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TECH SPECS AND OTHER FEATURES

This is the really techy stuff. AMD or Intel processors? What speed? How much RAM (random access memory)? The most important thing to look for is RAM, which has the most impact on the speed of your computer. Accept no less than 2-gigabytes (GB), but if you've got the cash, spring for 3- or 4-gigabytes (GB), just to be safe, especially if you intend to run the resource-hungry Vista. If you're determined to save some money on RAM, then buy the standard 1-gigabyte (GB) and get your technologically-inclined nephew to upgrade it for you after the fact. (Hint: Shopping at Newegg.com could save you up to $100 over the Apple memory upgrade in particular.)

When choosing a processor, the decision between AMD and Intel is pretty simple: Unless you plan on only e-mailing or word processing, or if price is a concern, you should go with an Intel processor -- they just tend to be faster and more efficient, which means fewer mysterious freeze-ups during computing and longer battery life if you opt for a laptop. Any Core 2 Duo will do -- and aim for the 2-gigahertz (GHz) and higher models if you plan to do any gaming. If the computer you like only offers AMD processors, then go with AMD's top-of-the-line Phenom X4 or Turion 64 X2 mobile processor in a notebook.

Intel's standard Pentium line (not Pentium M or Pentium 4, just plain Pentium) is fine for those with only basic computing needs and tight budgets, but avoid anything that has the word Sempron in it. Sempron is the bottom of the barrel, bargain processors from AMD, and it's only single-core, under-powered, and outdated by the time you get it home. We'd also recommend holding-off on Celeron processors until the end of 2008, when the more affordable processor brand from Intel will get a dual-core upgrade. While both Sempron and Celeron processors may do the job for a brief period of time, you'll be wishing you dropped the extra $50 on a processor upgrade when it takes a full three minutes to launch the next version of Internet Explorer or Firefox.

Make sure to get the latest processors from Intel, which are built on the chipmaker's new(ish) 45nm process. The technology leads to faster and cooler processors that wont burn your lap or your wallet. The latest from Intel are still called Core 2, but can be distinguished by their processor numbers that start with "8" or "9" (i.e. E9500 or P8600). When shopping for a laptop you can make your life a little easier by searching for a Centrino 2 sticker, which ensures you've bought the right chip.

When it comes to optical drives, a DVD +/- writer is the standard, and is good enough in most instances since it'll handle the most common disc formats. If you plan to watch HD movies, look for a Blu-ray drive -- it's pricey but worth it if you're a high-def movie buff (and if you plan to watch video content on your TV, look for an HDMI output on the computer). Be warned, though, that many ultra-portables, such as the MacBook Air and the Lenovo X200, shed an optical drive to save size and weight, which means an external drive will be needed to watch DVDs, rip and burn CDs, or, in most cases, install software from a CD or DVD.

The last thing to look at is a graphics card. Many cheaper computers and laptops use "integrated" graphics, which means they're built into the system and borrow RAM to operate. These graphics chips are good enough for most everyday tasks, but if you plan to do any gaming beyond playing 'Minesweeper' and/or run Vista, then look for a "discrete" graphics solution from either ATI or Nvidia that has its own memory. In a laptop look for either an ATI HD 3xxx or an Nvidia GeForce 9xxx series with at least 128-megabytes of memory. If you're going the desktop route and plan on doing any serious gaming or video editing, then spring for the top of the line GeForce 280 or ATI's HD 4800 series with at least 512-megabytes of dedicated memory. Or, even better, spring for two!