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If you are looking to buy your first computer, or need a second computer for your child in school, DON'T SPEND A LOT OF MONEY. There are plenty of perfectly adequate new and used computers out there for a reasonable price. New computers can frequently be purchased for under $500 and good refurbished computers can be purchased for under $250. On the other hand, if you need a computer to do something special like computer graphics or play the latest video games, by all means, spend more. Below are my recommendations for low-cost computers.

For first time computer buyers, and especially young students (Kindergarten through eighth graders), I recommend a refurbished desktop computer with Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Also, ask the refurbisher to load (or show you how to load) Open Office, Adobe Acrobat Reader and AVG Anti-Virus and anti-spyware on it. Look for a "Pentium 4" with at least 512 Meg of RAM with a CDROM drive. This computer will be fast enough to run Open Office or Microsoft Office and get on the Internet. You will also be able to use this computer to store pictures, play music CDs and connect to MP3 players. Try not to spend more than $225 unless you are getting a DVD player with the computer. Also, ask for a warranty of at least a year so that when you really start using your computer, you will be able to call someone if you have any problems. Don't expect this computer to be able to play the latest video games, but it should be able to play most educational games without any trouble. Also, refurbished computers will probably not come with one of the flat panel displays. Rather, refurbished computers will generally come with a big fat CRT display.

If you want something even cheaper than $199 to $250, then most of the computer refurbishers will gladly sell you a "Pentium 3" or older computer. Just beware that if you plan on putting the computer on the Internet, you may find that the computer works slower than you want by the time that you add Adobe Acrobat Reader, Anti-Virus and Anti- spyware, and the media player, windows and Internet explorer updates. With that said, a Pentium 3 800 Megahertz with 256 Meg should work OK on the Internet. It will just will be a little slow (especially starting up). If you are SURE that you DON'T want to use the computer on the Internet and don't mind a computer that takes a long time starting or loading programs, then a slower Pentium 3 with 128 Meg of RAM might be OK.

If you can't find a refurbished computer for under $250 that meets the specifications above or if you would just rather purchase a new computer, there are lots of options under $500 for a desktop computer. For the added price over a refurbished computer, you will get a new flat display and a faster computer. Make sure that you get a computer with at least 1 gigabyte of memory.

If you really have your heart set on a laptop, then I generally recommend a new laptop. There are three reasons for my recommendation:

1) laptops tend to be more fragile than desktops and the reliability of laptops are improving every year; 2) refurbished laptops tend to come with old batteries that are not guaranteed; 3) new laptops are not that much more expensive than refurbished laptops. If you decide to go with a new entry-level laptop then just look for a laptop with 1 gigabyte of RAM.

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