Desktop computers for homeschooling

A desktop computer is an excellent choice for any online teaching professional with a dedicated home office for online class. While in general we do suggest you get a laptop for online teaching, there are plenty of teachers who simply prefer the power, screen real estate and functionality that a desktop computer provides.

So what should you look for in a desktop computer as an online teacher?

A large display that is beautiful and colorful

If youre going to be using a desktop setup, get a display that is simply stunning to look at. No need to sacrifice on size as youre not going to be on the go.

Displays for desktops can be a plain matte finish or you can get something with an OLED display. We suggest going all out on the display as its one of the most important parts to your computer.

If possible, get a desktop computer with a touch screen as it makes class more fun an interactive for you as a teacher.

Get an all in one desktop

For online teachers we strongly suggest getting an all in one desktop computer. This design is where all the components are built into the monitor. Its ideal because it does not take up too much space and it runs cool and quite. Essential for online teaching.

Everything including the webcam, ports, speakers and display are built into one device. Most iMac users are quite familiar with this design, but many PC users we think will be quite surprised as to the Windows options available.

While you can still get a powerful desktop with a tower and monitor, for an education professional conducing online class its not particularly useful.

Upgradeable

A good desktop should allow you to easily upgrade components like the RAM or the SSD with ease as a way to future proof your desktop computer for years to come.

While not essential, its nice to know that in a few years you can upgrade your desktop internals to provide added longevity to your desktop computer.

The best desktop computers for teaching online

So what are the best desktop computers for an education professional looking to properly setup their home office or classroom with great technology? Here is what we like here at Teach and GO:

• Acer Aspire AIO
• Apple iMac
• Lenovo Idea Centre
• Preedip All in One
• Dell Inspiron 5490
• HP Envy Curved

Acer Aspire AIO Best Value

The best value for the money on the list, the Acer Aspire AIO comes with an big 27 inch display, 12 GB of ram, a dedicated graphics card, built in webcam and all the accessories you need to get started like a wireless keyboard and mouse.

This computer is ideal for an online teacher looking to complete basic tasks as well as teach class online. Its not ideal for performance heavy tasks like editing 4k video or playing video games, but its powerful enough to complete those tasks if that is required.

Pros:

• Best price and performance.
• Accessories included.
• Dedicated graphics card with upgradable internals.

Cons:

• The screen vibrancy is good, but not as stunning as an iMac.

Apple iMac The IOS Choice

The desktop computer that changed the design of this entire category. The Apple iMac is still a premium and powerful computer of choice for the creative professional.

While a bit excessive for most online teachers, if youre looking for an IOS desktop option this is it. While there is an iMac Pro, for an online teacher its too expensive and excessive in its design and technology offerings.

We suggest getting a standard 27 inch iMac that ships with 8 GB of ram from Amazon and then buying sticks of ram and upgrading the device yourself which you can do with ease with this device.

We also like the 27 inch over the 21.5 inch because the web cam is 1080P instead of 720P.

Pros:

• Beautiful 27 inch retina display.
• Sleek, elegant design.
• 1080P web cam on the 27 inch model.

Cons:

• Ships with 8 GB of ram. 16 GB or more is what is needed to do most tasks without issue like video editing.

Lenovo Idea Centre A Workhorse Desktop

Lenovo is known for creating some reliable, no frills laptops and desktops designed to get work done. The Lenovo Idea Centre is no different. With internals designed for work like video editing and graphics rendering, this PC is a solid choice for an online teacher.

What we liked most about this desktop computer is the modern, interesting design which is uncommon for Lenovo which tend to be more conservative. We also appreciate the quality internals like 16 GB of ram and a fast SSD.

Pros:

• Good computer for work like video editing and online teaching.
• Attractive 24 inch display.
• Edge to edge screen design looks amazing.

Cons:

• The included keyboard and mouse are wired, not wireless.
• No dedicated graphics card.
• Bloatware comes pre-installed.

Preedip All in One The Budget Choice

Preedip is a new, fairly unknow computer company that creates affordable, all in one desktop computers. They are a budget choice, but the quality you get for your money is excellent.

An excellent 24 inch display with decent internals given the price, the only annoyance of this computer is that the web cam is at the base of the screen. This can produce a weird angle for online teaching. A quick fix obviously is to use the money you saved on buying this brand to pick up an excellent HD external web cam.

Overall, this is a solid budget choice for an online teacher, just be aware of the drawbacks.

Pros:

• Beautiful 24 inch display with tiny bezels.
• Affordable price.
• Perfect for work and play.

Cons:

• Ships with 4 GB of ram which is insufficient for video editing and games.
• Youll need to purchase a proper web cam as the built in HD web cam is in an awkward position.

Dell Inspiron 5490 The Safe Choice

Dell has a good track record of producing good, easy to use desktop computers at a reasonable price. This all in one 5490 model from Dell is no different.

While not the most powerful or the most beautiful, it has everything an online teacher would need as well as a little extra for various other work related tasks like video editing and multi-media.

It comes with both a wireless mouse and keyboard as well as the option to purchase an upgraded model with 16 GB of ram instead of 8. Last, Dell has their own proprietary app called Dell Mobile which allows you to connect your smartphone to your desktop via bluetooth.

It works in a similar way to Apples airdrop, adding to the overall value and easy of use of this desktop for online teaching.

Pros:

• Has an integrated, popup webcam that is perfect for online teaching.
• Beautiful display 24 inch display.
• Can get a 16 GB of ram model.

Cons:

• The peripherals like your keyboard and mouse are low quality. You may want to replace with something better.

HP Envy Curved The Over Sized Option

If youre looking for the biggest, all in one desktop this is it. At 34 inches with a curved screen, this is a dream computer for both work and play. With solid integration of Amazon Alexa, powerful internals like a dedicated graphics card and a 1 TB hard drive with an additional SSD, this computer complete a modern home office or classroom.

It comes with a privacy oriented popup webcam, touchscreen, super premium audio and wireless networking. Its not cheap, but if youre looking for a big, powerful, feature rich computer that has a modern all in one design, this is it.

Pros:

• HD pop up webcam.
• Stunningly beautiful, large touch screen.
• Excellent audio.
• Amazon Alexa integration.

Cons:

• Great keyboard, but the wireless mouse lacked the sensitivity required for careful video editing. For casual use its fine, but for work related tasks you may want to replace with your own mouse.

Best Desktop Computers for Teachers and Online Learning

We hope you found this guide on the best all in one desktop computers for online teachers. We strongly suggest you get an all in one desktop because they provide the right mix of ease of use and performance without taking up too much space.

Computer towers with their various cooling fans can get a bit loud which could be a bit distracting for any type of online learning.