mainstream desktop PCs

Home Office Computing, Oct, 1999 by Robert S. Anthony

Today's under-$1,600 systems prove that midprice doesn't mean middling performance

WALK INTO A COMPUTER store today, and you'll easily recognize two groups of customers: cheapskates and heat seekers. The former scrutinize each price tag before they tap a keyboard or grab a mouse; the latter declare that money is no object, and insist on topping their neighbors with the fastest PC, greatest graphics, and loudest sound in town.

What about those of us who aren't so easy to categorize--the home office workers who can easily resist the siren song of an underpowered, under-$500 computer, but aren't so wild about megahertz and gigabytes that we'll empty our bank accounts for a $4,000 PC powerhouse?

If you're a member of this silent majority--if you don't want a machine that'll be obsolete by the time it's unpacked, but view computing as a means to getting work done, not an end in itself--$1,500 seems like a reasonable sum to pay for a reasonably powerful desktop. At that price point, you won't get the most powerful processor, the biggest hard disk, or the fanciest graphics and audio subsystems available, but what you can get may surprise you.

We challenged six companies to show us their best deal for about $1,500. Most of the Windows 98 PC vendors landed a notch higher (around $1,600), but one dazzled us by providing an ample 19-inch monitor, 128MB of RAM, and DVD-ROM drive. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Apple's visually pleasing iMac was not only the most stylish, but also the thriftiest contender at $1,199. Top PC vendor Dell was unable to provide us with a test unit before our deadline.

THE PRICE YOU PAY

Most of the reviewed systems save money by using motherboards with graphics and audio circuitry built-in. Although such a design is efficient and cost-effective, it limits future upgrades. Micron's 466MHz Celeron Millennia, for example, has a powerful Nvidia Riva 128ZX AGP graphics accelerator with 8MB of display memory, but it's on the motherboard instead of in an AGP slot--so it can't be replaced by a faster, fancier graphics card in the years ahead. Only the IBM Aptiva 545 and Quantex M450 use conventional graphics and sound cards.

Similarly, more memory is always a good thing because it speeds up multitasking, printing, and Web surfing; but memory costs money. Two systems came with 64MB of RAM, which we consider today's minimum amount; the Quantex boasts 128MB, ready for Microsoft Windows 2000 or Office 2000 upgrades. The iMac comes with only 32MB of memory (and no floppy disk drive), but its low price leaves buyers room for upgrades.

Bundled software is an easy area for computer companies to save money, but all six systems came with a decent set of productivity applications. The Gateway Essential 466c and Compaq Presario 5714 offer different versions of Microsoft's second-tier Works suite, which is comparable to the iMac's AppleWorks; the Micron, IBM, and Quantex units came with top-of-the line business suites such as Microsoft Office or Lotus SmartSuite Millennium.

In a nod to consumer convenience, many of these computers feature enhanced keyboards that offer one-touch access to Web browsing, e-mail, and other important applications. The Quantex M450 came with an enhanced keyboard, but lacked the driver software to enable the extra keys, a problem that may have been just a shipping oversight.

Based on quantity and quality of hardware supplied, the Quantex M450 is our favorite of these midprice systems, even though it stretched our $1,500 target to $1,599. Its Pentium III processor, 128MB of memory, 19-inch monitor, and DVD and Iomega Zip drives provide ample power and storage for any home office; and its design allows for easy upgrades.

But all six systems are more than competent home office choices, though we prefer a 17- or 19-inch monitor to the petite 15-inch displays of the Aptiva and iMac. And all can be ordered in different configurations and options if you want to improve their software or hardware bundles. Just remember not to be a cheapskate--your productivity is worth the money you'll spend.

Apple iMac

Cuteness aside, our strawberry Apple iMac makes for an interesting and inexpensive home PC solution at $1,199. Although its specifications don't measure up to those of the Windows PCs reviewed here, it's worth considering if you're short on space and if the software you want to use comes in Mac flavors.

The 333MHz G3-powered iMac offers 32MB of memory (expandable to 256MB), which seems skimpy but doesn't noticeably slow its everyday performance. You also get a 24x CD-ROM drive, a 56Kbps fax modem, a built-in 100Mbps Ethernet adapter, and a relatively small 6GB hard disk.

The Apple's one-piece design makes setup a no-brainer: Connect the power cord, plug the keyboard into one of the unit's two USB ports and the mouse into the keyboard's one USB port, and hit the switch. The generous bundle of mostly preinstalled software includes Mac OS 8.5.1, the AppleWorks 5.0 integrated package, Intuit's Quicken Deluxe 98, and STF Technologies' faxSTF fax software package.