Desktop computer compare prices

Byline: ERIC PETERSON

When is the best time to invest in a new computer? There's no easy, all-encompassing answer to this question, but a few of the most common answers are: a) when you need one; b) during the first part of the year, when holiday and back-to-school shopping are not driving demand; and c) now.

While that easy answer is elusive, the last choice - now - is always a safe bet. The major PC makers are looking to spur demand in the face of still-sluggish corporate spending. The consumer market is also soft - just about everybody that wants a PC already has one - resulting in prices that are as low as they've ever been. And come-ons ranging from free digital cameras to $100 mail-in rebates have become the norm.

Every few months, retailers and manufacturers unveil another I-can't-believe-it deal, and some of them are truly astounding. Late last year, Wal-Mart circumvented the usual Microsoft licensing fees in its offer of a low-end, Linux-based Microtel PC for $199. (The inclusion of Windows can add up to $100 to a new PC, making for some observers to question the viability of Microsoft as a company once PC prices dip below $350.)

While the operating system on Wal-Mart's Microtel machine, LindowsOS, is similar to Windows, it is substantially cheaper, because the underlying Linux framework is based on open source code compiled by a fervent community of volunteers. Thus a Linux-based operating system need not feed a massive corporate monster in terms of its pricing structure.

On the $199 Wal-Mart special, the hardware specs are more than respectable for casual users (or more advanced types looking for a secondary machine): a speedy 800-megahertz processor, 128 megabytes of RAM, a 10-gigabyte hard drive, and a CD drive. A modem (or network card) is an extra $19, and a monitor is not included. It can run some Windows applications, but not all of them (especially those developed or published by Microsoft). The machines employ Via processors, low-cost (and, in many eyes, low-quality) alternatives to the more recognizable processor brands belonging to Intel and AMD.

If you already have a licensed copy of Windows in your possession, Wal-Mart offers a variety of Microtel machines in the price range of $400 to $600 that come without a pre-installed operating system. Alternatively, customers can upgrade a $199 machine from Lindows to Windows XP for an extra $100.

But market reaction has been mixed. Many diehards fault the technology as substandard. (One online review reads, "I'll probably be able to pick them up at flea markets next year for $5, and I'm running out of pumpkins to take to the gun range.") Other users commend the machines as great secondary machines for Internet surfing and word processing.

Deals on the brand PCs

Those Linux-based machines are just the beginning. For Windows-based systems, top PC maker Dell remains a reliable brand. Dell is pushing its entry-level desktop model, the Dimension 2350 (with a 1.8- to 2.0-gigahertz Intel processor, a gig of RAM, and a seemingly bottomless 120-GB hard drive, but no monitor), at prices starting at $399. However, to get a more complete package - i.e.: speakers, monitor, modem, printer, etc. - the final tally will likely eclipse $900.

Hewlett-Packard is also offering some great deals, including a $489 starting price on its Pavilion 500 series towers (1.7-GB Intel processor, 128 megabytes of RAM, 40-GB hard drive, and a 56K modem, without monitor). Throw in a $250 monitor and this package is ready to go. Now a H-P brand, a Compaq desktop can be had for even less: the entry price on a Presario 6000 series tower is $399. For that, the processor is just a shade slower than the Pavilion (1.4 GHz vs. 1.7 GHz), but the RAM and the hard drive are exactly the same.

A note about notebooks

Laptop bargains also abound. H-P notebooks start at about $900, while Compaq and Dell's laptops are a bit pricier, starting at about $950. And Toshiba has four different notebooks priced under $1,500.

If the traditional buying route isn't your cup of tea, there's always eBay. At any given time, the auction site has thousands of listings for new and used computers. Many of them are diamonds in the rough, but it takes a little more elbow grease (and faith in the seller) than is the case with a Dell or a Wal-Mart. But, for all of the bargains, there is always the chance of overpaying, and eBay is easily the most confusing way to shop for PC.

A few last words of advice: Never buy a machine for the latest, greatest processor - they're always overpriced. Shop and compare. Be prepared to deal with the hassle of sending back a faulty computer if you order online. And don't run with scissors.

Eric Peterson is a Contributing Editor to this magazine, and our regular E-Merging E-Commerce columnist.