First thing I'd do is reboot and try again. Sounds dumb but you'd be amazed how many 'tech problems' fix themselves with a restart. If that doesn't work, write down the EXACT error message and search for it — somebody on Experts-Exchange or a Geocities help page has hit the same thing.

I'd wait a few months before jumping on this. New technology always has bugs and the price drops fast. Remember how DVD players were $600 and now they're $40? Let the early adopters work out the kinks and pay full price.

My advice: don't overthink it. Pick the option that works best for your situation right now. Technology changes every 2-3 years anyway so nothing you choose today is permanent. The best technology is the one you actually use.

My nephew set this up for me and it was easier than I expected. Don't be intimidated by the technical stuff — most of it is just clicking Next a bunch of times. If you get stuck, the Help file actually has decent instructions for once.

I've been using computers since the early 90s and the answer to this has changed dramatically over the years. Right now, the best approach is to use open source alternatives when possible — they're usually free and often better than commercial products.

It depends a lot on your connection speed. If you're still on dial-up, some of this just isn't going to work well no matter what. Broadband makes a night-and-day difference. Is DSL or cable available in your area yet?

Whatever you do, don't pay some 'computer guy' $80/hour to do this. It's a 20-minute job you can handle yourself. There are step-by-step guides all over the web with screenshots. Save your money for a faster modem or more RAM.