Minimum Specification
If you've bought a new computer in the last three years, you should have very little trouble connecting to broadband. For a PC running Microsoft Windows, the approximate minimum specification for connecting to broadband is:
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000/XP
- Processor speed: 266 MHz minimum (400MHz recommended)
- RAM: 64MB minimum (128MB recommended)
- One free USB or Ethernet port
- 150MB free hard-drive space
- 4x CD-ROM drive (if there is software to install)
However, you should check this beforehand, since the specification changes from one internet service provider (ISP) to another. The most important point to remember is that old PCs running Microsoft Windows 95 were not even designed to connect to the internet, so they are not likely to support a broadband connection. Many of them lack the required Ethernet or USB ports.
On the other hand, the newer the computer, the faster the processor and the more memory it is likely to have. Your experience with broadband will be correspondingly better.