If you are a teenager, or have a teen in your family, let me say that teens should build their own computers. Frequently, I have been asked if a 14 or 15 year old should attempt such a project. The question is born sometimes of doubt, and sometimes simply of a lack of knowledge concerning the steps involved.

It is right to wonder, particularly if your basement is littered with the debris of unfinished projects of other sorts. A sum of money does have to be invested, along with time, and discipline.

Building a pc is not as complex as in the past, however. Much of the cabling has been eliminated by manufacturers hardwiring ports to the motherboards. Screw location on the chassis has been standardized, making the motherboard easy to mount. Perhaps the biggest improvement has been Windows XP, which contains all the driver programs you'll need to get started.

This said, it is still a technical challenge, one which I believe is good for a young person to tackle. It will help to foster the ability to interpret instructions, teach the importance of attention to details, and provide a wealth of technical knowledge.

Interest in technology must be encouraged in youth, and not just the benefits of having it. Young people should learn how things work, or else we will become a country forever indebted to a small, elite group who can understand such things. We should never be so dependent.

If for no other reason, teens should build a computer for this: nothing that goes wrong with a computer will ever faze them again. As I have said in other articles, they will become the masters of the machine, rather than having things the other way around.

There is far more to be gained than just this sense of confidence. Building a computer provides a feeling of accomplishment that carries over into all areas of life. Once a challenge like this has been successfully completed, the same hard work and discipline that brought success can be applied anywhere. It becomes a foundation for achievement.

To make all this work, the first time builder will need a guidebook. I've written Building a PC for Beginners, which covers every step, from selecting parts, to assembly, downloading the operating system, and troubleshooting.

Michael Quarles requests you go to http://www.monkeyseemonkeydobooks.com