This will be my first Camera. I know I want to have some sort of built in hard drive less moving parts easier to keep track of etc etc.

But the problem I have been thinking about is, My computer is not the best computer out there. I bought it last month but I bought it for just surfing the web and doing all sorts of little tasks.

It is a Gateway MD7818U http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9172646&type=product&id=1218044029503

Will this Camera and HD footage be too much to handle this ****** computer? Also since I have this computer would I be better off going with a Tape based player/ Flash drive or Hard drive.

I want the HF10 but I dont want to have to buy a 1,000$ Desktop with a great video card to have to edit it.

RedGoat, those Core Duo's may be good enough.

Download sample .mts files of the HF10 or other Canon AVCHD you can get a hold of. Play it in a free mts player or whatever you have that can play .mts and see for yourself if your machine can handle it.

Maybe even download the trial of Sony Vegas Platinum and try editing on the timeline and rendering a file to see how that goes...

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did you try what xfws recommended? develop a workflow, before you spend any money on the camcorder, there are hf11 sample files at dvinfo.net, in the avchd forum.