Do I need more memory and can I get it?

One of the easier ways to improve the performance of Windows is to give it more memory. Microsoft states that 64 MB of RAM is the minimum need to operate Windows XP, either Home or Professional editions, with 128 MB being recommended. I have seen some XP machines with only 128 MB and they are slow as molasses, I'm not sure if I could stand around long enough to watch a machine with only 64 MB try to boot up, regardless of Microsoft claims.

In your case, you have 384 MB of RAM which is healthy enough for someone who is doing email, surfing the web, working with office applications, and a minimal amount of graphic design work.

You don't mention which version of Photoshop you are using, so I'm going to assume the professional version. Adobe says 320 MB is the minimum with at least 384 MB recommended. So you are sitting right on the bottom line of performance.

If you are going to be doing a lot of graphics work, I would max out the motherboard on RAM adding as much as it could handle. If you can't do that then go with at least 1 GB of RAM.

How do you find out how much memory your motherboard can handle? The best way I've found is to visit Crucial's web site and use their system scanner to tell you how much memory you have, in what configuration, and how much you can add. It will then give you links to the different types and sizes of memory that should work with your PC. You can then make a decision on the best memory upgrade path you should take.

One caveat. Sometimes the system tool can get all the information it needs to show you your different options. In those cases, you can use the Wizard to select your motherboard and figure out the best chips for you.