We've hit a turning point in technology, one in which the old ways are, well, old and outdated. Traditional desktops still exist, sure, but bulky towers are fading right before our eyes just like that scene in Back to the Future where the people in Marty's photograph slowly disappear. In place of medium and large-size rectangular boxes are space-saving form factors like Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC) and, to a lesser extreme, sleek looking all-in-one (AIO) designs that are winning favor among consumers.

At the same time this is happening, increasingly powerful mobile devices are flooding the market, forcing OEM PC makers to respond. There are some who believe tablets are little more than a passing fad destined to become a footnote in the history of tech, but for now, it's the hottest form factor around, and it's cannibalizing computer sales. What's a PC maker to do?