Desktop machines are much more customizable than their laptop counterparts. A desktop has more slots in its internal motherboard (a form of internal computer hardware). The more slots a computer has the more customization it can accommodate. Desktop machines have become cheaper and cheaper as technology becomes more competitive. As a result, more and more Americans are able to afford desktop computers every year.

Another name for the desktop computer is a desktop PC. The "PC" stands for "personal computer", a type of computer intended for individual users.

In businesses, desktop machines can be connected together over a network. The network is a system that allows computer users to communicate with each other and perform work together on the company's computer system. Desktop computer systems in schools are usually also networked. As the technology becomes increasingly more affordable, simpler and more user friendly; home computer users are buying multiple computers to operate within a single household and are connecting these computers via a network to run off of a wireless router or print to a single printer.

Personal computers run on one of several different operating systems, or platforms that allow users to perform functions on their computers and "talk" to other computers. The most common types of different platforms are the PC using the Microsoft made system and Apple's Macintosh computers. Each type of operating system is slightly different from its competitors; and the type of operating system that best suits a business, school, or individual user is the one that responds to the type of work they envision doing.

The most important innovation of personal computers is their functionality. No matter which operating system you choose, desktop PC users can install a wide variety of software programs, including word processors, games, sound editors, photo editors, graphical drawing programs, and more.