Other times I'll run Quarterdeck Corp.'s Desqview under MS-DOS, keeping a dozen or more windows open. The chip is not the fastest, but it won't keep me waiting while I punch in text. It's at the sweet spot for processors right now, and I couldn't save much by buying anything slower. And to keep the system from becoming obsolete in a year, expansion capacity is important, too. I need fast Internet access but can't get Integrated Services Digital Network lines at my location.
Satellite links are too expensive.
I see by the Snd and Rec lights that my modem sits idle most of the time, so the delays are happening on the Net, not in my modem. I've decided against adding a digital video disk drive. Drives will improve, prices will come down, and there aren't any DVD databases I need yet. This is the drive of the future, and I'll add it later. I could get away with a 2G primary hard drive but would outgrow it quickly, so I'll go with 6G and a similar-sized second drive.