I currently have a home-built p150 2.5gigs 16mb win95 not flashy but
well-configured machine - connecting via dial-up connection.  It is very
reliable but tends to crawl after about 45 min of web page hopping, no
doubt due to the small amount of memory.  I would like to build a new
machine but I'm (1) very much puzzled by the myriad of component choices
out there, and (2) constrained by a small budget.  I could sure use some
good advice.  I would like to get into the mid-fast range and operate
either win95 or at most win98, with no gaming requirements other than a
small crossword puzzle program which works well on my existing machine.  I
do require slightly better page-loading performance than I currently
experience because as a part-time ebay seller I often need to do completed
item searches (several at a time).  I have a copy of MicroTimes with it's
many ads for the latest in motherboards, cpu's, etc.., but a minimum of
knowledge in this area.  My budget will require that I buy the mb, cpu, hd,
etc.., a piece at a time, spreading it out over the next few paychecks, and
hopefully assembling it prior to xmas.  I would like to pass my current
machine intact to my little boy.  Please kindly advise me on what would be
a stable and hardy configuration/combination with economy in mind - no
major graphics/video/music capabilities required here.  I would like to buy
all components new so I can get the accompanying documentation.  Thank you
in advance.  Tom McCoy - Fontana CA

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