Apple Computer Inc. seems to be pulling itself out of the dire problems it had sunk into last year. Those who enjoy the Macintosh line of computers and were afraid the company was about to go under will be pleased the iMac became the top-selling computer in November.

PC Data inc. reported that 50,000 of the $1,300 (in the US) computers were sold in the month, accounting for 7.1 percent of all desktop computers sold in the US. In October Apple recorded its first profitable fiscal year since 1995.

The Compaq Presario 5170 and the Hewlett-Packard Pavilion 6355 came in as the second and third most popular selling computers.

PC Data Corp. also reported personal computer prices fell to record lows in November, as one-third of all machines sold in the US were priced at less than $800. The average PC price was $992, down seven percent from the average price in October, and 26 percent less than prices a year ago.

In another survey by Technology Business Research, corporate information technology managers rated Dell as the number one vendor in both in desktops and in notebooks. The survey is taken every quarter. Dell received an 86.2 percent score, getting high marks for availability, ease of set-up, reliability, pricing, and volume discounting. Hewlett-Packard rated second, IBM third, Gateway fourth, and Compaq fifth in the survey for desktops. IBM came in second, Compaq third, and Toshiba fourth in the notebook category.

*** Keep a close watch on how retailers here are responding to the overseas competition. I will be keen to know the figures on estimated value of goods being brought in through the airport for December.

But the real competition is coming from the Internet commerce, for which statistics are lumped into customs duty paid to Government. Judging from the comments of people I know, many people in Bermuda are for the first time beginning to use the Internet as a form of catalogue shopping. What's different is for the first time you can scan lots of different stores and compare their prices. I'm surprised. There can be remarkable price differences among vendors of prices on the Internet, sometimes of a couple hundred dollars in the case of one digital camera. So here too you must shop around.

You have to factor in the cost of shipping and customs duty when comparing prices with those in Bermuda, and figure out if it's worth the trouble and the cost. You must also make sure you get an international warranty. Some computer stores will also sell you a special international warranty through a third party provider. You must purchase the international warranty, basically a type of insurance, at the time the computer is purchased.

Buying over the Internet also means you don't get to really see and test the product, like you can here. You also miss out on the personalised service if something going wrong. Then, unless you have the warranty insurance, you be paying to ship the good back and forth.

While security is less of an issue on the Internet these days you still have to be aware of who you're buying from. Stick with the recognised shopping sites, and there are many. don't supply personal information, such as bank account information. Such requests are the sign of a dodgy outfit.

Make sure the vendor has an actual postal address and a telephone number.

You'll need to know who to contact in warranty situations. Ask about refund and return policies. Find out about shipping times and guarantees about the arrival of the merchandise.

You should also be aware of the site's security procedures. Good sites have information about security measures and privacy policies. They will also have a phone number if you prefer to call in an order using your credit card.

*** The new board of directors of the Computer Society of Bermuda are Nathan Gentry as president, Ben Barlaba and Giovanni Joseph as vice presidents, Michael Albouy as secretary, John Narraway as treasurer, and Gavin Adams, Rick Bartlett, Diana Cadorin, Les Center, Nick Faries, and Donnie Moniz as directors. Let's hope this new team will push the organisation to better heights. The organisation's premier event is a computer and technology show held during the year, but it remains largely inactive during the rest of the time. I'm still attempting to get information from them about who won the three scholarships handed out six or so months ago. Mr. Gentry and Mr. Barlaba are both active, interesting fellows who know their stuff. Mr. Barlaba has a wide ranging knowledge of the industry, including my favourite topic -- telecommunications.

*** Tech Tattle deals with issues in technology. Contact Ahmed at 295-5881 ext.

248 or 238-3854 or techtattle ygazette.newsmedia.bm.