Is it difficult for someone with no experience to learn how to make an AMV? Also, what kind of computer/software would you recommend?

I was teacher's assistant for a digital video class, so I'm almost qualified to answer.

We used iMacs with iMovie, they work pretty well. Though I have no experience with them, Windows Movie Maker (free) and Adobe Premiere (expensive) are the two other main options. Windows Movie Maker is bundled with XP and Vista. It's a free download if you're already on 7.

Adobe Premiere is my favorite. And I don't think it would be difficult to learn, merely playing around and using tutorials will help you learn all sorts of things. More than learning how to make music videos it is learning to use whichever software you choose. You need to have an up to date computer to run premiere. My computer is too old, but my new one will be able to run it. I mainly use it at school, which is why I don't find myself making much in the music video realm.

1. Plan Your Video. This is probably the most important step in the whole process because if you don't plan it well, your final result won't be very good. Start by picking a song that has two qualities: 1) you really like it and 2) it has an anime "feel" to it. That doesn't mean it has to be Jpop.. just that you can envision some select anime scenes rocking to your tune.
2. Map Out Your Lyrics. The idea here is to make your video match the music. Most songs, especially rock music, have a mix of milder verse and more "explosive" choruses. Listen to your selected tune and determine what type of clips would go well in each section of the song. This will help when you begin slicing your video.
3. Pick Your Video. This part of the process can be extremely time consuming, depending upon your resources. Using purchased DVDs that you own, you'll need to import your selected clips into MPEG or AVI format. There are several software programs available that can help you do this or you can use a video capture card to get the same results. Once you've imported all your clips, you're ready to start slicing.
4. Slice Your Clips. Using one of many editing programs out there (Adobe Premier and Pinnacle are both great choices) slice your video clips according to your song lyrics. Most of these editing programs will import your music as well as your video so that you can preview your work as you go.
5. Publish. All that's left to do now is burn your masterpiece to a CD and enter it in one of the many con competitions. Good luck!