Exhibit 5

                        Golenbock, Eiseman, Assor & Bell
                               437 Madison Avenue
                               New York, NY 10022



                                                               February 11, 1999


Programmer's Paradise, Inc.
1157 Shrewsbury Avenue
Shrewsbury, New Jersey 07702

          Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-8

Gentlemen:

     As counsel to  Programmer's  Paradise,  Inc., a Delaware  corporation  (the
"Company"),  we have assisted in the preparation of a Registration  Statement on
Form S-8 (the  "Registration  Statement")  to be filed with the  Securities  and
Exchange   Commission  under  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  as  amended  (the
"Securities  Act"),  relating to 1,344,951 shares of the Company's Common Stock,
$0.01 par value (the "Common  Stock"),  that may be issued  under the  Company's
1986 Stock Option Plan, the 1995 Stock Plan and the 1995 Non-Employee  Directors
Plan (collectively, the "Plans").

     In  this  connection,   we  have  examined  the  Company's  Certificate  of
Incorporation  and  Bylaws,  the Plans and such other  documents  and  corporate
records relating to the Company and the issuances of the Common Stock as we have
deemed  appropriate.  In all  examinations  of documents,  instruments and other
papers,  we have  assumed the  genuineness  of all  signatures  on original  and
certified  documents and the conformity with original and certified documents of
all copies  submitted to us as conformed,  photostatic  or other  copies.  As to
matters of fact which have not been  independently  established,  we have relied
upon representations of officers of the Company.

     Based upon the  foregoing,  it is our  opinion  that,  when issued upon the
exercise of and in  accordance  with the terms of stock options duly and validly
granted against payment therefor, the shares of Common Stock, which are then and
issued by the Company, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

     We hereby expressly  consent to the inclusion of this opinion as an exhibit
to the Registration  Statement.  In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit
that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7
of the  Securities  Act and the  rules and  regulations  of the  Securities  and
Exchange Commission thereunder.

                                            Very truly yours,

                                            /s/ Golenbock, Eiseman, Assor & Bell