Should I buy powered studio monitors or traditional computer speakers?

For desk use, the reviewers we read increasingly favor compact powered studio monitors (Edifier MR3, Yamaha HS4, PreSonus Eris 3.5) because they deliver flatter, more accurate sound than typical multimedia speakers. If you mainly want plug-and-play convenience, casual music, and movies, a 2.0 bookshelf set like the Edifier R1280T or a 2.1 system like the Logitech Z313 is simpler and cheaper. Serious mixing favors true monitors; casual listening is well served by either.