OK, you're a B&H (Brighton and Hove) woman and there are some things B&H girls need: Glitter, comfortable sandals, and your own purrrrfect PC.

So where do you go? Who do you ask? Our undercover expert (me) went in search for the most helpful staff in B&H and to discover what treatment the average lady was in for.

At Dixons, (www.dixons.co.uk) in Churchill Square, I asked about basic hardware and the impossibly young Mike talked me through the packages on offer.

He assumed I knew what RAM (random access memory) was, fair enough. But what the bobbins was TFT? Apparently, something to do with flat screens. You could make your life easier by pointing at the very thin monitors and saying: "I like those ones best".

Mike was knowledgeable but if you are looking to be served by a lady, you'll be lucky. I only spotted one female staff member.

Six out of ten for helpfulness but beware: Preferential treatment for those who want to spend STACKS of cash.

At Time (www.timecomputers. com) on North Street, I spoke to the even younger Justin. Again, on arrival, I thought: "Where are all the computer-savvy women to help me?".

Nevertheless, Justin was polite and obviously felt sorry for me when I pretended not to understand the word "processor" (the thing that dictates your PC's speed). He offered me two years interest-free credit and gave me very simple information on Time's insurance deals in case anything broke down.

Relaxed, with its step-by-step buying process, Time is an ideal environment for the first-time PC-purchasing princess. Prices change each week, so keep an eye open.

Seven out of ten out for Justin.

Top marks go the lovely Adur Electronics (www. adurelectronics.com) in Preston Steet. Gary made a great first impression with his T-shirt reading: "I'm not even supposed to be here." He did not assume I knew my RAM from my ROM and we chatted leisurely about different types of hardware.

He produced a really easy-to-follow table on how to buy your PC set-up and gave his name and number, top tips and various insider-info on which hardware manufacturers to avoid. I left feeling I could email my friends (A.E. has an internet cafe in its shop) and bake a flan at the same time.

Nine out of ten.

The toilet brush award goes to D&S Office Equipment, St James's Street, Kemp Town. A jargon-bombarding assistant offered me no choice of hardware and sneered at my (pretended) lack of comprehension. I got nothing to take away and read while the assistant hid behind a PC in the corner shouting out specifications at me.

Hhhmmm, so there ARE some people who still do not understand the technical term: "cyber chick".

One out of ten.

- Kate Metcalf