Perhaps you are currently in the market to purchase a new computer. Computer technology is constantly advancing and evolving when shopping its important to base your surfing/work load needs, so you may get the best bang for your buck.

Laptops are very popular right now. They're sleek and compact and perfect for someone whose office or desk space is limited. They can also be convenient, storing easily in a drawer for quick use at the kitchen table or while you're lounging in front of the television. Their size and convenience have made them a necessity for those who travel often. But laptops lack the comfort of a large, ergonomically-adjusted keyboard and monitor and are limited on the number of ports available for connecting extra devices like webcams, printers and scanners. For these reasons, perhaps you might decide to purchase a new desktop computer.

Next decision is determining the best Central Processing Unit (CPU) for your needs. The CPU is like the engine "under the hood." Dual core is the buzz these days. A dual core is basically two processors that share the workload. You can continue surfing the Internet or working on a document while downloading digital pictures or completing a virus scan in background without having the activity of one operation impact the other. A dual core CPU has many advantages over a single CPU and is worth the expense.

Since this will be a Vista machine your attention should be turned to memory or RAM (Random Access Memory). Old desktop computerS were, 512MB and was more than a sufficient amount of RAM, but after years of operating system service-packs upgrades, not to mention the installation of newer and bigger software applications, 512MB did become sluggish. For Vista, 1GB of memory is the minimum recommended, but anticipate that over the next several years 1GB will also slow down. With a new computer purchase, pehaps at least double-up to 2 GB, but may even go for 3GB of memory to ensure optimum operability for the long run.

Your digital camera is always busy, and you download lots of music for my MP3 player, so storage is important and you will want to pay attention to the size of my hard drive. The typical desktop computer sold today comes with 80 to 100 gigabyte hard drives. If you own an external hard drive for backup and storage, 100 GB of storage may be sufficent. However, if video editing or downloading DVDs is an important activity for you, you may want to consider a 320GB hard drive or larger.

Now the specifications get a bit tricky with the notorious "alphabet soup" for read/write CD/DVD drives. there are only two choices. If you want full flexibility to read from and write to (the latter is also referred to as "burn") DVDs or CDs, or to record then later retrieve or play back data, photos or music you stored on CDs, you need a DVD +/- RW drive. The other viable choice is a CD-RW/DVD-ROM (Read-Only Memory) combo which allows you to do all but burn to DVDs. If you select just a CD-RW, CD-ROM or DVD-ROM you will be restricting your options for storing and playing back data and media.

As for monitors, time to move away from the bulky CRT and upgrade to a flat panel display. The prices have come down and there are many choices in monitor size. Unless you're a heavy-duty gamer, the graphic card in most new desktop computers should be adequate.

When you consider buying a new desktop computer, think of it as an investment that should serve your needs for many years. Be willing to pay a bit more for a brand with a consistent reputation for reliability and good service. Like buying a vehicle, you should "kick the tires," read reviews, and ask to see a demonstration of the sort of computer you considering. Don't be bashful about talking to others, especially the sales people at electronic stores. The more you know, the more confident you'll be with your decisions — and the more satisfied you'll be with your purchase.