I think your first priority should be to increase RAM so you can run those programs.
I have a Mac Book with 2GB, and I also have a Mac Mini that used to be 1GB RAM until I upgraded it to 2GB. Apple would have charged megabucks, but I ordered the RAM from Crucial and my DS (Electrical engineer and computer savvy, but not everyone has one of those!) installed it for me. The Mac Mini and the Mac Book are not really DIY projects, but you can investigate ways to have it done less expensively than by Apple.
__________________
--Lynn
|