A new error correction standard is called the V.34 communications protocol, and it combines the V.42 error control and V.42 bis data compression standards, allowing for fast, error-free data transmission. If this is confusing, don't worry. Error correction and data compression can save you time and money. You will also need communications software. There are literally hundreds of communications software packages, each with different capabilities, so it is difficult to talk about them with any specificity.
Some modems come packaged with communications software.
I'm assuming you already own a computer. If not, there are a number of factors you will need to consider before purchasing one. If you want to take full advantage of the multimedia capabilities of the WWW, you will want a fast computer. Fast is relative, and depending on your resources, you'll want to purchase a 80486 PC or 84068 Apple Macintosh. In general, the more RAM you have installed, the faster your computer will run.