These days you can buy software without leaving your house--as long as you have Internet access and a credit card. Egghead Computer operates a chain of computer superstores. Connect to its Web site (www.egghead.com). where you'll find descriptions and system requirements for software packages, as well as articles and reviews detailing their strengths and weaknesses. Micro Warehouse offers catalog sales of hardware and software and also has a Web site at www.warehouse.com. At the CNET Shopper.com Web site, www.shopper.com, you can choose a software package and compare prices from stores and catalogs across the country. Students can often get discounts on software at sites, such as www.studentdiscount.com or www.micromaster.com.

Computer magazines are good sources of information about software--look for them in your library, on newsstands, or on the Web. Two of the biggest computer magazine publishers are Ziff Davis and CMP. Ziff Davis publications include PC Week, PC Computing, Mac Week, and Computer Shopper. CMP publishes Computer Reseller News, Home PC, InformationWeek, NetGuide, and Windows Magazine. You can find their magazines online at the ZDNet Web site, www.zdnet.com, and the TechWeb site, www.techweb.com, respectively. Computerworld at www.computerworld.com has great product comparisons as does InfoWorld at www.infoworld.com.