upgrading a laptop

[MICHAEL WEAVER]

I am running Ubuntu Edgy on a Compaq Presario I think it might be the 
140 laptop and I am wondering if I can upgrade the memory and by how much?
I ask because whenever I try to install Ubuntu with the guidence of the 
Orca screenreader I can't do it for some reason, the CD just churns 
around so I can't even launch Orca when Ubuntu runs from the Desktop CD 
as a live version as installing with speech from the Alternate CD is not 
yet possible.
The only reason I was able to install Edgy on the laptop was by getting 
someone from HUDLUG to install off the alternate CD for me as trying to 
do an F5 followed by 3 for the screenreader from bootup refused to work, 
trying to do an ALT F2 orca inside Ubuntu live didn't work either and 
even the system locked up trying to install from the Live CD without 
speech just locked up and just hung which is why I ask about upgrading 
the laptop.
I think if I am going to try any future Ubuntu Live CD before installing 
it I may have to upgrade my desktop as well as that only has 256 MB RAM 
and even that is sluggish to the point where the desktop CD is sluggish 
to the point I can't do an install with speech either although there 
seems to be some improvement with speech as it does attempt to allow me 
to navigate the menus if nothing else.
I have had this problem with possible system resources on both the live 
versions of both Edgy and now Feisty on both the desktop and laptop with 
the laptop again refusing to speak at all when I try to run Orca and on 
the desktop the same problem where I am having to run Orca within Ubuntu 
Live and getting the same sluggishness when navigating the menus which 
could be the same problem I am having trying to install from the desktop 
CD with speech.