A family member has a web design business but their current computer is out of date. I would like to get them a new computer but not sure what brand to go with. So I would like to know which is the best brand to buy?

PC type and brand has no bearing what-so-ever on designing a website. If you want to ask a more helpful question try:
What website designer software do you suggest?

I am just gonna go ahead and say Macromedia DreamWeaver. WYSIWYG - What you see is what you get.

Hey,

If I would like to pursue a career in web design, what course is most suitable? Also, does it fall under design or is it more geared towards IT?

Thx Hey guys, thanks a lot for taking time out to answer my questions, and they’re helpful

However, my question is actually meant to be directed more towards college courses as in, multimedia design, or other IT courses available at colleges.

Thanks again!
I’ve done Web design before. Here is what would be useful:

HTML
CSS
JavaScript would be a plus.
Dreamweaver
Photoshop
Fireworks
Flash & ActionScript

W3 Schools ( http://www.w3schools.com ) offers FREE tutorials on major web languages. Adobe also has tutorials for their software.