1. Email
2. Internet surfing
3. Writing letters, updating simple spreadsheets, and
4. Playing music/videos

1. The amount of RAM, and
2. The Chip (also referred to as the processor)

RAM - What to look for

RAM stands for Random Access Memory and the more RAM the smoother and faster the machine will run. Note that RAM is sometimes called SDRAM or just plan 'memory'.

• With RAM look for a minimum of 3GB
• Note that 1GB = 1,000MB and some manufactures will say 3GB but others perhaps 3072MB - both examples are the same

The Chip - What to look for

The Chip, sometimes called the Processor, is like the engine of a car. As you're only going to be using your PC for the big 4 mentioned above, you won't be needing a Ferrari or Porsche engine. But you will need a respectable little grunt so it's a medium powered chip/engine you want.

There are 2 main Chip companies, Intel and the smaller AMD. When it comes to the Chip I'd advise an Intel Pentium and NOT their Celeron version. Repeat - NOT Intel's Celeron chip (as it's far too underpowered).

But what about the model of the Pentium Chip, does this matter? For example, in the 2 examples below one has a Dual-Core E5200 and the other a Dual-Core E5300. Does it matter which one you go for?

No, just make sure it's an Intel Pentium chip and the machine has 3GB minimum of Ram and I can assure you that the computer you buy will be fine for your needs.

• Forget about hard drive capacity - the machine will have more than enough for your needs
• Forget about how fast the DVD writer is - it will be fast enough for your needs
• Forget about the graphics card - you're not going to be playing complex games so the standard graphics package that comes with the machine will be fine
• Forget about everything else - including how many USB slots it has, PCI expansion slots and everything else

Again, if you buy a machine with 3GB of RAM and an Intel Pentium chip everything else associated with the PC will be more than enough for your needs.

Listed below are the specifications for 2 different computers and I have highlighted (in red) the 2 points to focus on.

As you can see both machines have a minimum of 3GB of Ram and come with Pentium chips - which means they are good computers to buy.

Incidentally, they both cost under £400, one is a Dell and the other a Compaq.

Chances are if you buy a new computer today it will still be working in 10-15 years. However, after about 5 years it will start to get too slow and become somewhat of a burden.

This is because software makers develop programs to run on the machines built today. And as technology or more importantly the speed of technology always advances at a quick pace, computers more than 5 years old need to be replaced as they're too out of date.

And this is another advantage to buying a good-value machine today (under £400). Why for example buy something expensive that's not going to last more than 4-5 years.

All the desktop machines I've bought over the last 5 years have been Dells because I don't think they can't be beaten for what they offer - price and stability.

However, watch Dell's business model because I think it works like this -

Don't fall for these games, especially extended warranties. If the machine does break, which is unlikely, it will usually be cheaper to take it to a local PC shop to be repaired.

I have bought at least 12+ Dell machines over the last 5 years and have never bought a Dell add-on. But say you do need a printer or something similar - I'd buy it independently from someone like Amazon where the prices are very hard if not impossible to beat (plus their customer service is great).

You don't have to be a computer expert to buy the right machine at a great price, in the £350 - £400 range. All you have to do is focus on 2 main points -

I follow the same procedure when I buy my computers and having been around PCs for the last 20 years so know what I'm talking about. And if you follow my 2 guidelines it's almost impossible to buy the wrong machine, ie one that is either underpowered or is too overpowered and expensive for your needs.

Good luck and if you're in the UK then use Wizmark Computers because it does an excellent job sorting and finding the best Dell Deals.

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