By GREG BOTT

guest columnist

“My son/daughter wants a computer and I have no idea what to buy!” is a familiar cry for help—especially around the holidays. What type of computer to buy, how much memory is needed, which operating system, what size, speed and type of hard drive—it’s all very confusing to the typical person. And if you’re like me, you hesitate to put your trust in a commissioned sales person who may or may not be old enough to vote. Allow me to help you navigate the ocean of computer options (cut out this article and take it with you to the store):

First, a disclaimer. You would assume a former Microsoft employee and current Microsoft consultant would automatically steer you towards a Windows PC like a brainwashed drone of Bill Gates. Not so. I’m a Mac fan--my first loves, my first “real” computers were Apple Macintoshes so as much as possible, I am objective. That said, because the market is still dominated by Windows PC’s, this column will focus primarily on what you need to look for in a Windows desktop computer.

First and foremost, the rule of thumb for whatever you buy, even in a challenging economy, is to buy as much computer as you can afford, and keep it as long as you can. It’s akin to my dress shoe strategy—pay twice as much, buy fourth as many.

Our budgets and reality, however, do not always allow for that strategy, so below is the description of two computers: one for Joe, a basic user, and Mary, an advanced or power user. Joe uses his computer to send e-mail, casually browse the Internet, and do his personal finances. Mary is a more advanced user—she does what Joe does plus consumer-level video, games, digital photos and video, music, etc.. A serious gamer (not discussed here) will want a computer beyond Mary’s.

Including a 17-inch flat panel widescreen monitor, Joe will pay around $500 for his computer while Mary will pay a little under $1,000.

Processor (the brain of your computer): Much like life, Joe needs at least 2 brains—that means a dual core processor like an Intel Core 2 Duo, or AMD Athlon 64 X2, while Mary will want 4 brains--Core 2 Quad or Core 2 Extreme. Stay away from Celeron processors.

Operating System: Unless you have incompatible, legacy hardware you can’t live without, get Windows Vista. Downgrading to Windows XP is getting more expensive (Dell charges $150) and makes less sense since you’ll eventually have to purchase an upgrade anyway. Joe: Windows Vista Basic. Mary: Windows Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate. Don’t buy a 64-bit OS unless you have an application that requires it.

RAM: Joe: 1-2 GB DDR2 SDRAM. Mary: 2-4GB DDR2 SDRAM.

Hard drive: Joe: 250GB to 500GB; Mary: 500GB to 1 TB.

Video card: Joe: 128 MB integrated video; Mary: 256MB discrete video (for example ATI Radeon HD 3450 HDMI for an additional $65).

Optical drive: Joe: 16X DVD+/-RW; Mary: Dual-layer DVD.

Software: Joe: Microsoft Works 9.0; Mary: Microsoft Office 2007. Both should consider the open source Microsoft Office replacement, Open Office.

Networking: Joe and Mary: An Internal wireless card; wired integrated 10/100 Ethernet Port.

Extended warranty: If you’re expecting me to say extended warranties are a rip-off and not to be naïve--I won’t say it. Extended warranties are not always snake oil—sometimes they make sense, however, they make more sense for laptops than for desktops, so while my answer is to not buy an extended warranty for a desktop, I generally recommend them for laptops.

So whether you are Joe or Mary, use this guide to successfully purchase the computer that best fits your needs and your budget.

Greg Bott is a father, an author, programmer, and a technical consultant who resides in Meridian. He has operated his own consulting firm, Bott Technology Solutions since 1997. Greg’s professional computer experience comes from working as a consultant for Price Waterhouse’s Strategic Consulting Group, as a Program Manager at Microsoft Corporation, and as Chief Technology Officer for several companies. He has a Master of Science in Software Engineering degree from the University of Texas and has presented at technical conferences across the world. He has published over a dozen works including the Microsoft Press Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure textbook, and the Microsoft ASP.Net Security Operations Guide (co-author). He is currently writing two white papers for Microsoft Corporation about their recently released Essential Business Server.