shutterbug

Ok, I need to buy a computer for university, main usage - essays, internet, digital photo editing, music. This is a pc I found in a high street store, and I don't know if it's good value for money. Can anyone tell me if these specs are any good, and how much I would expect to pay for a pc with this? (And clear up what the things marked with * are? I hate to put girls to shame on pc knowledge, and I can use any word-processor (60wpm) and find my way around pretty much any internet site, but I have no clue when it comes to specifications!)

256 Mb DDR* ram memory
80 GB 7200 rpm hard disc
DVD/CDrw + DVDrom drive
64 Mb graphics on board* (on graphics board?)
56k modem
Win XP
15 inch tft* screen
keyboard, mouse + speakers
lexmark all in one printer, copier and scanner
AMD Sempron 2400* + processor (is this better/worse/same as intel pentium?)


So, can anyone help me out? is this a good deal for $945? (I'm assuming that my currency converter works here, about £500 GBP if there's any Brits want to help me out.) Oh, and my budget goes to almost double that, but I need to know if the current sale price is a good buy or should I wait till about August?