Best Cheap Upgrades

Our Hook Me Up subject Lucretia Lee has a painfully slow 10-year-old computer that's completely obsolete. I mean, c'mon, it's missing a space bar! She is a woman who could use an upgrade.

While we can't give every users reading this a full-system upgrade, there are a few things you can add on to your current system to make it run faster and better. Whether you need to boost your productivity or are just hoping to make your current PC more fun, start with these must-have upgrade suggestions.

Memory: If your computer is acting sluggish and chugging like mad to keep up with the programs running, you may just need a simple memory upgrade. If we use the analogy of your computer as a desk, the filing drawers are the hard drive storage, and the memory (also known as RAM) is the amount of work space on the desk. The more memory you have, the more programs and files you can work with on your computer at once. Memory is the physical part of a computer that allows it to multitask. How do you upgrade? First, buy the right RAM module to fit your machine (most can be had for under $50). And when you're ready to add it on, check out this article on how to install a RAM upgrade. Many people fear the act of opening the computer and messing with anything inside, but adding memory is probably the easiest of all the under-the-hood upgrades. 

Wireless Keyboard and Mouse: If you hate wrestling with tangled cables, a wireless keyboard and/or mouse could be the ticket. When you want to type on your lap, pull out that keyboard drawer, or take an extrawide swing on the mouse. No wires will stymie your movement. Most of these plug into a USB jack on your computer, so you don't need a wireless network or Bluetooth to use a wireless mouse. For under fifty bucks, you can get a great pair of peripherals to unchain you from the desk.

Bigger Monitor: For people who work in spreadsheets, video editing software, or multiple programs at a time, there is one upgrade that can make a world of difference: more screen space. A bigger monitor or dual monitors greatly increase your screen real estate. If you can click to and from your destinations without scrolling or opening new windows, you will be much more productive and do a lot less hand work. Best of all, you can buy a 17- or 19-inch monitor for just a few hundred dollars these days. Need more detailed advice on which monitor to buy? Check out this monitor buying guide from the experts at For Dummies.

EVDO Wireless Card: We purchased our subject Lucretia Lee a laptop and added EVDO wireless access. EVDO is high-speed Internet access that's available anywhere you can get a cell phone signal. This technology is incredible when you are on the road and need to log on, and you're not near an Internet cafe or wireless hotspot. Just boot up and sign on. EVDO even works in moving cars or trains. You can also use EVDO as your home Internet provider, since many companies offer an unlimited data plan. You will spend a little more on this type of Internet service provider, but the flexibility of taking a high-speed connection on the road makes it worth it for me. To learn more about EVDO, check out my previous article here.

Have you recently upgraded your desktop or laptop that's vastly improved your computing time? Tell us about it below.