I recommend when people are looking at PC's to do what you want, that you could look at a refurbished unit and get a heck of a deal when your computing needs aren't high.

What you're saying you'd do with a computer means:

- you don't need a high-end graphics card
- you don't need the latest Intel/AMD CPU
- and you don't need it to be the "smallest/lightest/quietest" PC out there.

For what you're seeking a refurb'ed Dell or HP might work quite well. I'd recommend a minimum of 8GB of memory (I'd try to go with 16GB). While a solid state drive runs up the price a bit, they're wonderful in that they're quiet, they don't/can't crash, and they make things work faster with less CPU.

For a Mac, if you want a deal, again refurb is a good way to go. the iMac, or Mac Mini with an external screen in the prior generation of machines can be much more cost-effective than the bleeding edge of Macs.