Hi There You should get windows 7 Premium for an operating system. You should have at least 4 gigabytes of RAM memory. Get at least a dual core processor.
If possible at your price range a quad core proc is good. If in your price range get the 64 bit version although a 32 bit system is as fast but can only "addreess about 3.6 gigs of the RAM memory. Note: a 64 bit version of Win 7 can address more that 128 gigs of memory.
But most computers will have a max possible of 8 gigs of RAM memory. Note; The 32 bit system is as fast the only reason to have more than 4 gigs of memory would be to have several applications running at once. It is common to have 500 gigabyte hard drives and 1 terabyte hard drives are not unusual.
Later it is good to buy an external backup hard drive to save your data for backup. Backing up your important files will save them if the system crashes and a reinstall is needed. Also one of the first things to do is make a backup disk and save a disk image.
There is that option included in Win 7 and you need to do that. You will want about six USB 2.0 ports as almost every accessary uses USB now. If you have a digital camera you could use a firewire port but some digicams also have USB outputs and they are fine.
It very handy to have the sound ports and a couple of USB ports on the front of the computer. Otherwise you will be poking around the back of the computer a lot.
You can check Dell on line every day for deals. Today is Insprion 580 starting at $449. When I bought a new monitor $65 off and free shipping on time.
Stay out the store. You get hosed. Some places you don't have to order on line ,do your research and call on their 800#.
And the people treat you decent too.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.