Gnomie Chris Sanders writes in with these tips for helping entry level computer users get the most out of their investment:

1. Try very hard to think of exactly what you need it for. There is no point in buying a very powerful gaming computer if all you are going to use it for is word processing, email, and surfing the Web.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask every question you think of. If you are at a store, the workers there will be very happy to assist you, but make sure they don’t sell you anything you don’t need. If you are planning to buy it online, the site may offer a live chat where you can ask questions.
3. Buy a sizable hard drive. The hard drive is where all the data on your computer will be stored. Drives continue to get cheaper, so make sure you get as much as you need. It is definitely better to have more than you need. Keep in mind that you can hold many, many photos and not make a dent in your hard drive, but music and movies add up very quickly.
4. If you want to use your PC to watch movies, TV, or play graphics intensive games, you may want to consider purchasing your computer with an upgraded graphics card, or be prepared to buy one after you get the PC. This will improve the quality and provide less lag.
5. When getting a computer, get it with at least 2 GB of RAM. This will improve the speed of your computer. This will also let you run several programs at one time without decreasing the speed.
6. Look around and price shop. There are many stores and online sites that will have the same product, or a computer with the same hardware. Wait a little while and see if a price goes down.