Would Like Some Advise

I need a new computer.  have a friend who is convinced that I have an aura about me that just kills electronic devices.

Does anyone out there have an opinion about Windows vs. Linux?  

I?m retired so this is just for my own enjoyment but I?m crunching some large National Weather Service files and will move on to baseball data and a few other things.  I?d like some advise about how much RAM and stuff like that.  I understand there is something called zones of computer memory. Can someone direct me to a good source so I can learn more?   I really don?t understand stuff like this.  Does anyone think I need to upgrade my wifi?

Thanks,
Philip