So here it is close to the holidays one more time. I've heard a lot of buzz about new computer equipment, and frankly with the economy the way it is, there are a lot of good deals to be had. Let's talk about a few options...

1. Laptop vs. Desktop - This is a matter of personal preference. Prices have come down greatly on laptops depending on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a general purpose laptop, you can find them for around $600, and desktops without a monitor for around $400 at most of the big box stores and sometimes even less online. Most laptops and desktops are coming with some Vista flavor, so do yourselves a favor and get at least 2GB of RAM memory, more is better up to 4GB. This will allow that new machine to run the best and make your Vista experience a pleasurable one! Obviously the biggest advantage of a laptop is portability, but I'd sure get the manufacturer's extended warranty. Don't fall into the trap of the store's extended warranty!! Gaming computers will run considerably more, but still should be in the $1000 to $1500 range.

2. Vista vs. XP - Face it, the world is going Vista. If you get a new machine, just get enough RAM memory to run Vista correctly (2GB or more) and you will be just fine!

3. New vs. Refurbished - OK, some great deals are to be had with refurbished laptop machines (returned by the customer with a factory defect, repaired and then put up for sale). Be careful...the warranties are not as long and many cannot be extended. Honestly, I'd steer clear of those unless you know someone that can repair laptops. As for desktops, the same applies, except they are much easier to work with as far as repairing!

4. Retailer vs. E-Bay - Do I really have to go there? You get exactly what you pay for on E-Bay...enough said.

5. Brand names - Oh boy...here we go. For laptops, I'd stick with the big brand names like Dell, HP, Compaq, Gateway, Toshiba and so on. As for desktops, HP, Compaq, Gateway and the like are pretty good. I'd stay away from e-Machines and Dell as they use a lot of proprietary hardware and you must by from them.

Please keep in mind these are my opinions only, and not the opinions of Rasmussen College, Pasco County Campus, or any of the other IT people that may take exception to my comments!

Have a great holiday season and I'll see you here next year!