If there’s one thing Josh Goldman knows, it’s that two queens means no smoking. If there’s a second thing that Josh Goldman knows, it’s how to shop for tech on a budget, which is handy now that college is right around the corner. To that end he tricked Computer Shopper into letting him write a how-to guide on buying all the latest, coolest gadgetry. Split into four easily digestible sections, the guide walks you through the what’s what in laptops, desktops, hardware (nice catch-all) and gadgets & accessories.

How he wrote the article without recommending a MacBook is beyond me (though he does give a shout out to the iMac). Everyone who’s been to a college campus recently knows that there’s a handful of must-haves you’ll need once you say goodbye to your parents: a MacBook, an iPod of some sort and a fake ID. The fake ID guy instantly become Mr. Popular.

The Best Affordable Tech Products for Students [Computer Shopper]