, sound cards, and expansion options, and we'll let you know why you may or may not need a particular device. We'll discuss other factors to consider when buying a desktop, including budgetary concerns, technical support, and warranty options, and we'll post a list of top 10 buying tips that will help you get the most bang for your buck. Finally, we'll explain why the fastest desktop may not be the most powerful, and we'll tell you what all those acronyms stand for (and what they really mean).