Hello ladies.

Sorry not contributed for a long time.

Anyway I am completely a technobimbo when it comes to computers.

I am thinking of getting one. Not got much room so maybe going for the laptop option.

Of course I did not know where to begin. I personally hate microsoft windows 2007 which some people use here at work. I prefer 2003 as I find it hard to get into some things. Anyway I am confused with vista/works and all the rest of it.

It is just for home use - no business/work stuff but I need to be able to get into the Open University site. Also maybe downloading music. I probably would not bother looking at DVD's on there but I guess nice to have the option. If I get a laptap do I need to order an external hard drive to play disks? Also what is this wireless stuff about??? Do you get internet without being plugged in????

Any decent books out there which help explain things. I have looked at computer mags in the past but they never seem to start with real dummies in mind!

Basically I would need it for surfing, downloading music, typing up assignments for the Open University, etc I am not in to face book and all that.

I just need to know what GB or is it MBG I would need etc etc.

This is embarrassing and I suppose I could ask my 6 year old Niece!!!!!!!!

Thanks
Peacock.

These days, most PC's come with at least 512 MB of RAM, which would be ample for what you plan to use it for. The problem is, I don't think you can currently buy Windows XP any more. If you go PC, you will have to go with Windows Vista, and you're right, many people do not like it.

Another option would be to go the Apple route, if the Open University supports Mac OS X (for Operating System 10), which is the Apple equivalent of Windows. You can get MS Office for Mac OSX, and most other software are now being developed in Mac-compatible versions, made easier because Apple computers are now built with Intel microprocessors.

We have both Mac's and PC's here at home. The PC's run Windows XP, which was fairly stable, but the Macs are more stable. We will never buy another PC, only Macs. The bottom-of-the-line MacBook (Apple laptop) now comes with a 120 GB hard drive and 1 GB of RAM, more than enough for what you want to do. They retail for $1149 here in Canada, less in the US.

Thanks so much Daffy. Hugs to you (( ))!

I am wondering about MAcs - although I don't use one at work and am worried I will get confused! Plus our OU Tutor has a mac and could not get into our stuff but that may be down to her as I can remember the OU saying something about Macs so I will look into it.

Cheers again!

Peacock.

If you have any mac related questions, head here:

www.switchingtomac.com/smf

my husband is a mod there - any question you have you can be sure someone on there will be able to help you

We have macs here - used to have regular pcs but as they say, once you go mac, you never go back

I have Vista but my computing A level son tells me it's rubbish. TBH, all I need it for is the interweb as we have a website, editing a magazine which I do in a certain programme, and word processing so you could use any version - even Windows 95 would do it! Ive used MACs and used to prefer the word processing on them - but they're effectively useless for me as I'm often using and editing text and stuff created by lots of other people - and people have Windows, not Mac.