Dedicated computer or virtual desktop? Ask what is actually reserved.

“Your own computer” sounds clear. In a cloud product, it can describe several different arrangements.

You might rent a physical machine used only by your account. You might receive a virtual desktop on a server that also runs other customers' virtual machines. Or a dedicated physical host might run one managed virtual desktop for you, while the provider keeps a small management layer underneath it.

Each can be useful. The buying decision starts with understanding which resources are reserved and which parts of the system are shared.

A physical host and a desktop are different things

The host is the real hardware: CPU, RAM, storage and network interfaces. A virtual machine is a computer environment running on that hardware with assigned resources and its own operating system.

A provider can dedicate an entire host to one customer and still use virtualisation. That gives the provider a way to create standard desktop images, manage the environment and replace a guest workspace. It does not mean another paying customer must share that host.

The promise needs to be explicit. “One customer per host” is clearer than leaving people to infer physical exclusivity from the word “dedicated.” It should also say whether the provider retains administrative access for maintenance and incident response.

What a competitor's documentation does and does not establish

Orgo describes its computers as dedicated instances with guaranteed resources. Its instance guide presents configurations in vCPU and RAM and discusses guest operating systems. Its lifecycle documentation describes releasing a host and restoring a saved disk on a newly selected one. Together, those descriptions point to managed guest computers rather than a permanent consumer desktop box assigned by serial number. Sources: Orgo instance guide, stop-computer API.

That does not establish Orgo's physical-host allocation policy or prove oversubscription. A customer who requires an exclusive physical host should obtain that commitment explicitly. ComputerUse should hold itself to the same standard when describing its own product.

The planned ComputerUse model

The initial ComputerUse proposal is one customer per physical ThinkCentre host. A managed guest desktop is being evaluated as the operating environment. The host remains dedicated to that customer while the rental reserves it; the guest is how the customer interacts with the computer.

This architecture has a trade-off. A small fleet is easy to count, but capacity grows by adding real hardware. If every verified machine is assigned, the service must show that it is out of stock. It should not sell a second customer the same exclusive capacity.

It also makes a reserve machine valuable. A dedicated rental still needs a recovery plan if its disk, power supply or network link fails. Dedicated hardware is a resource-allocation promise, not an uptime guarantee by itself.

An 8 GB sticker is not 8 GB free for your browser

Physical RAM supports the host operating environment, any virtualisation overhead and the guest desktop. The guest operating system then uses some of its own allocation. Applications receive what remains.

That is why a specification should list installed host RAM and assigned guest RAM separately. It should identify the CPU model and core allocation, storage capacity, disk type and whether graphics acceleration is available. A customer can make a better decision from those facts than from a large memory number alone.

For an 8 GB physical host, browsing and modest automation are sensible workloads to evaluate first. The right concurrency limit comes from measured tasks. Ten simple tabs and ten heavy web applications are not the same workload.

Can the 16 GB option edit video?

RAM helps, but it is only one requirement. Codec support, CPU performance, graphics acceleration, media resolution and storage speed can change the experience substantially. A remote editor also needs a responsive desktop stream and enough bandwidth to move footage.

CapCut's own desktop guide recommends a stronger CPU, 8–16 GB of RAM, an SSD and dedicated graphics for more demanding editing. That is a reason to test the actual machine and workflow before promising smooth 4K editing based on RAM alone. Source: CapCut desktop requirements.

ComputerUse's proposed larger tier should begin with measured light-editing tasks: a short 1080p sequence, simple cuts, a title and an export. Publish the source format, clip duration, export time and whether GPU acceleration worked. Application subscriptions and licensed features should be disclosed separately.

Buy the workload, not just the label

Before selecting a service, ask what is physically reserved, what resources the desktop receives, how files persist, how the computer is reset and what happens during a hardware failure. Then run the task you actually need.

A virtual desktop may be the right choice for rapid provisioning and flexible fleet sizes. A dedicated host may appeal when physical exclusivity and a stable assignment matter more. The useful comparison is the complete, tested service around the computer.

ComputerUse is being built to make those answers visible from the beginning.