My friends expect to see the latest and most powerful computer on my desk at home.

Instead, that desk looks very much like the one at work. There's too much clutter, and there is a computer as out of date as my summer sports coat.

I wish my address were Technology Ranch, a gated compound filled with gadgets and ergonomically correct chairs.

But I don't have that kind of money to spare. My wife is a proud woman who insists that we make our monthly mortgage payment.

So it is a big deal when I raid my half-gallon wine jug filled with change and buy a new computer. That's just what I did last month.

Since a lot of the mail from readers asks about the buying process, we'll spend our time together today talking about how I went about my big buying adventure.

The first hurdle is deciding whether you really need a new computer. For me, that was an easy decision. My old computer was acting as demented as a house cat. But things won't always be as clear-cut for you. Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding.

Don't set your expectations too high. You won't see a dramatic improvement in performance unless you move to a computer that is three times as fast as the old one. So, if you have a computer with a processor that runs somewhere around 1 gigahertz, it'll take a 3-gigahertz machine before you really notice much difference.

That's a big generalization because hard disk space, RAM memory and the speed of your graphics card contribute greatly to speed. But it generally holds true.

You also need to keep Husted's Third Rule of Computing in mind. It goes like this: Only replace the old computer when it can no longer do what you need it to do.

Buying a new computer when you don't really need one is a disappointing experience. You'll end up wishing you had spent the money on something practical, like a new set of golf clubs.

But the time will come when you really and truly need a new computer.

Your toughest task at that point is not the one you probably imagine. You're thinking about selecting processors, RAM and hard disks when you should be thinking about getting a good price.

Let's get the technical specifications out of the way first.

You'll need to decide how your computer is going to be configured, so that you'll be able to accurately compare prices. Once you have specific specifications for the computer you plan to buy, you can use them to price-shop that machine at several different stores and companies.

For those with really special computer needs --- if you're designing a nuclear submarine at home, for instance --- you probably already know exactly what you need.

But I'm going to assume you use your computer to cruise the Internet, do some word processing, play a few games, edit digital pictures and occasionally finish up a project from work.

If that's the case, your new computer should have a processor that runs at 3 gigahertz or faster. Avoid the very fastest processors --- unless money is no problem --- since the price curve gets very steep at the top.

Make sure your PC has 512 megabytes of RAM or more. Your graphics card should have at least 128 megabytes of memory. At a minimum, get an 80-gigabyte hard disk. If you do a lot of digital image editing and storage, get one with 160 gigabytes or more. Select Windows XP Pro instead of XP Home.

With that list in hand, you can start comparison shopping.

Unless you are a computer hobbyist, stick to the national brands.

A good way to start is by checking prices at Dell and Gateway. I mention those two brands because both let you price a computer online. That will give you a baseline price for the computer you're buying, even if you end up buying at a retail store.

Here's a tip about Dell and Gateway. The deals seem to change weekly.

I ended up buying from Dell. I checked the price for the machine I wanted almost every day. One Sunday, I found I could get my machine for about $300 less than the day before. That's when I placed my order.

Please take note: I am not telling you to buy from Dell. I could have just as easily ended up with a machine from Hewlett-Packard, Sony or Gateway. It's just that for the machine I wanted, the price was right on that day.

Remember how I told you that buying a new computer is a big deal for me? When my new machine finally arrived, I tore into the boxes and was literally sweating (hey, I'm a nerd) when the machine was finally up and running. Then, because my wife insists that she be able to walk through a room without tripping over boxes (hey, she's a wife), I cleaned up my mess.

That's the final tip. During the cleaning process, I threw away several things I needed, including some paperwork for a $100 rebate. I spent the next day digging through our trash --- not a beautiful experience.

So go slow --- both when you buy a new computer and when you unpack it.

techbud@ajc.com