spec recommendation please

I've been asked to help some family members to buy several new computers (2 laptops and a desktop). It's been a while since I've shopped for a computer, but a P4 2Ghz, 512MB RAM, 30GB HD sounds like a decent machine to me. They're not gamers, and they'll mainly use the computers for Internet and basic Word, Excel type of things. They're very budget-minded (i.e. cheap), and think the prices I've found for these type of computers (from Dell) are too high .

Is Celeron nowadays a good alternative to P4? What's the minimum amount of RAM for Win XP?

For the sory of use you recommend I strongly recommend AMD. Also Dell is the worst choice you could possibily make. A recommended config is

AMD Athlon XP 1700+
One of the Asus A7N266 motherboards. One of the models has inbult video and sound I think. Someone else check me on that please if I am wrong.
512Meg PC2100 Memory
Seagate 60gig Baracuda 4
17" Monitor
Lite-On CDRW or Lite-On DVD Drive or Both.

Thats for starters. Someone should be able to price that for you. But it will be good performing and cheap. Also another thing to avoid is the new Celerons. They are absolute garbage. Slower than molassas.
AREA_51

'It's only when you look at an ant through a magnifying glass on a sunny day that you realise how often they burst into flames'

check out flems.com also look on e-bay every once in a while you find something good on there.