Minimum information was provided, therefore here is a minimal answer. Almost any name-brand desktop with 8 GB of memory will suffice. If you plan to use it for more than 5 years then 16 GB memory would be better.

Should we assume you're asking about a Windows PC? For the very light duty use you describe, I think 8GB is more than enough.

Setting up a Windows PC, changing settings, adding programs you do want and removing stuff you may not want, does take a big of effort. Is this something you can comfortably do yourself, or do you have access to a friend, neighbor or relative who can help? If yes, fine.

If not, consider spending a bit more and get an Apple Mac. They're engineered to require very little user intervention or maintenance; little is required at the beginning when new and also not through years of use. If you have an iPhone or an iPad, getting a Mac is an especially good idea because the integration and interactions of all Apple products is something other platforms can't compete with.

Good luck.

I disagree with the Costco suggestion. From what I've seen over the years, Costco seems to offer good prices on rather over-equipped models. Sure, you save money compared to buying the same item elsewhere but the PCs you wind up with have much higher specs than you'd choose to have (and more than you need) if you were shopping with a clean slate and price wasn't the driver.

I'd suggest going about it from the other direction. Do some research (as you've started here) to decide what you want, spec wise. Speak to knowledgeable people you know for suggestions. Then armed with that information, find brands and models that fit your needs at prices you want to pay.

You wouldn't go to a car dealer wanting to buy a car and drive home with a dual axle diesel pickup truck because it was a good price.

If I were going out to buy a new PC for the uses you've described, and assuming you don't have need for a lot of drive storage (as would be needed for a lot of music, videos, or photos), I'd think a minimum would be:

8 GB RAM

Not less than 2.5 GHz processor

At least 256 GB drive - either conventional, or solid state (called SSD) which are fast but will add to the cost. You can always supplement storage with external USB drives, which everyone should have anyway for backups.

Wifi or ethernet connections, as you require

Optical drive (CD or DVD) if you use them, or buy a USB attachment (they're cheap)

I like all in one desktops and have several Lenovo models. They offer uncluttered space usage and wireless keyboards and mouse accessories. They can be obtained at reasonable prices. Don't eliminate buying direct from the manufacturers like Lenovo or Dell, it can be very convenient and they offer sale prices from time to time.

I shop online. I like to listen and follow music videos. I want to save my photos. I use email to track shipments. I find my Iphone and ipad easier to use than the windows 10 desktop.

What do I want to buy for a new computer?

Sherry, an obvious suggestion for someone who has an iphone and an ipad would be to buy a Mac. Apple products work well together with a minimum of user intervention for that to happen.

Otherwise, the specs I mentioned above for a Windows machine would be suitable, you're describing light usage that doesn't require a lot of horsepower under the hood (in the form of higher performance, more expensive components). Size the hard drive to have enough for the volume of photos you store.

Most people who think they have a lot of photos usually really don't have that much, as far as storage capacity needs are concerned. Especially if your photos are in compressed formats, as most typically are. No matter what brand or family of PC you bet, you should have an external drive anyway for backup and that will provide additional storage space

I'm cheap, so I've been getting mine on Amazon as used/refurbished small-form business computers (usually HPs), tho the first one I got that way died recently only after 4 yrs or so. Fortunately it gave warning and before it completely died I bought a similar used HP for about $180 or so w/Win10 Pro on it, 500 gig drive (not an SS drive), an Intel I5 3.2 GHz cpu, 8 gigs mem and a DVD/CD tray. I use a USB flash drive for backup and run linux from a flash drive too (using linux now).

"I disagree with the Costco suggestion. From what I've seen over the years, Costco seems to offer good prices on rather over-equipped models."

I'm confused as to why, if you were looking at two similarly priced models, you would choose one with lower/poorer specs. Better specs does not have any downside that I'm aware of. It's not going to have any more maintenance problems than a lower spec one. In fact, it may even be more reliable, and it's certainly going to be faster. And it's hard to beat the return policy and guarantee when you buy a computer from Costco: 90-day returns, and a free, second year of warranty. I just looked at the Costco site and they have well-spec'ed HP desktops, including keyboard and mouse, starting at $500, and Dell all-in-ones with a 24" touchscreen starting at $700. Both of these deals come with 12GB RAM. For my money, I'm sticking with Costco....

Do you have to have a desk-top computer? There are very nice laptop computers for the same price.

kudzu, maybe I didn't explain myself well. I'll try differently.

First of all, I avoid HP, I think its products are second rate compared to what its competitors produce. Its declining market prominence in recent years corroborates that view. You will always be able to find below market prices on HP products, they need lower price points to attract buyers.

In the decades over which I've owned a fairly large number of PCs in my household and its family members, I've never returned one or had a warranty issue. I've been lucky but it frames my view. The added time Costco provides isn't an attraction for me.

I looked at the Dell all in one. That's a fair price. I bought a Lenovo all in one with similar features (RAM, 24 inch touchscreen, wireless keyboard and mouse, processor, same storage of 256SSD and 1TB conventional) about a year ago. I consider Lenovo to be a higher quality brand than Dell but Dell is okay. The Lenovo was $650 direct from Lenovo, and it came with an onboard optical drive that that Dell doesn't have. It's a great machine, zippy and trouble free.

Costco has other all in ones, up to an HP at $1300, twice as much.

Forget that I paid $50 less buying directly from Lenovo than what Costco offers for Dell. I consider both brands better than HP. Look at the price ranges for what Costco has, then take a look at Dell's and Lenovo's websites. I also bought a Dell laptop direct from Dell in the last year. for $600. If you look at the range of prices on the Dell site and the range on Costco, it's hard to come away thinking that there's anything special about Costco's PC offerings, other than they feature what I consider to be overequipped models that most people don't need. These models even when discounted are more costly than would be more appropriately equipped, well performing models purchased elsewhere.

I just don't see Costco as a good place to find PCs equipped to meet the needs of most users at fair prices. Certainly, nothing special compared to alternatives. Heck, you can even find good prices on PCs on Amazon, and I've done that too.

It's okay, we all have our own preferences.

Might want to check display driver/settings - usually that clears up flickering,

If a display worked for years with an existing driver, and then stops working with no change in driver, it's unlikely the driver is a problem.

But you've indirectly raised an interesting thought - if this is a desktop, maybe the problem is the display. However, there's another problem that does involve drivers - old PCs are often not compatible with new peripherals (like new displays) because of the absence of a driver to make them work together.

I'll also add that in >30 years of having household PCs, more than several dozen in number when considering kids' PCs, always myself having a desktop, laptop and server, and my tendency to not hold on to them too long, all of them of the Windows variety, not once have I ever paid any attention to a driver for anything. New peripherals come with drivers that are loaded with the install, and otherwise, it would seem that what works continues to work without intervention.