Wayne Thorp leads a class in AAII's new Essential Investing Video Course. Go to https://www.aaii.com/ves for more information and to subscribe.

November is upon us, and soon consumers will be inundated with holiday deals on the latest technological marvels. It also means that it is time once again for the Computerized Investing annual PC Buyer’s Guide.

If you believe what has been said in the popular press over the last several years, there apparently isn’t a reason to buy a personal computer (PC). I have lost count of how many times the obituary of the PC has been written. The latest to eulogize the PC is Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. In an interview with the UK’s Telegraph newspaper, Cook questioned why anyone would want to buy a PC anymore. He commented: “I think if you’re looking at a PC, why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one?” The irony, however, is that Apple still sells desktop and laptop systems. Of course, these comments came shortly before Apple started selling its newest iPad—the beefier iPad Pro—which Apple hopes will appeal to enterprise buyers and will reverse the drop in iPad sales in recent years. Current trends appear to bode well for the iPad Pro: A J. Gold Associates survey found that businesses with more than 50% of workers using tablets will grow by as much as 155% over the next three years. Whether or not consumers will be willing to accept the larger size and price tag of the iPad Pro remains to be seen.

In response to Cook’s remarks, Lenovo’s president for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Eric Cador told CNBC “First of all, (the PC market) is not dead. I mean 260 million units shipped per year, you cannot say it’s dead.”

That’s not to say that computer manufacturers aren’t feeling the heat from alternatives such as tablets and smartphones. Analyst firm Gartner announced that PC shipments totaled 73.7 million units in the third quarter of 2015, which is a 7.7% decline from a year ago. For 2015, most forecasts point to a double-digit percentage decline in PC sales. That is why, perhaps, the better statement would be that the PC of five or 10 years ago no longer exists. What we have seen in recent years is the evolution of the PC—offering more tablet-like features such as touch-screen displays (even on desktop systems) and more lightweight portable PCs such as notebooks and ultrabooks. Most of this evolution has come on the Windows-based system side of things, however. You still cannot find a touchscreen Mac, and the likelihood of such a device coming to market seems slim. Instead, you will have to use an iPad for a “touch” experience.

As PCs become less “PC-like,” this shift is undoubtedly is creating some confusion for those looking to buy a new system. The range of options and configurations is as diverse as it has even been. While having choices is a very good thing, in my opinion, lacking knowledge in what those choices are could cause you to end up with a piece of technology that does not meet your specific needs. That is the primary reason why Computerized Investing has published this annual PC Buyer’s Guide for well over 20 years—to update our readers on some of the key trends in the computing industry as well as to help you make an informed computer purchase decision.

As you read this guide and see my system recommendations, please keep in mind that I am writing this specifically for the individual investor who is looking to perform computerized investment analysis, research or tracking. These tasks may include portfolio management and tracking, stock and mutual fund screening, technical analysis and charting or trading system development and backtesting. Depending on the level and complexity of the analysis, these tasks may require specific software that will only run on certain hardware and operating systems. However, the systems I recommend here will also handle the typical day-to-day tasks of the more typical computer user such as email, Web browsing, streaming audio and video, word processing and spreadsheet work.

I also would like to point out that these opinions are my own, but they are based on nearly 20 years of experience with investment software and websites as well as computer hardware, along with keeping up with the trends in the software and computer industries. The systems I highlight here should allow you to run today’s crop of investment-related software titles, and contain technology that will make them viable for the next few years, if not longer. Since everyone’s needs are different, finding the right tool for the job is a personalized experience. Computing is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. As a result, some of you may find the systems I recommend to have “too much under the hood” while others of you may need a system that offers more power.

This guide will walk you through the primary considerations you should make when buying a computer for computerized investment analysis. Armed with this knowledge, you will then be able to make a more informed decision for yourself—for today, tomorrow and for years to come.