Originally Posted By: haertig
Switch to Linux with opensource software downloads from various free repositories (Internet-based), and you save hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands of dollars over a PC running expensive Windows OS with all the associated programs you have to buy (Word, Excel, virus scanner, malware detectors, backup/imaging software, etc.)

I've been Windows - free since 1997, and haven't looked back. But having been programming in Unix since the late 70's helps also.

I've been successful at getting some of my family to at least switch to Macs. Even though they are pricey, having a Unix based operating system has saved them many hundreds of hours of frustration.

The internet has been great. Sometimes I buy locally, when I'm trying to find something that's not available, I love being able to go to Amazon and use free shipping.

There are times when I like to use a local merchant, and there are times when I feel I'm being held hostage, and like to go on-line to circumvent them. And there are times when I want to hold what I'm buying before I buy it. It really depends on the situation.