"Route 166" - evaluation of seven Pentium-based PCs - includes glossary of terms and related article on Macintosh machines, list of backup and file transfer products, and article on ratings system - Hardware Review - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, Oct, 1996 by William Harrel

These Speedy 166MHz Systems Will Get You Where You Want To Go

In a Flash

IF THAT OLD CLUNKER ON YOUR DESK IS BECOMING AN increasing source of frustration, there's never been a better time to upgrade. All the major system vendors are duking it out, trying to land the small- and home-based business consumer. As this comparison of 166MHz Pentiums demonstrates, you can buy a super-fast Windows 95 computer for less than you probably paid for your current machine--often well below $3,200, including a 15- or 17-inch monitor. And if you shop around, the low price will include everything--all the software and hardware add-ons-- you need to run your business.

Not only do today's Pentiums have blazingly fast processors, but they also come with huge hard drives, plenty of RAM, 6x or 8x CD-ROM drives, and 28.8Kbps (or faster) modems--configurations that ensure your system won't be obsolete in just a few short months. The systems in this Buyer's Guide are all either minitowers or full-size towers, providing plenty of drive bays and expansion slots, making it easy to add such peripherals as additional hard drives, tape backup drives, and more as the need arises, further protecting your investment.

The majority of these computers come with most, if not all, of the business applications required to run a small business, including full-fledged office suites, such as Microsoft Office or Lotus SmartSuite, which provide the latest versions of popular word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation programs. Some also come loaded with personal finance packages, such as Intuit's Quicken, and telephony features that allow you to use your computer as a voice-mail system and speakerphone.

Disappointingly, though, our evaluations don't reveal a lot of new, innovative features. Most of these systems are simply faster versions of the 75MHz machines we looked at last year. The only significant changes are bigger hard drives, faster modems and CD-ROM drives, bigger speakers, and some additional software. As you'll see from the following reviews, only Compaq's Presario 6704 has been completely revamped to cater to the specific needs of small businesses.

This is not to say that most of the others are not terrific bargains and great investments. There's never been a better time to get more bang for the money you invest in a new system. The following computers are truly fast and sleek small-business workhorses.

AST Advantage 828

Rating: * * *

If you're looking for an inexpensive, dependable 166MHz machine without a lot of frills, you should check out the AST Advantage 828 (estimated street price, $2,899 with monitor). It still comes with just about everything you need to run your business. We especially liked the spacious 2GB hard disk and the three-disc, 6x CD-ROM drive. In fact, this is the only system in this review that came with a multiple-disc CD-ROM drive, which makes it convenient to access several research and data discs without having to swap them in and out.

Compared with the other machines, the Advantage 828 is not a screamer. It performed second to last on our speed tests. It did exceptionally well, however, on the Desktop Graphics benchmarks. Its standard business software includes Lotus SmartSuite 96, a highly usable office suite that includes word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs. You'll also find a good complement of multimedia reference titles and games, including the immensely entertaining Virtual Pool.

Disappointingly, the system does not support wake-up on ring, a feature that brings the computer out of power-saving mode to answer incoming calls. To use this computer for an answering machine, fax, and voice mail, it needs to run all the time, defeating the purpose of the suspend and sleep options of today's energy-saving technology. On the other hand, the computer does come with a 28.8Kbps modem and voice-mail software that supports up to 999 mailboxes.

A few minor limitations aside, the AST Advantage 828 is a great bargain.

Compaq

Presario 6704

Rating: ****

Compaq's all-new Presario 6704 ($3,148 estimated street) is by far the most impressive machine in this bunch. Although it's one of the slower systems (it placed fifth), it comes with the most RAM (24MB) and the fastest modem (33.6Khps).

Only the Gateway 2000 P5- 166 XL surpasses the Presario's 2.5GB hard drive. The Presario comes with 2MB of video RAM, not to mention a bunch of other impressive features, and its business software bundle includes Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Lotus 1-2-3 96. Interestingly, it also includes CorelDraw 5, which can handle virtually any small business's document design or graphics needs.

More impressive, though, are the Presario's innovative features. This is the only system that comes with a two-line modem, which allows you to attach a telephone and a modem to the computer. A drawback to single-line telephony solutions is that you can't talk on the phone and receive faxes at the same time. Also, with a two-line system, the computer can transfer the call to another location or to a cellular phone. This is truly usable telephony.