Ideally you should get a computer that has all the gadgets you desire already installed and ready to go from the vendor. That may be possible, but new gadgets are popping up all the time. In some cases, the new gadget may require a drive bay and/or an expansion card slot. For that reason, I recommend that you buy a computer that has at least one empty drive bay and one empty expansion slot. The ISA bus, long the standard expansion slot, has all but disappeared. The winning technology is the PCI slot. You will need to match the card and the slot. An AGP slot is useful even if the computer has video built into the motherboard. This allows you to add a new video technology in the future.

There are three types of CRT (cathode-ray tube) monitors currently available, and each has its advantages for various applications. There are also LCD (liquid crystal display) and liquid plasma monitors available if you have a large budget.

Dot Pitch

The dot pitch of a monitor is the distance between adjacent sets of red, green, and blue dots. The smaller the distance, the sharper the image. A sharper image is easier on the eyes. Do not even consider a monitor that has a dot pitch number larger than .27 for a shadow-mask monitor or larger than .25 for an aperture-grille monitor.
Display Sizes
How big a monitor do you need? That depends on your usage and your budget. Just to confuse you, monitor sizes are measured diagonally (just like TV screens). To make things even tougher on you, the measurement is the tube size, not the viewable size.  The image skews near the edges and so that area is not usable. When you compare monitor size, compare the viewable size instead of the tube size. Higher resolutions let you see more information. Running a display at a resolution higher than the ones I describe will result in eyestrain. You can move down a notch or two if you have vision problems.
Monitors Smaller Than 15"
Do not buy one of these, they are just too small. I know they look like a good value but you probably not be happy using it. This size will look best at a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels (picture elements, or dots). I have seen some software that will not run at this low resolution.
15" Monitor
This size is suitable for word processing or spreadsheet applications The only advantage of this size is the low cost. This will look best at a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels.
17" Monitor
This is a good size for web browsing and other Internet applications. It will also work well for word processing and spreadsheet applications. This will look best at a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels and may be okay at 1024 x 768. The price for this size of monitor is just slightly above the 15" monitors.
19" Monitor
This is the size for the amateur graphics designer or the hardcore gamer. This will look best at a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. These monitors take a lot of desk space. There are now short-length monitors that eliminate that problem. Be sure to measure your desk space before buying one of these.
21" Monitor
This is the size of choice for professional graphics designers and people that need a lot of windows visible at one time. I find that this size is great for programming because I can have lots of debug windows open. This size is normally run at a resolution of 1280 X 1024 or even 1600 X 1200.
Refresh Rates
The refresh rate of a monitor tells you how frequently the screen is redrawn by the electron guns within the CRT. This number is measured in hertz (Hz), or cycles per second. A refresh rate of 70 indicates that the screen is redrawn 70 times per second. If the refresh rate is set too low, you may notice some flicker on the screen. This is especially true when working under fluorescent lights (which operate at 60 Hz). You should increase the refresh rate until you find one that does not flicker. The possible refresh rate may vary based upon the resolution, with higher refresh rates available at lower resolutions. You should be able to find a comfortable range between 67Hz and 85Hz.
Do not try to refresh at a rate higher than the monitor manufacturer specifies. You could damage the monitor with a bad setting. Fortunately, the expensive monitors include circuitry to protect them.

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