Computer buying reached a frenzy between 1998 and 2002. At the time, PCs were stupidly cheap, most of them going for a few hundred dollars. The low price was offset by an obligation for a couple years subscription to an Internet service. All those computers should be dead by now, which means a great chunk of computer users in the world have to consider the New Computer Buying ordeal.

In 2013, the first decision to make is whether to replace the old computer with a computer or a tablet.

For most people, getting a table to replace your aging computer is an excellent choice. If you use your computer primarily to check email, social network, play games, and surf the web, then a tablet is a valid option. They’re portable, inexpensive, and you can opt for mobile data, which means you can take the thing with you anywhere.

If you use your computer more for productivity, say you publish the church newsletter, touch up digital photos, or write For Dummies books, then you’ll need a real computer to replace your decrepit technology.

The general buying process works like this:

1. Know what you plan on doing with the computer.
2. Find software to meet your goals.
3. Look for hardware to match the software.
4. Shop based on service and support.
5. Buy the computer!

You’ll notice those steps don’t include anything about brand names or stores. That’s because the most important part about buying a computer (or anything, really) is knowing what you want to do with it.

For example, say you need a computer to edit your photographs. That’s Step 1.

You’ll need Photoshop or some software equivalent to edit your photographs. That’s Step 2.

Find a computer that can run Photoshop. The hardware requirements for Photoshop are listed on the software box or on Adobe’s website. Listed are the processor, memory requirements, storage capacity, and other features that are all parts of the hardware buying decision.

This is important: When it comes to buying computers, software drives the hardware. Unfortunately, consumers have been trained by the hardware manufacturers that hardware is more important. It’s not! You need hardware to run software, so the software dictates which type of computer you get. That’s why software is Step 2 and hardware is Step 3.

After figuring how much hardware you need, seek out service and support. If you’re okay on your own, get a cheap computer mail order or at a Big Box store. If you need more hand holding, or like having an ill computer fixed down the street instead of across the country, buy local! Trust me, there is no such thing as a cheap computer when you need to get it fixed. That’s Step 4.

Finally, buy the computer (Step 5). Don’t worry about next year’s model being faster or cheaper. When you need a new system, you buy it. The same advice applies to buying a tablet: Don’t worry about the next model. If you need it, buy it!