Computer Shopping? No Need to Go for Broke

Economic conditions being what they are, you might not have a ton of dough to spend on a new computer. So in his annual PC buyer’s guide, Wall Street Journal tech expert Walter Mossberg adopts a budget-focused mindset. His advice:

• The current Mac OS, Leopard, is much better than Windows, but Macs don’t come cheap. Look for a computer with Windows XP; downgrading from Vista may cost money, but you can then buy a cheaper machine.

• Get 2 gigabytes of memory if you’re running XP or Leopard, though 1 will do in a pinch. For Vista, get 3 if you can.
• Don’t worry about a processor’s speed or brand; any dual core should do.
• Shoot for 160 gigabytes of hard drive space for a laptop and 250 for a desktop; you can get by with 120 or 160, respectively.
• Above all, "Pay only for capabilities that you need."

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