Get a Computer!

So you’ve come to this place seeking my wisdom...

I, a known lifelong user of computers, am here to assist you!

It’s hard to just link a single device and say, “This one! This is the one to get!” 

It really depends on what you plan to use it for; as such, it’s on a bit of a scale.

I want a computer that’s very good at the basic computer stuff and has the best quality software!

I recommend the Mac mini! People sleep on the Mac mini compared to the rest of the Mac lineup, but I think there is a great deal of value in this package, and it’s more modular than the other Macs. MacOS is the king of basic computer type stuff; if you wanna browse the web, edit photos, or check email there’s no better operating system to do that on. However, If you wanna play games you’re gonna have a terrible time on MacOS. I would recommend this for someone who doesn’t have much interest in games or already has other gaming hardware to play on and doesn’t need their main computer to play games too.

I want a computer that plays games! All I wanna do is play games!!!

I recommend the Steam Deck. I honestly think the Steam Deck is the greatest gaming system ever made. A lot of the struggle of PC gaming is just totally gone here; it’s PC gaming but plug and play with very few compromises. An advanced user can set up all sorts of community software like Decky, which just makes it an even greater proposition; an even more advanced user can crack it open and mod the hardware, which is even more fun! There’s a ton of aftermarket parts for it that make this even better. It’s got enough juice to run almost any game out there, and there are thousands upon thousands of games to play. You can also plug the Deck into a monitor and keyboard/mouse and it’s a straight up full computer with no restrictions.

I want a computer that does a little bit of both…

I recommend getting a computer and installing Linux. It’s not as good at general computer stuff as the Mac, and the software is much worse, but it’s still more than serviceable. It’s not as seamless as gaming on the Steam Deck, and you’re likely to run into some issues, but you can still basically play any game. I still think this is the best option for someone who doesn’t have the money to have multiple systems in 2024. As far as hardware, it doesn’t really matter! I’d recommend hunting on ebay for a good deal on something used. If you wanna play games, I would make sure to buy one with a GPU though. As for the operating system, I recommend Linux Mint; I think Linux Mint is a lovely distro that is both easy to use and also powerful! I’ve used many linux distros in my time, and Mint consistently gave me the least issues. As an aside, I would recommend against getting a laptop; if you must have a laptop, I would recommend getting a Macbook Air.