Still not sure which way to go? You could buy a nice digital camera, with at least 3.1 megapixels, for under $1,000 and give it a try. You can even buy a printer that connects directly to camera, so you don't need a computer.

If you do decide to buy digital cameras, ask same questions you would for film cameras. What lenses, shutter speeds, ISO's and flash sync speed do you need? What subjects will you shoot, in what kind of lighting and how portable does it need to be? Do you need to end up with prints, digital images or slides?

Then talk to photographers that you know, or that you can find on newsgroups, and see if they use camera you're looking at, and what they think of it. If you live in a large city, you can probably rent camera you want, and if you decide to buy it you may even be able to apply your rental fees toward purchase price.

So don't jump on digital bandwagon just because everyone else seems to be doing it. A camera is a tool. Select proper tool to meet your needs. You will be happier and your pictures will look better.

Want to know what some of pros are using for digital? Check this out.

Cameras Canon EOS-ID and D30 Nikon DI

Computers Macintosh PowerBook G3 and G4 Sony Vaio PC

Scanners Agfa DuoScan and Arcus 2 Flextight Precision II Imacon Precision II Nikon Coolscan 8000 Scanview Scanmate 11000 drum scanner UMAX PowerLook 1100 with transparency attachment

Printers Epson 1160, 1270, 1280, 5500 and 10000

Software Adobe Photoshop 6.0 and 7.0

5. Your Dog May Bark in Chinese

Thanks to publicity campaigns to get people to spray or neuter dogs, some shelters are running low on popular small dogs and puppies. They ensure a sufficient supply of adoptable dogs by importing them from foreign countries.

Visit website of Taipei Abandoned Animal Rescue Foundation to see how happy they are to have placed so many dogs in United States including at Humane Society of Snohomish County, WA and Pets Alive, a no-kill shelter in Middletown, NY.

They're not alone. A Tufts University 2000 study identified 6,000 dogs that had been brought into U.S. from foreign counties including Puerto Rico and Taiwan.

The impact of so many dogs from unknown breeders and from countries with limited veterinary medicine is completely unknown.

6. Shelters Are Not Dens

Many dogs do not do well at shelters. Some dogs can adjust to kennel life but many others become fearful, frustrated,and overactive which makes them even less likely to be adopted.

Many shelters simply do not have sufficient staff to exercise and play with each dog to degree dog needs to become socialized.

It's also extremely difficult to prevent spread of illnesses when you have so many pets in one location. There's a reason term "kennel cough" conjures up an image of sickly dogs.

7. Owners May Not Have Told Truth

The most common reason given for turning in a pet is that owner is moving and can't take Fido with him.

The moving may be true but begs question of why didn't owner try to place dog himself? If you paid $500 for a purebred, it's very likely you'd try to find a good home for him (if not resell him).

The dogs that wind up at shelters tend to be dogs that aren't socialized or trained. They may be capable of becoming gentlemen and ladies or they may be neurotic, puppy mill (domestic or foreign) offspring who don't belong in any dog owner's home.

At shelters as well as used-car lots, caveat emptor.