Desktop Publishing
  Printers
  When buying a computer printer there are certain things you should take into consideration. The first thing is how the printer will be utilized. Will the printer be used for personal or business use? Speed and professional print quality isn't as important in a personal printer as it would be in an office one.

There are two major types of printers: laser and inkjet/bubble jet. Laser printers operate similarly to photocopiers, providing high quality print and faster speeds than inkjets. They are also less expensive to operate at higher print volumes. Inkjets provide color and acceptable print quality at a lower price than lasers. They can print a wide variety of documents such as letters, brochures, and cards. Higher-end inkjets offer faster print speeds, sharper images and the ability to print photos.
     
  Scanners
  At one time scanners were considered a luxury for the average computer user. Prices have dropped sharply over the last few years with some models now under $50. If what you want to do is scan pictures and photos for use on the web, these lower priced models are all you need. As you move up in price range you will find scanners that have the ability to capture higher resolutions and color depth, important for professional quality image editing.

Other features available include sheet feeders and the ability to scan directly from slides and negatives. Any scanner you're considering should also come with OCR (optical character recognition) software. OCR enables you to scan written documents directly into a word processor, which can save you from a lot of typing.
     
Connecting to the Internet
The home user is typically faced with two options for getting on the Internet. Most people use a 56K modem through a dial-up phone connection, but more and more are getting high-speed DSL (offered by the phone companies) or Cable. The biggest benefit of these is the speed at which you can download large files (MP3's, demo software, etc.) and view streaming media (radio, video, concerts, etc.).

While a dial-up connection will usually lag below its advertised speed of 56Kbps (1000 bits per second), broadband connections regularly stay above 300Kbps. This extra speed comes at a cost; on average you'll have to pay double what you would for dial-up. So if you use the Internet for email and the occasional web surfing, high-speed access is probably not worth the price. For a broadband connection computers require an Ethernet card which is then connected to a specialized modem, normally supplied by the service provider.