Help Me Choose Which Windows Laptop or PC is Right For Me | Microsoft

COLLECTED BY

Organization: Archive Team

BERJAYA

Formed in 2009, the Archive Team (not to be confused with the archive.org Archive-It Team) is a rogue archivist collective dedicated to saving copies of rapidly dying or deleted websites for the sake of history and digital heritage. The group is 100% composed of volunteers and interested parties, and has expanded into a large amount of related projects for saving online and digital history.

History is littered with hundreds of conflicts over the future of a community, group, location or business that were "resolved" when one of the parties stepped ahead and destroyed what was there. With the original point of contention destroyed, the debates would fall to the wayside. Archive Team believes that by duplicated condemned data, the conversation and debate can continue, as well as the richness and insight gained by keeping the materials. Our projects have ranged in size from a single volunteer downloading the data to a small-but-critical site, to over 100 volunteers stepping forward to acquire terabytes of user-created data to save for future generations.

The main site for Archive Team is at archiveteam.org and contains up to the date information on various projects, manifestos, plans and walkthroughs.

This collection contains the output of many Archive Team projects, both ongoing and completed. Thanks to the generous providing of disk space by the Internet Archive, multi-terabyte datasets can be made available, as well as in use by the Wayback Machine, providing a path back to lost websites and work.

Our collection has grown to the point of having sub-collections for the type of data we acquire. If you are seeking to browse the contents of these collections, the Wayback Machine is the best first stop. Otherwise, you are free to dig into the stacks to see what you may find.

The Archive Team Panic Downloads are full pulldowns of currently extant websites, meant to serve as emergency backups for needed sites that are in danger of closing, or which will be missed dearly if suddenly lost due to hard drive crashes or server failures.

Collection: ArchiveBot: The Archive Team Crowdsourced Crawler

ArchiveBot is an IRC bot designed to automate the archival of smaller websites (e.g. up to a few hundred thousand URLs). You give it a URL to start at, and it grabs all content under that URL, records it in a WARC, and then uploads that WARC to ArchiveTeam servers for eventual injection into the Internet Archive (or other archive sites).

To use ArchiveBot, drop by #archivebot on EFNet. To interact with ArchiveBot, you issue commands by typing it into the channel. Note you will need channel operator permissions in order to issue archiving jobs. The dashboard shows the sites being downloaded currently.

There is a dashboard running for the archivebot process at http://www.archivebot.com.

ArchiveBot's source code can be found at https://github.com/ArchiveTeam/ArchiveBot.

TIMESTAMPS

The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20231210175224/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help-me-choose

Windows

Sign in

Progress:

What will you use your PC for most?

We know you do a lot on your PC, but please choose up to two of your top activities.

Just the basics

I want to use my PC for everyday tasks like browsing the internet and checking email.

Entertainment

I want to store and stream my favorite music and movies on my PC.

Gaming

I need a PC that’s powerful enough to handle my gaming habits, sophisticated graphics, and multitasking.

Work or school

I’ll be using this PC for work or school, so it needs to make reliable video calls and make document sharing easy.

Creating

I want to bring my creations to life on my PC, so I need a large screen, flexible ways to work, and storage.

Family

My family will be using this PC, so it needs to be able to handle multiple users who game, browse, and stream.

Person wearing a green checked shirt, working on their computer

Use your PC your way

How you want to use your PC is a great way to determine what kind of computer specifications you should consider. Higher RAM and a higher-level processor are good for avid gaming and creating, while casual streamers or students can choose lower tiers of both. What is RAM, and how much do you need? Watch now to learn more.

How would you describe your workload?

Choose one.

Light

I mostly work with basic programs and documents, or I don’t use my PC for work at all.

Heavy

I multitask with a lot of large documents and added-on programs.

Person with long brown hair holding a PC

The power of processing

The processor (CPU) is like the computer’s brain; it tells the other parts of the computer what to do. The more programs and documents you use at the same time, the higher level of processor you’ll need to keep everything running smoothly. Learn more about CPU processors and which one you’ll need. Watch now to learn more.

How would you describe your web browsing?

Choose one.

Light

I prefer to shop, connect, and search with a few tabs open.

Heavy

I like to browse multiple sites and have many tabs open all at once.

Person wearing a white shirt and brown vest, smiling, holding a PC

A better browsing experience

Browsing the internet is one of the most popular activities we do on a computer. If you like browsing several sites at once, consider a larger display to see everything clearly in front of you.

