Buy a computer with at least 64 MB of RAM to run Windows 98 or Mac OS 8.x and basic applications. Get at least 96 MB of RAM if you wish to keep several applications open at once. Consider 96 or 128 MB of RAM for working with scanned color photographs. Choose at least 128 MB of RAM if using professional graphics or design software or multimedia software, such as streaming audio and video. Consider buying a machine with lots of RAM now, rather than adding it later, to take advantage of the current low price of memory.
All new computers use DIMMs.
Buy a computer with open DIMM sockets, if possible, so that you can add more RAM easily. If you have no open DIMM sockets, you'll have to replace some of your existing RAM to upgrade. If your computer doesn't have enough RAM, it has to keep going back to your hard disk to get information before you can work, which makes it slow. Inc. How things get done. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy .