This becomes interesting.

AMD is a good processor and equivalent or better than the Pentium. The reason why I say this is that AMD processor are more stable or better. Pentium is of course a standard and mostly referred to when it's about software requirements. I've used AMD now with a lot of programs and no problems so far.

The system specs you have given us look ok, but I would like to recommend you 512 MB DDR Ram. RAM is such a cheap thing at the moment.

About the OS: I've been using Windows XP now for a few months. It's much more stable than ME. Win ME is to say it rude 'used to crash'. XP is much more stable and can benefit you. Believe me, it is really bad if you loose your work while you were just beginning to like it and forgot to save it. Really frustrating. But.. XP has also some bad sides.. it does sometimes not recognise older devices, e.g. a webcam. But since this is your first computer system and things can still be fitted to the system, XP is not at all a problem and will really benefit you I think.

Also try to get a low-noise tower. I also have one here and it's really quite quiet. They cost of course a little more, but again, it benefits you. You can't hear the HD here, and you just hear a silent fan. Also make sure that you don't get a slot-in CD-ROM (DVD) drive. We have one here, and it's really bad. It's making such a lot of noise.

As soundcard a Creative Live! 5.1 is a good choice between the 'normal' sound card. It does it really well! On-board sound cards are just not OK on some sort of system that you would like to have because it could really create delays and sound quality is mostly 'near the bottom'. When you want to have a professional soundcard.. I just don't have an idea about that. The 5.1 works really great, even with Windows XP without trouble. The 5.1 can also optionally being fitted with another device, so you get audioports at the front of the case. Handy if you want to plug in your keyboard easily.

Well.. that's it for now.

Sander


[This message has been edited by Sander (edited 01-06-2002).]