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games I want to play. If I wanted to stay ahead of the curve with a console, I'd have to go out and spend the UK equivalent of $380 for a Wii, $560 for an X Box 360 or $850 for a Playstation 3. To keep my PC ahead of the game when it's next due an upgrade (probably a year away) will cost me around $200. Console games are currently retailing at approximately $70 and upwards. I can buy the same or similar PC games for $50.

These are the main reasons I prefer the PC over the console. There are other, additional factors, such as game emulation like 'MAME' where I can play all the arcade games of yesteryear and relive my misspent youth. Due to the amount of time I spend online and needing to do personal work (writing letters, tracking my finances, email etc.) there would be a PC in my house anyway, so why bother with an extra box when my PC can do the job just as well? I can lock myself away in the study and play games to my heart's content without disturbing anyone else.

Consoles do have some advantages, though. There are some games that simply will never, ever see the light of day on the PC. Any of the Mario games, for example, are restricted to Nintendo consoles. It's still unclear if Grand Theft Auto 4 will ever appear on the PC, a game I'd dearly love to play. Halo 2 is only appearing on the PC now, two years after it originally appeared. Halo 3 is imminent on the X Box 360, so how long will it be before it appears on the PC?

Additionally, console games can be played on ordinary televisions, offering a better visual experience and the ability to get your mates around for some group fun. That's not something available to every PC owner.

There are no clear cut "winners", of course. The preference between PC as a games machine and a console is very much a subjective matter and whatever side of the line you fall will ultimately depend on your own preferences and situation. My preference for PCs suits my position, budget and living conditions. That won't be true for everyone else.

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