Perfect PCs for dads

The MacBook Pro with Retina Display, while expensive, is the best all-around MacBook Apple now makes, and its super-high-res screen makes images -- even simple text -- look beautifully clear. It's the ultimate laptop status symbol right now.

A great halfway point between laptop and tablet, the Yoga 13 is a great way to introduce dad to tablets, without compromising the more-familiar laptop shape and functionality.

If dad is a technophobe and/or a luddite, a Chromebook may be the way to go. The simple browser-based OS makes it hard to screw things up too badly, and most of the basic tools he'll want -- e-mail, Netflix, news -- are all easily accessible.

The latest iMac looks fantastic sitting on a desk, and if dad isn't ready to pull the plug and go all-in on a laptop or tablet, this is still the desktop computer to beat.

Sure, the battery life isn't stellar, but the amazingly portable package that the Surface Pro offers up can't be beat. Add a comfortable Type Cover keyboard, and the Surface Pro becomes a supercharged iPad-sized PC capable of no-holds-barred Windows computing on the go. It also comes with a pressure-sensitive stylus, a feature that may be making a bit of a comeback.