The mini splits are the way to go if you're going to stay in your home for a few years. All the leading brands are very reliable and seem to hit the dumpster [at least in my shop] at the 15 to even 18 year mark which isn't bad. Aside from basic maintenance of cleaning the washable filter and keeping the condenser clean, they're very reliable and more often than not [short of failed motor or compressor run capacitors] run problem free during that period.
If you're deciding between AC or Heat pumps, HP work well in regions where the outdoor winters are not so bad; here in Vancouver [outdoor design temperature maybe minus 10C / 14F [?] they're good; SEER ratings / compressor coeficient of performance [2k of heat for 1k of power] justify their cost and wear and tear on the compressor.
Window shakers are good, but they're called that for a reason.
Portables are like this; I can't believe that in Canada they even allow a one piper; effectively air, that you paid to cool and dehumify, gets thrown across the condenser and out the window. Two pipers bring in outdoor air [that stuff you didn't pay to cool] dump it across the condenser and exhaust it back out, just your window shaker, except doesn't growl as much in the process, you'll be able to get some sleep.
The one pipers are sometimes all you can get and they're cheaper, but you need to make up air, waste energy on it while it's in the mix and throw it away.
The other thing is condensate, there's a sensible and latent load on the coil depending on the wet bulb temperature entering. There are actually AC systems that control SST of refrigerant or chilled water to maintain a high enough temperature so that no condensate occurs. They're garbage and that isn't going to happen with any residential system but it's interesting to know that some cooling systems can keep the coil temps above the dew point, maintain a 100% sensible heat factor and actually maintain comfort...
Yours doesn't. Here in my neck of the woods, there's a three week period in July / August when every condensate drain plugs up.
The window shakers of old used to have a drain spigot, the new ones allow that condensate to drain to the base of the condenser where the condenser fan blade [motor is a two shaft indoor forward inclined wheel / outdoor condenser fan] lifts the condensate and blasts it out / or the first few passes of the condenser [superheated vapor] are routed to the bottom few passes of the condenser to warm / evaporate a bit, who cares; point being, the condensate soaked piping will eventually destroy the fins and break down those lower rows of the condenser, but hey, at least your portable AC won't last as long as your grandmother's chest freezer with the rotary compressor [don't get me started on that one].
The two piper portables, such as mine, [won't mention any favorites Friedrich, okay I did] have an option, you can be lazy [like me] and just allow the condensate to be discharged somewhat similarly as described with the window shaker, or you can use the optional drain connection, connect to a floor drain, or use a condensate pump and save your condenser from eventually fouling along the bottom few passes.
