1. What is the best computer to buy?
There is no such thing as a "best" computer. One should buy a computer to meet their needs at the minimum. These are current and future needs. Then if you have any spare money, add the niceties you would like to have.
What is the best operating system to use?
The is no "best" operating system either. There are four major flavors of operating systems that are prevalent today ~ windows, linux, Mac Os, and UNIX. For easy of use and sharing of information in the business world, Windows from Microsoft is the preferred system. Yet, if you are looking to publish desktop publication or for video production, Mac OS is a much better product than the others.
When dealing with massive amounts of data for datamining and trend analysis or for development of a strong networking backbone for large corporations or educational institutions, I recommend UNIX.
Linux is best used for hosting service for many small to medium sized web sites. In addition, the public domain or open source repository of software in most prevalent in Linux.
What is better a faster computer or a computer with more RAM?
Fast computers are nice. But, without RAM they don't work too well. The best deal is to buy a slightly slower computer and maximize the amount of RAM that you buy. You will be keeping the computer for several years.
My computer is running slow, do I need another one?
When was the last time you did preventive maintenance on your computer? Lack of maintenance can cause the computer to slow down by as much as 85% especially if you are using a Microsoft Windows machine.
Should I buy the latest and greatest?
The latest is never the greatest unless you are talking about unknown software bugs.
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