How would you describe your photo or video editing skills?

Choose one.

Beginner

I don’t edit my photos and videos, or I only know the basics.

Intermediate to advanced

I edit professionally or with more advanced software.

Person with long braids holding a PC and camera

Hit save on all your work

If you find yourself editing a lot of photos and videos, a PC with more gigabytes (GB) of storage is important, as you’ll want to save your work and potentially larger files.

How would you describe the types of games you play?

Choose one.

Simple and basic

I play popular online games with straightforward graphics like Candy Crush and Minecraft.

Complex and realistic

I play immersive games with more sophisticated graphics like Forza and Halo.

Person with short hair wearing headphones and holding a game controller

Level up your graphics game

Gamers who love to get lost in the narrative should consider a discrete graphics processing unit (dGPU). They’re larger and more powerful to process detailed and realistic game graphics. Learn what a dGPU does and how to identify the right one for you. Watch now to learn more.

Where do you plan to use your PC?

Choose one.

Always at my desk

I want to set up and use my PC in a single place like my home or office.

At home, but I move around

I mostly want to use my PC at home, but I also want to be able to take it to a café or library.

Anywhere with a wireless connection

My PC needs to be as mobile as I am.

A person wearing a hat holding a PC

Discover the type of PC you prefer

From powerful desktops to compact laptops to 2-in-1 hybrids, there’s a Windows PC that fits all your needs—all you have to do is decide where you want to log on.

Where do you primarily store your digital files?

Choose one.

In the cloud

I store most of my files on a cloud-based platform like OneDrive.

On my PC

I prefer to store my files locally for easy access.

Young person sitting in an open window holding a PC

Defining cloud storage

Storing files locally or on your computer makes them easy to access. Storing files “in the cloud�? means your files are on servers that you access through the internet, so you need less storage on your PC, and you can access your files from multiple devices. How you use your PC determines how much storage your new computer will need. Watch now to learn more.

What's most important to you when looking for a PC?

Choose one.

Larger screen size

I want a larger screen for better clarity and visuals.

Interactive screen

I’m looking for a PC that has a touchscreen or is compatible with a digital pen.

Portability

I’m looking for a lightweight and compact PC that I can take anywhere.

Performance

I want a PC designed for speed, performance, and multitasking.

Security

I'm looking for a PC that lets me log in securely with just a glance using my face or a fingerprint scan.

I’m not sure yet

I’m not sure what’s most important to me at the moment.

Previous Get your PC recommendations

An adult and young person working on a PC together

Finding the right features

Windows Hello. Digital pens. Larger screen sizes. There's a long list of Windows PC features to choose from, just remember that they can influence the price.

Thanks for completing the quiz!

Recommended PC specifications

Processor

Computer processor illustration

RAM

Computer memory illustration

RAM is your computer’s memory. It affects the speed and performance of your PC. 4 GB is fine for light browsing. But for photo or video editing, you might need closer to 16 GB. Watch now to learn more about your computer’s RAM.

Storage

Computer storage illustration

If you want to save a lot of photos, videos, and documents on your PC, look for higher storage. If you tend to store more in the cloud, you may not need as much storage. Watch now to learn more about your computer’s SSD.

Display resolution

Computer monitor illustration

Resolution is the number of pixels on the screen and determines the image sharpness. For example, an HD display is 1920 x 1080 pixels, while a 4K display measures 3840 x 2160 pixels.

Screens simulated. Features and app availability may vary by region.
1 Requires specialized hardware, including fingerprint reader, illuminated IT sensor or other biometric sensors and capable devices.
2 Pen-capable tablet or PC required. Pen accessory may be sold separately.
3 Specific combinations of devices and features may not be available in all markets. Please check with each seller for current PC availability.
4 You are about to leave Microsoft.com and access an external website, whose privacy policy, terms, and conditions will apply. Microsoft is not responsible for the privacy policy, content, or accuracy of external websites.
5 Requires a PC with touchscreen capability.
7 All specifications are subject to change without notice. Please check with each retailer for exact offers. Products may not be available in all markets. Displayed prices are current lowest prices offered by stated retailers and are subject to change. Prices are not offered by Microsoft unless stated.
11 Review ratings are pulled in from 3rd party retailers and shown in aggregate from the data available for each PC. To view the most up to date review data for each PC including individual reviews, visit the retail sites listed for each PC.