Hollyh,If you are not in a big rush to spend your hard earned money on a computer just yet. I would recommend the following--let this post continue to elicit replies and continue to benefit from the suggestions (if you don't end up totally confused from the different opinions you will undoubtedly receive). Your choice will very much evolve to a matter of your own personal choice. As has been stated you need to clearly define what your actual needs are(you seem to have somewhat done that already).Then you should spend a bit of time trying to become informed as to what will meet those needs. Some will go for the "brand name" computers IE; Dell,Compaq,Cisnet,Etc. others will advocate the custom built ones (as Fred8 has done). There are other options that have not yet been mentioned such as purchasing a "refurbished" or even a "used" one. If you ultimately decided to get one that operates with one of the versions of Win XP that may be difficult if you want to buy "new" as it is now very difficult to find a "brand name" new computer that does not have a version of Vista.Custom built will perhaps make that easier.As Fred8 states it is often the case that your local computer store (provided you have access to where robust competition exists) will often meet exactly "your requirements" cheaper than a brand name which can often be more of a "package" that they offer.Also to be considered for the future is often brand name computers are very restrictive as to what components you can use for any repairs (if they become necessary--as often they will only accept parts made by the computer manufacturer). This is less of a problem generally with "custom built". I would use an analogy from the automotive world --if you insist that you must have an engine with a great amount of horsepower then you MUST ensure all the other drive train components are capable of handling that power--that example is clear when it comes to the O/S choice.As has been stated you MUST NOT allow someone to sell you a computer with Vista if it does NOT have a least 2GB of RAM. This can also be a factor insofar as other choices you might be persuaded to include.I would reiterate that at this point if you have the luxury of time i would spend it learning more then make your decision from the basis of "your own knowledge" as opposed to the great variety of the suggestions of others (as well intention though they may be).goodluck,truenorth
