Intel's Still Inside—Just Not a Pentium II

Home Office Computing, May, 1999 by Keith Kirkpatrick

iDot 400LXA

Score: 7.7
V     7
P     8
E     8
S     8

Configuration    Win 98, 400MHz intel Celeron with 128K on-die
                 cache, 64MB of RAM, 10.1GB hard disk, 8MB of
                 display memory, 40x CD-ROM drive, 56Kbps V.90
                 modem

List Price       $999 without monitor

Manufacturer     iDot.computers, 888-388-4368, www.idot.com

FORGET STICKER SHOCK--if you're shopping for a new home office PC, your head will spin from choosing among processor chips. Along with AMD's speedy K6-2 and K6-3, Intel has updated its budget-priced Celeron silicon line to offer a compelling choice for those thinking outside the Pentium II/Pentium III box.

Whereas last year's original Celerons were ploddingly slow, the new 400MHz version--with 128K of Level 2 cache located right on the processor--is just the opposite. We tested the iDot 400LXA, a competent PC sold via the Web. In addition to the Celeron CPU, the iDot doesn't skimp on other important components--its minitower case contains 64MB of RAM, an 8MB graphics adapter, and a 10.1GB hard disk, giving you enough speed and storage to handle everyday home office chores for years to come.

If you've got future expansion in mind, the motherboard provides four PCI slots, two ISA slots, and one shared PCI/ISA slot, along with three 168-pin SDRAM DIMM sockets for a maximum system memory capacity of 384MB.

Once we fired up the iDot, we were hooked on the 400LXA's speed. Windows 98 applications opened and closed instantly, and Web pages loaded with a swiftness that belied our rather ordinary 56Kbps dial-up connection.

Although we didn't miss the more pricey Pentium II processor, we noted that the iDot's $999 price includes neither an office productivity suite nor a monitor to view your work. The company offers rather generic 15-, 17-, and 19-inch displays for an additional $130, $199, and $499, respectively.

RATINGS

HOME OFFICE COMPUTING'S
product scores are weighted
averages of 1- to 10-point
ratings for: Value (30 percent
of total), Performance (30
percent of total), Ease of Use
(20 percent of total), and
Suitability for Home Office
Use (20 percent of total).

KEY

V = Value
P = Perfomance
E = Ease of Use
S = Suitability for Home Office Use

PROS Fast performance, low price

CONS Monitor costs extra