Broadband or dial-up?

So, you have bought a computer and now want to connect it to the Internet. You have two choices:

Dial-up

This means that your computer is plugged into your telephone line to connect you to the Internet. You 'pay as you go' which means that that you only pay for however long you use it and it is charged at the same price of your phone call costs e.g. if your phone calls cost 1p per minute at certain times in the day then using the Internet for one hour would cost 60p.

The advantage of dial-up is that, if you have not used the Internet before, it gives you a chance to monitor your usage at a low cost.

The disadvantage is that when you are connected to the Internet you cannot use your phone at the same time as the line becomes engaged. It can be very slow if you want to attach photos or documents or you want to download music or use a webcam.

Broadband

Broadband gives you much faster Internet access and does not interfere with your telephone so that you can use both at the same time. 

If you are going to be using the Internet regularly, it may be more economical for you to pay for broadband. You can have access to the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for a monthly charge. The cost differs depending on the company you choose to use and some offer free broadband if you have their phone service.

Many ISPs (Internet Service Providers) insist you sign up for a year but some smaller ISPs offer monthly contracts.

Here are some links that you may find useful:

Compare Broadband - This lists many broadband providers

Uswitch - Broadband information for new users and for those that may already have it but are thinking of changing providers.