What To Look For
The first place to start when buying a new computer is probably whether you want/need a laptop or a desktop. With modern technology, laptops are becoming increasingly more functional and portable, but desktops still offer the most power and ability for your money. Remember to take into account as many factors as possible when making this decision. Consider qualities such as price, portability, functionality, size, weight, output options and other items with respect to your needs to start. If you plan on doing work around campus or in labs instead of always running back to the 40 or your apartment, a laptop would be very handy. If you plan on using your computer for advanced gaming, video editing, sound editing, or anything else that requires good computing power and lots of storage, a desktop is likely your best bet. Upgrades on processors and internal secondary storage devices (i.e. your harddrive(s)) are much cheaper for desktops. Plus you can get as big a monitor as you can possibly use or need. You can even get multiple monitors.

Choose Which Operating System You Prefer
The two most widely used operating systems available are Microsoft Windows XP and Apple's Mac OS X. Both are excellent choices, but each one has its pros and cons. Windows XP is a good choice because it interoperates with other Windows operating systems and is nearly ubiquitous. The down side is that it can take more time and user responsibility to keep a Windows machine running smoothly. This is due to the fact that Windows operating systems are very widely used and therefore receive the most attacks by malicious code. Mac OS X is an excellent platform that is stable and user friendly. Plus, the Macintosh video and sound editing software is some of the best software on the market. The biggest downside is that Mac OS X is not as commonly used and can be confusing for users familiar with Windows operating systems.

Choose Upgrades Accordingly
When buying a new computer it is easy to get carried away and try to upgrade everything to the max. This is fine if you can afford it, however, the best way to go about getting a new computer is to choose accordingly. The easiest thing to upgrade is the RAM (Random Access Memory) in your computer. The minimum amount of RAM necessary today to keep a new computer running smoothly if 512MB. If you want your computer to handle as much as you could possibly dish out, upgrading from 512MB RAM to anywhere between 1-4GB would be a good call. The same applies for choosing a hard drive. If you only plan on saving Word documents and the like, a 30-40GB hard drive is sufficient. The average graphics card in a new computer is sufficient for running most programs, however, it will bog down or be insufficient when it comes to running advanced graphic programs such as high level video games, video editing software, or any high quality video. Again, if you are not going to put this kind of stress on your computer, there is absolutely no need to spend the extra hundreds of dollars on a top of the line graphics card. The same applies for a high resolution monitor.

Choose Accessories and Bonus Features
As you finalize your decision, it is important to note what kind of accessories or bonus features are available for you computer. For example, if you plan on using your laptop often, purchasing an extra power cord or a high capacity battery might be worthwhile. If you do not find it pleasant to type on your laptop keyboard, an extra keyboard might be worth the money. Multiple drives can be useful when burning or copying CD's since you do not use the hard drive inbetween, however, most laptops do not have the space for two internal disk drives. An external hard drive can also be useful in that the storage capacity of your computer can be greatly increased at a lesser cost than getting an upgraded hard drive from the factory. The downside is that all the information going to and from the hard drive has to be sent over a USB 2.0 or Firewire connection. This is still fast enough for most applicaitons, however, the speed of retrieving data will not be as fast as an internal hard drive. With the popularity of wireless continually growing, it is a good idea to include a wireless a/b/g ethernet card in your purchase of a new laptop. This allows you to access the three types of wireless used today, including the wireless on campus. Lastly, save your money by not buying unnecessary devices such as a floppy disk drive. Hardly anyone needs or uses a floppy disk anymore. Current methods of transfering information such as CD-RW's and jump drives make much more sense.

Last but not least, choose what makes you happy or what you deem a worthy investment. Remember that a computer can last you a long time, so go ahead and plan for the future.