From our Arizona Living staff:

Things to consider before buying a computer

• Extended warranty: In most cases, the manufacturer's one-year warranty is fine. But when it comes to kids and computers, you may want to consider a three-year warranty due to the inevitable wear and tear (and spilled drinks).

• Service: More important than what you buy may be where you buy. Should a computer stop working, online-only retailers are likely to require that you ship it to a service center, and it may not be returned for weeks. Some electronics retailers, however, have in-house service centers. Be sure to know the repair policy before purchasing.

• Buying (too) cheap: A low price might not always be the way to go. If you skimp on features up front - memory, hard-drive space, processor speed - you may have to add them later at a higher cost.

• Memory: The most effective way to improve a computer's performance is by adding memory. If a computer seems sluggish, add a gigabyte or two of memory (usually less than $100) rather than buy a faster processor (costing in the hundreds). Similarly, look for a computer with plenty of memory (3GB or more is good) rather than one with the fastest processor.

• Mac vs. Windows: Macs typically are more expensive, but they also are more reliable and are equipped with software that is more user-friendly. Windows machines usually offer more bang for the buck, and the starting price is significantly less. In most cases, choose the system with which you're experienced. (Exception: Some high-school and college programs may require a certain operating system or programs.)

Source: Ken Colburn, president, Data Doctors

Student-friendly netbooks and laptops

Looking for the right computer for your high-school or college student? Here are some of the netbooks and laptops recommended by Consumer Reports (sampling of retailers in parentheses):

Netbooks

• Samsung N120 with 10.1-inch screen, 1.6 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive, $420 (Best Buy, newegg.com).

• Samsung NC10 with 10.2-inch screen, 1.6 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive, $370 (amazon.com, buydig.com).

• Acer Aspire One AOD-150 with 10.1-inch screen, 1.6 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, $329-$350 (officedepot.com, pcconnection.com).

Laptops

• Apple MacBook with 13.3-inch screen, 2.13 GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive, $999 (Apple retailers, apple.com).

• Toshiba Satellite U405 with 13.3-inch screen, 2.13 Ghz processor, 4GB of RAM, 320GB hard drive, $897-$979 (buy.com, radioshack.com).

• HP Pavilion dv3-1075us with 13.1-inch screen, 2.1 GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, 320GB hard drive, $775-$900 (newegg.com, radioshack.com).

Yvette Armendariz is editor of momslikeme.com in Phoenix and mom to two fabulous children, ages 9 and 12.

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