If you are looking for a good, quality, cheap computer (besides, say, a custom built from a computer nerd acquaintance), I would suggest looking at emachines or low-end dells. Emachines used to have a rep as a crap computer maker. But they came under new management and have become much improved in the last few years. Still low-cost, but have been getting props from the PC magazines/experts, and gateway bought them up recently (presumably mirroring the compaq/hp low-end/high-end brand name partnership). My parents bought one last year to replace the old one I'd given them, and they've had no trouble out of it. My laptop will probably be an emachine. You should be able to get a decent desktop WITH FLAT PANEL MONITOR for well under $500 if you keep an eye out for sales/rebate offers.
In the case of the emachines, the models listed on the website are not all the model options they have - go to best buy or circuit city (or perhaps sam's club and/or costco, if you or someone you know has a membership) and check out what they have in stock.
Lastly, I mentioned compaq earlier. I can't recommend a compaq (though I won't say "definitely don't buy one.") My current computer is a compaq, and I've sworn off them personally because of problems I've had with it. My harddrive crashed within a year of purchase. They did send me a new one, but I lost quite a bit of data. I've also had problems with my DVD/CD drives. One no longer works at all. And there are a few other quirks.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2004-07-13 10:22 am (UTC)In the case of the emachines, the models listed on the website are not all the model options they have - go to best buy or circuit city (or perhaps sam's club and/or costco, if you or someone you know has a membership) and check out what they have in stock.
Lastly, I mentioned compaq earlier. I can't recommend a compaq (though I won't say "definitely don't buy one.") My current computer is a compaq, and I've sworn off them personally because of problems I've had with it. My harddrive crashed within a year of purchase. They did send me a new one, but I lost quite a bit of data. I've also had problems with my DVD/CD drives. One no longer works at all. And there are a few other quirks.