what computer would you recommend?

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I don't know how to help your computers not break down as that is not a problem I face. However, to stop your computer over-filling, you can get more space.
If you currently have an OK computer you could buy an external 1 TB Hard-Drive.
If you are buying a new computer, get one with a 1 TB Hard-Drive. I pretty much never delete any of my things, I'm a data hoarder, but after 1.3 years I still have half of my 1 TB drive left.

If you already had a 1 TB Hard-Drive, possibly considering getting a computer with a 2 or 3 TB drive.
Currently, every TB will add about £40/$60 to the price of your computer.

If you are prone to breaking a laptop, don't buy another one. Instead, get a traditional PC or Mac and also buy a tablet such as iPad. Then use a service like LogMeIn to contro lyour computer remotely from the tablet.

Tablets like the iPad are much tougher in my experience than the delicate screens of a laptop.

Also, if you must have a laptop form factor, try a ChromeBook. They're not as expensive so if you break it just get another.

Hope that helps.

Very good advice.

If you (the OP) are thinking about Linux as alternative OS, take a look at the Mint distribution--some people find it more comfortable than Ubuntu.

I like to run windows and Linux in Virtual machines on a mac and when the windows install gets screwed up by malware I just wipe the whole thing and replace.

If it's files you want that are taking up space, get a bigger hard drive, external hard drive(s), or just add another hard drive(s) in the case itself (unless it's a laptop). Otherwise, get a good antivirus and scan regularly, remove programs you don't use/crapware you didn't explicitly install, defrag, run disk cleanup, clean dust out of your case, go through your files and organize them (if they aren't) and delete anything you don't need... You could install some variety of Linux as well which can help you learn more about computers in general (installing Arch Linux for example) and upkeep your system better. That would likely be needless hassle for you though.

I use Ubuntu, but yes, Mint is good for . The current distro (Olivia) is supported until January. The next one (Petra) is expected in November.

The big issue with Linux is printer drivers. Make sure there's a Linux driver for your printer when choosing a Linux distro.

If you've been using XP a long time, Linux will seem "clumsy and unforgiving" at first. You'll adapt to the clumsy part and XP will seem clumsy and learn to live the unforgiving nature. The idea is something like (paraphrasing) "Linux will not stop you from doing something dumb and let you do something clever".

To answer the original question...



As far as the actual hardware, the best thing to do is cafeteria style. Get a basic machine and add to it.

Dell sells refurbished machines on eBay. You can get a decent desktop (sans the monitor) for under $100.

Then add memory. 4 GB should be enough and a 1 TB drive. Backup to an external drive. I do image or "ghost" backups. If a hard drive goes belly up, I just restore the ghost image and I'm back in business.

I've owned a lenovo outlet laptop, (~$230) with shipping and 1 year warranty, with windows 7. Never had a problem. 320gb doesn't fill up fast.

http://outlet.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/co ... &facet-2=3

There's the link. Good hunting.