the link for Dell doesn't work, but as somebody mentioned - you need a fast CPU (I suggest a dual core one. You could go with either intel or AMD(since it doesn't seem like you will be gaiming or overclocking) and a big HD. I also recomended at least 1gig of ram because you would probably want this pc to be vista - compatible. I was going to build a pc for my self for the same purpose as you and set my budget to $600. I ended up spending $1000.

 

There is a micro center by me, they are good on prices.

 

Probly your best bet, you get Vista, a good fast CPU, 1 gig of ram and 160 gig HD. Right there, your set.
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0252582

 

ive heard from alot of ppl that vista is crap though and that i should stick with windows xp.....

 

It's not crap. It's just that it's a bit too early to upgrade to it now, since they still have bugs to sort out. You would certainly want a computer that would be able to run vista down the line.

BTW - now that I look at it - the computer I recommended is crap. 300watt PSU, Ram is not dual channel and only upgradeable to 2gig. That pretty much means that this computer is already obsolete. Even though you are not looking for a gaming PC - you would need something that you can upgrade in the future. Unless you want to buy a new one every 2 years or so.

 

No way, Vista is the future. Sure there are some bugs, but there were bugs when XP came out. Vista supports more, and will run faster and safer then XP will.

 

I've bought a couple computers off of ebay, both for less that $300 each. Pretty much, just look for what you need if you're on a budget. All I needed was cd r/w capabilites and atleast an 80gig hd, several usb ports, and atleast a 1.6 processor. Found what I was looking for after looking for a few days and just did buy it now's for them. Just know what you want and need, and wait until it's in your price range. If I had waited just a few more days I could have gotten the laptop I'm on now and paid $800 for, on ebay for $375.... but I was in a hurry to get it.

 

Don't get Vista. Stick with WinXP. They will be supporting it for years and you will not have to put up with Vista's teething problems. If you insist on Vista then buy a complete computer with Vista pre-installed. You will have less troubles since the drivers for the various hardware should (though not always) be compatible. I do computer repairs and I don't feel Vista is ready for prime time yet. If you are building your own from scratch, don't even think about Vista unless you have a lot of time, money and computer knowledge. A lot of the hardware that says it is Vista ready is not. You will have to do the trial and error to get it going. Sometimes the "latest and greatest" isn't.