3-Point Shopping For a Computer

Almost all desktops include internal PCI expansion slots, but the ever more standardized state of PC hardware means few machines need such aftermarket modification.

As for the monitor, a 15-inch liquid-crystal display should be the minimum on anybody's primary-use machine, desktop or laptop. Old-school CRTs cost less but weigh too much, take up too much room and use more power.

If you're a gamer, the graphics card will be critical. The consensus among my game reviewers: Get a 256-megabyte card compatible with Microsoft's "DirectX 9" software.

I've saved the two toughest choices in home computing for (almost) last: desktop or laptop? Mac or Windows?

Desktops are cheaper, more expandable and more comfortable than laptops and offer far more storage. But an increasing chunk of the market is opting to take a laptop home anyway -- often in the form of a bulky, affordable "desktop-replacement" model, too hefty for travel but luggable between rooms.

This isn't an easy call. I prefer a desktop's larger keyboard and screen -- but I use my laptop more often, just because it's parked on the coffee table instead of upstairs.

Then there's Mac versus Windows. The basic trade-off is design versus price, with Macs excelling in the former but often losing in the latter (especially when it comes to desktops).

If you're buying a computer mainly to get online, a Mac will vastly ease your experience, thanks to its lack of spyware, viruses and worms and Mac OS X's lower maintenance needs. But if you want to play computer games, you need Windows.

Windows runs far more software than Mac OS X, but Mac users can find at least one good application for almost any given task. That program may be better than what Windows users employ, as in the case of Microsoft Office 2004 for the Mac, but sometimes it's not, as Apple users of Intuit's Quicken can attest.

Those programs are the final selling points of most home computers, or would be, if software bundles weren't so mediocre.

My ideal home computer would include a word processor and spreadsheet compatible with Microsoft Office (either Microsoft Office or what most vendors offer, Microsoft Works), a personal-finance manager (Quicken or Microsoft Money), a photo album (Apple's iPhoto or Adobe's Photoshop Elements) and a digital-music program (iTunes or Windows Media Player 10). A Windows machine would feature a year's worth of virus protection (though 90 days is usually the maximum). Since most manufacturers leave out some of these tools, you'll have to download or buy what's missing.

Tech support is no longer a major distinguishing factor, now that none of the major vendors offers free help over the phone for life (Dell was the last holdout). After the first 90 days or one year, you're on your own -- or you can pay $20 to $40 for each new problem you call about. Ideally, tech support shouldn't be necessary in the first place. But in this respect, PCs are all alike.

Living with technology, or trying to? E-mail Rob Pegoraro at rob@twp.com.