Should you buy an Xbox 360 or a gaming computer? While gamers will swear by one platform, sometimes it's better to step back and consider what you want your gaming machine to do.

Essentially, consoles - like the Xbox 360 - are one trick ponies: they're really good for playing games (sometimes movies) and you have to upgrade every few years or you're left in the dust. On the other hand, you're going to receive a guaranteed gaming experience: every game can take advantage of the same features that are offered by the console. Also, gaming consoles are often sold at a loss by the manufacturer, so they'll be much cheaper than their PC alternatives.

Gaming computers, on the other hand, can be used for multiple things from gaming, to watching movies, to e-mail, word processing, and so on. While this flexibility allows for multitasking, it also introduces an interesting level of complexity for games: you can use your gaming computer for many years, but if you don't upgrade it over the years, you'll have to turn off various features of newer games to get them to run, limiting your gaming experience. Unfortunately, gaming computers are not built by major technological companies, so they usually cost a significant amount more than their console counterparts.

So, which one do you want to buy, an Xbox 360 or a gaming computer?

With a gaming console you'll have a lower up front cost but you'll have to upgrade every few years if you even want to play the latest games.

With a gaming computer, you'll have a higher up front cost, but you'll be able to play later generation games at a lower quality without having to spend hundreds of dollars on new equipment (until you're forced to upgrade the video card because the games won't support it).

Click here if you want to learn more about computers, and even learn how to become the local "computer guy."