State and local taxes can add as much as 20 percent onto your basic rate.

The thing about laptops is that they tend to be more idiosyncratic than desktops. It's really important to be able to try a laptop in a store before you buy one.

The simpler the plan, the better because there's a fighting chance you'll understand your bill.

Start with one carrier and see if that company has everything you need.

I have tried and tried to figure out which is better, but the nature of the plans makes it very difficult.

The bottom line? There are plenty of good machines out there.