Price watching...

Let's say you are strapped for cash, and your old trusty computer takes a nose dive. Of course there are the IBM, Dell, Gateway, or many many other name brand manufacturers. They will all be in the 400+ price range, and come preloaded with AOL, and other fun stuff you probably don't want.

If you are tech saavy enough, you should head on over to www.pricewatch.com

There you can look for a barebones, no operating system, type of computer. For a few hundred dollars you can be back in action in no time. My only recommendation when buying from one of these discount suppliers is to give the store a call first. If they are helpful, friendly, and customer service oriented, you'll be fine.

If they sound shady, or you can't talk to a live person. Skip them. Best of luck!