The following is the recommendations for purchasing a new PC

2.0 Ghz or better

1gig ram (2 is better)

80gig hard drive or more

XP Home or Professional (do not get Vista just yet)

Office (Office for Student is cheaper but does not include Outlook)

DVD burner

12 mo. McAfee Internet Security

3yrs ONSITE warranty

Operating system and driver restore CD set (you have to ask for these)