Older computers used for simple tasks such as basic word processing, spreadsheets and surfing the Internet can be given a new lease of life with a memory and/or hard drive upgrade. 

Many older computers have less than 512mb of RAM - more than likely 256mb. As such, performance is poor and first instinct will be to retire the ageing hardware in favour of the latest technology.

A RAM upgrade is a simple, low cost means of extending the life of some computers - especially those used for less demanding tasks.