The less in-house knowledge about computers, the more support one should look for from a computer vendor. A good local dealer is best. Failing that, a number of large national mail-order firms have reasonably good phone support, backed up by express shipping for repair and replacement. Get at least a 12-month warrantee covering parts and labor. Beware of costly extended warrantees, though.
Most problems occur at the beginning and at the end of a computer's useful life.
If the dealer or repair facility is not nearby, an on-site warrantee may be desirable. Be sure you know what is covered, what the guaranteed response time is, who will be doing the work and how far away they are based. Experienced purchasers can concentrate on lowest purchase price if they are able to take over some of the responsibility for diagnosing and resolving routine problems when they arise. All will work with the Maine School and Library Network, and with the PC specified above. If you have only 8 MB of RAM, stick with Windows 3.1 for best performance.