I change my mind about as often as I change socks — especially when it comes to technology.

Part of the reason is that technology itself is a constantly shifting field. The other reason is that writing a column on the subject is like taking a continuing education course.

My readers often react to what I write with their own opinions and reasons. Since many are smarter than me — as hard as that may be to believe — I learn more from them than they'll ever learn from me.

So today, I'll talk about some of my opinions that have shifted over the years and explain why. As always, consider this a conversation and let me know what you think.

- Macintoshes. I owned one of the first Macs, a Mac Classic. And back in the early 1980s, I fell head over heels in love with the ultra-expensive Apple Lisa, a machine that came before the Mac. Lisa was a commercial failure, but a magnificent one.

I've never been a Mac-hater. Honest. But I've often made the argument for buying a PC that offers more performance for less money. That still seems generally true to me, but other factors have tilted the playing field in Apple's favor.

As viruses and other security threats have become more annoying and more real, I've recommended Macs more often. That advice applies especially to new users, graphic artists and people who don't want to mess with computers but just use them.

I haven't abandoned PCs; I've used them too long to do that. But for folks who have less of a history with PCs, I think that the Apple machines are worth considering. There's less to worry about from viruses, the Mac will run most PC software these days and — for my money — the learning curve in switching from a PC to a Mac isn't very steep.

- Monitors. I have long advocated CRT monitors — the ones with the big, old-fashioned picture tube. Nothing tops a CRT for accuracy of color, clarity or dependability. It is old tech and, believe me, the bugs are out.

Walk into any high-end video editing studio and you'll see banks of CRT monitors.

But I've begun to switch to wide LCD screens at home. The wide screen made the difference for me. Just trust me and try one out. You won't want to go back, and since prices have dropped, these are now affordable luxuries.

- Extended warranties. I am still dead-set against them in most instances. The cost of an extended warranty is just too high when weighed against the risks of failure or the need for repair after the free warranty period.

But readers have convinced me that there are good arguments for extended warranties in a few situations.

Notebook computers — especially if used by a high school or college student — get a lot of abuse. A warranty can make sense. Laptop computers are flimsy plastic creatures. The LCD screen can easily be ruined by a hard knock. Replacing the screen is so expensive, most people end up junking the computer.

Big-screen televisions are also candidates. The cost of replacing the projector bulb on a rear-projection TV can almost pay for the warranty. (That's assuming that the warranty includes the bulb. ... It varies, and you'll need to check.)

I'm not saying that you should get extended warranties with these items. I'm suggesting that you consider the cost of repairs to HDTVs and laptop computers and then do the math to see if it makes sense for you.

That's it for today. I'll send this off to my editor before I change my mind again.

— Bill Husted writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail: bhusted@ajc.com.