First, buying a computer. For many people, this process consists of waiting eternally for the price to drop just a few more bucks. Rather than getting a computer when it reaches the "perfect price," my advice is to buy one when you need it.

You could be waiting forever if price is your only reason to hold out. Just resign yourself to the fact that in one week your new 50-kajillion-dollar computer will be worth the value of one floppy disk and deal.

Next up, Linux. There's been a great hoopla around this operating system from in-depth trade magazines to clueless television news reports. Linux has been hot news because it is a low-cost, and sometimes free, version of the Unix operating system that compete with Microsoft's Windows 2000 (or should I say 2001?).

The recently announced support for Linux by major players like IBM has boosted confidence in the OS.

Other than just hearing people talk about it, Linux will probably have a real impact on all of our lives.

For the outbound seniors, we may use a Linux-based system to share one cable modem Internet connection among many impoverished roommates. For the remaining students, many of you will opt for Linux as your primary operating system.

And finally, we have the year 2000 (aka Y2K). This pseudo-millennial marker has caused quite a stir for something that has yet to happen.

Will the world end? Will El Diablo himself manifest in your Crimson Cash? The catch here, of course, is that no one can really know so all bets are off.

I tend to believe that Armageddonistic forecasts are extreme, but then again, with the little amount of money in my bank account, it would hardly be a loss if the institution tanked.

Well, I believe that's all folks. I hope these past two years were as good for you as they were for me.

Baratunde R. Thurston '99 is The Crimson's former online-technology chair and a member of HASCS's advanced support team. While this is his final TechTalk, you can continue to read his new column on the editorial page every other Tuesday.