I've shopped. I've tested. I've been on hold for days with tech support. I've thrown things out the window and run them over repeatedly with my car. I know. Get recent price comparisons for most of these at DealMac, PriceMac, the Macworld PriceFinder. A simple SuperLink to comparison shop at all the leading Mac dealers is at the bottom of this page. Also read this article on my recommended dealers.

This is the biggest tip I have for PC and Mac users. Everyone has to buy RAM at some point, and it is the MOST marked-up product available. Some dealers (which otherwise are fine for buying computers), jack up the price on RAM 200+%!! That is not a typo. You can find RAM for 70% less from a dedicated RAM dealer. RAM prices fluctuate daily, and swing up and down significantly. SO how could you possibly find the best price? Easy! Go to:

Don't buy RAM anywhere until you check this list, which is updated daily. See the live list to the right (with info drawn from their site.) You'll be blown away by the $ you can save. Many dealers are monitored, and you can sort the list by the chip you are looking for. A recent search of dealers for one chip showed a range from 99-299 dollars! A MUST see!

Also check out DealRam.

Got a laptop on your desk? Add a monitor and an external keyboard and you've got it all.

The new LCD flatscreen monitors are pretty cool. However, they are still more expensive than CRT monitors. Eventually the prices will come down, but until then a large traditional CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor will do. You can get a 20" monitor for under $90! If you had the desk space for it, you could buy nine 20" monitors for the price of Apple's 20" flatscreen Cinema Display.

My choice has been the Apple 20" Multiscan monitor, which is also branded as the Sony Multiscan 20sell Trinitron. Read my note here about how to tell the difference between two versions of that monitor. It sells today (4/2004) for under $90 at Surplus Computers in the Bay Area or via mail order. Also check out MacResQ and The Monitor Guys in San Jose. These guys have sick prices and they fix monitors too.

Got DSL or cable broadband? If you want to share this high-bandwidth connection with multiple Macs and PCs (or a mix of both), there are a bunch of companies who make simple routers which are pretty cheap. It's not much more to get one with built-in wireless access. The 802.11b standard (aka Apple Airport) is fine for most uses, and the faster 802.11g (aka Apple Airport Express) only costs a few bucks more.

Check out the Netgear WGR614, the Linksys WRT54G, or the D-Link DI-624. They all have 802.11g. When there are rebates, you can find them for under $50.

If you don't need wireless, the EtherFast BEFSR41 router by Linksys is a good way to go. It also serves as a network switch (better than a hub). Works fine with PPPoE (PPP over Ethernet), PacBell and EarthLink ISPs. Read a really good objective review with tech tips at practicallynetworked.com. Make sure to update the Firmware with these tips, and here's a handy RJ-45 ethernet cable wiring diagram.

Shop for routers at Amazon.com

The Logitech Mouseman Wheel Optical USB mouse (M-BD53) really kicks ass. It's optical (smooth tracking, no trackball to clean), has three buttons plus a wheel (which also serves as a fourth button), and is ergonomically contoured to a right hand. It comes with MouseWare software to program each button, so one click can perform an "option-click," "command-click," "double-click" or even trigger a QuicKeys or AppleScript (see my button programming recommendations). Works with PCs too. The only downside: not for lefties. Many of Logitech's products are similarly named, so get the right one! (Check it out in the dark when a G4 is in "deep sleep." It pulses in a meter of 2-2-2-rest-...)

The sliding feet wear out after a while, but Logitech will replace them (or even the whole mouse) if you call them (800-231-7717). Better yet, check out slicksurf.com's replacement mouse feet.

Highly recommended. A necessity if you're still using the Apple hockey puck mouse.
Street Price: $47.00

The Contour Designs UniTray has a gel wrist-rest with adjustable height. It's great! Available in colors, including a nice neutral clear "Ice." If you use an old-school non-optical mouse, try augmenting this with a 3M Precise Mousing Surface on top of the UniTray (see below).

Street Price: $16.00

The 3M Precise Mousing Surface is amazing! It makes any mouse (even the hockey puck) work better. Smooth movement and accurate pointing. Available with or without a gel wrist-rest. I found that the wrist-rest was too big, so try the version without it. Works great on top of the UniTray (see above).

Street Price: $8-10.