People often ask me what type of computer they should get when they’re looking for a new computer. Unfortunately, it’s not an easy answer because everyone has different needs and different skill levels when it comes to computers. That’s not to say that I don’t have some opinions/guidelines for people who are in the market for a new computer. 

The first question I usually ask someone seeking advice on a new computer is “what do you want to do with your computer?” For instance, are you using it just to connect to the Internet, download your digital camera photos, and send e-mail or are using it more for working from home and running enterprise applications? 

Most people are just looking for a computer that will get them on the Internet securely, let them listen to music, download Digital pictures, and send and receive e-mail. For those people looking for that functionality, I always recommend that they check out what Apple has to offer in their Mac product line. Macs come with an excellent suite of software that is easy enough to use for even the most novice computer users, and powerful enough for the most advanced users. They can read and write all of the same common file formats as Windows computers (including Microsoft Office), yet the Mac operating system is free from Viruses, Spy-ware, and Ad-ware! And for parents, there are built-in parental controls to keep your kids safe on the internet. 

Apple sells laptops (MacBooks), which start at $1099 and two consumer desktop models (Mac Minis & iMacs). Mac Minis start at $599 while iMacs start at $1199. Unlike other PC manufacturers the default configurations have all the bells & whistles and does not require any expensive upgrades. Right out of the box you will have virtually all the software you could ever need! For excellent description of all the software and benefits of using a Mac please read more here: http://www.apple.com/getamac/ 

What many people do not realize is that Apple has transitioned all its computers to Intel processors, in other words Apple sells the same processors in their computers that you could get in a Dell, HP, or IBM Computer. This actually allows all Apple computers that currently use this new processor to also run Windows in a variety of different ways. One option is to use Bootcamp, a piece of software written by Apple that allows you to install a copy of Windows that you own (must be a full version with service pack 2) on your Mac. Once installed you can choose which operating system you want to use when you start the computer. This is referred to as a dual boot configuration. You can read more about it by clicking the link above. I have used it myself and I can say that it works extremely well despite it’s still being a piece of beta software. It will be officially released in early 2007 with the release of Apple’s newest Operating System (Leopard). 

If the idea of rebooting your computer every time you want to run one of your Windows programs does not appeal to you, you still have options. There are now two companies providing software to run Windows right on your Mac.  The first (and my favorite) is VMWare Fusion and the other is Parallels Desktop for Mac. The software allows you to install Windows in such way that you can run either Mac OS X or Windows at the same time without restarting your computer. It works extremely well, especially for office applications and web browsing. The only thing it doesn’t do well is play games (yet). You can read more about it on their web site: http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/ 

If you’re still not convinced that a Mac is the way to go I’ve included below a list of recommended specifications for a Windows computer. However, you should keep in mind as you buy a new computer that if you would like to be able to use all the features of Microsoft’s new operating system when it is released sometime next year that the specifications below are probably insufficient. For more information about system requirements to run Windows Vista you can read more here:http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060518-6863.html However, I do have some strong opinions about whether Vista is worth the upgrade which I will outline in the future. 

Recommended System Requirements: 

Operating System: Windows XP Home Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Core Duo/Solo, Intel Pentium M, Centrino, IV or Xeon (Never get a Celeron) 
Memory/RAM: 1GB Video Card: 128MB or greater Hard drive: 40GB or greater CD-RW/DVD: Combo Drive for burning CDs and playing DVDs Misc: USB 2.0 

Optional: 

CD-RW/DVD+/-RW: for burning DVDs AND CDs Wireless: 802.11 b/g or 802.11 a/b/g 

Accessories: 

Any computer that will be connected via a high-speed DSL/Cable connection should also have a router. See below for recommendations.