Currently I have only one computer and it runs Win/7 and Trend Micro AV. I am at the stage where if someone hacks my accounts and takes the money (and I can't get $ returned) I don't have enough years to recoup. I consider that a huge risk.

I have considered: the DoD secure CentOS install to run from CD or USB (done both those) and a VMware VM running in Win/7 (done that with Vista and CentOS). Both the DoD and VMware options are free downloads. Another alternative is to buy a cheap, probably non-Windows, second physical computer (NOT done that yet). And I am not so confident in the security on my WiFi. It uses a long password, but its older technology and (according to an ex-colleage who does nothing but security consulting for a major IT Co) it is not realy secure.

Right now I am leaning towards the VM. It comes up fast. Backups are easy. Transferring downloads from it to the main machine is straight forward. It still needs its own AV. However if the main machine gets completely compromised I am ... out of luck. So the second machine with better WiFi (or copper) looks good.

I was just wondering how many people had already made the choice of a second dedicated machine? So far it looks like zero.