Take a look for yourself.

1. A computer is nothing to be afraid of. So, go ahead and explore the file system. Aside from deleting any files located in c:\windows, or c:\program files, there isn't to much that can go wrong by going into My Computer and taking a look around, Trial & error work for you as a small child, why not as an adult.

2. Beware deals that are "to good to be true". Shop around, ask friends, and take your time. Quite often the mega deals large retailers put on are marked as refurbished . Depending on the store this can mean anything from the entire unit has been repaired (i.e. laptops) to some or all of the parts inside the case were repaired.

3. Do not purchase a computer that comes with a copy of Windows installed without making sure you actually paid for the operating system. Often small retailers will sell you a system that comes with Windows XP, but not give you the installation CD. This is illegal and you can report this behavior to Microsoft. A copy of XP Home can be found online for as little as $100 CAD.

4. Anti-virus/Anti-spyware. Today an unprotected PC can be infected in less time than it takes to boil water. Invest in a good anti-virus(AV) program and keep it up to date. There are a number of good programs to choose from and even a free one . In addition to AV protection it is a good idea to install a anti-spyware (AS) program as well. Lavasoft's Ad-Aware is free and I recommend its use. It will root out the ad- and spy-ware on your PC that you get from surfing the web.

5. Use an alternate browser and email client. Internet Explorer 6 and Outlook Express have long been the target of virus writers and hackers. The Mozilla Foundation's Firefox web browser and Thunderbird email client and more secure than IE6 and Outlook Express and are quite easy to use. Although the main draw for me to Firefox are the extensions that have been developed to extend Firefox. Opera is highly regarded by those who use it and the new Internet Explorer 7 has been improved but it still lacks in web standards.

There you go, my top 5 tips for a new or prospective computer owner.