Connect To The Internet

Probably the most common reason people buy a personal computer these days is to connect to the internet. I seems as though everyone is getting wired these days. Having an e-mail account is almost as important as having a telephone. Online shopping is sweeping the country (make that the world), and changing retail sales in ways we are only beginning to understand. Online stock trading is a phenomenon with world changing implications. And pretty soon, we will all be voting online.

Business and Personal Finance

A great many people us personal computers to run business or personal finance applications, such as Quicken and MS Money.

Personal computers can take much of the drudgery out of bookkeeping. Beyond simple number crunching, they can improve your accuracy, present date in more meaningful ways, allow you to change numbers and categories with a mouse click, and even help you prepare and file your taxes.

Education

More and more parents are buying personal computers for their children with an eye toward their educational uses. The shelves are fairly creaking with computer programs that help children learn to read, write, and think critically. Computer encyclopedias combine text, sound, and moving pictures to create rich learning resources. More and more schools are teaching with computers. Kids, from grade school to college, go online to find information for their research papers. And chances are, virtually every student in school today will be using a computer after he or she graduates and starts working.

Games

Computer games, of course, draw many people to the personal computer, especially with the advent of online gaming. Most computer gamers are younger, but you'd be surprised how many over 40 gamers there are out there. Some of the more cerebral games, such as historical simulations and puzzle type games, draw almost exclusively from an older audience. One of the industry's true blockbusters, Myst, appealed primarily to older players.

Computer Graphics and Publishing

Artists, both professional and amateur, are turning to computers, for a new form of self expression. Universities offer classes in computer related art courses. The graphic design industry is positively dependent on computers, as are book and magazine publishers. And the artistically challenged are turning to graphic design and publishing programs to add color and design to their church and school newsletters, holiday letters, and personal Web pages.

Digital Photography

The proliferation of digital cameras has created yet another reason to own a personal computer. A digital camera stores the pictures you take in computer files inside the camera's hard disk or special memory cards. These files can then be transferred to a personal computer, where they can be stores and organized for easy access, and printed out later on special paper. Digital pictures are also easy to send across the internet to far friends and family.