Not waiting for Windows Vista, which comes out in January, means there will be a PC under the tree this year. Waiting for Vista will save you or your son from having to install an operating system, but that's about it. Windows XP machines now ship with coupons for Vista upgrades. XP Home will earn you Vista Basic; XP Media Center 2005 gets bumped to Vista Home Premium; and XP Pro lines up with Windows Vista Business. Send in the coupon and you'll receive the upgrade DVD. Some manufacturers will charge a fee for upgrading from XP Home, while others may make you pay for shipping; be sure to ask about the details from wherever you plan make your holiday purchase. Of course, if your son isn't really a gamer, there's always the Mac, which can do pretty much anything a PC can do and more--except run most of today's 3D games. If you go the Windows route, make sure your PC has a dual-core processor, at least 1GB of memory, and a dedicated graphics card.