I have an older, but serviceable Dell laptop at home that my kids like to use. My son is six and has taken to the computer like a fish to water but I am not a fan of him pounding away on our main computers. Enter the older Dell. The processor is a little slow compared to todays technology but it was enough to handle Windows XP and run websites and games that my son enjoys.
For me it was too slow - especially coming from my own speed machines. After a while even my son complained about the startup speed and refresh rates. After debating whether it was worth pumping money into this older machine I finally decided to grab some extra RAM to upgrade the feeble 256 MB that was in the original configuration. I searched around eBay and found a steal of a deal for 1 GB RAM under $75 with shipping. After installing the RAM today I have to admit I cannot believe I waited this long. The machine is downright zippy now.
Adding additional RAM is always a worthwhile investment and can squeak a couple extra years of usefulness out of a machine.