Help - Need a new PC

As usual I will wade in and suggest a mac. I have Microsoft Office because t is essential for work and is 100% compatible with other versions.

As you want a light use machine I would suggest an imac flat panel, (www.apple.com/imac)
Not only is it stunning to look at, it will do all you ask of it and plenty more, and the 15 inch model is competitivly priced.

Don't discount a mac just because Windows is so large, Mac is a big company to, and make great computers.

How much photo editing, web content creation, music creation do you wish to do? as this will dictate the speed of your cpu, the size of graphics card, amount of ram required and heat output (sound output as well) from your kit. If you for the most part wish to surf the web and prehaps print some 6*8's from your digital camera while fixing nothing more than "red eye" then prehaps a lower spec machine may well be what you require.

Machines now come in many shapes and sizes with some rather neat small ones for use in the livingroom hoojum , microdirect & mini-itx (building small format kit). The Shuttle (small quiet) Cubit3 (quiet, no fan) and cubit4 (quiet with fan) are all modern and geared towards lower power requirements. You could always save some money by building the machine yourself, most of the suppliers will sell you the kit.

Roy

Or buy a laptop and gain half a room