Editorial Review

Whether editing your family photos, balancing your online checkbook, or listening to your digital music collection, Compaq's SR1610NX offers a versatile, strong base for your home computing needs. Focusing on affordability, this desktop has room to grow with two available expansion slots (one 3.5-inch and one 5.25-inch), 2 available PCI slots, 7 USB ports for connecting peripherals, and the ability to add up to 4 GB of RAM. This desktop comes with an 80 GB hard drive, 256 MB of installed RAM, 1.8 GHz AMDSempron 3200+ processor, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, and a multi-format memory card reader. Read more

Features

• Affordable desktop PC with 1.8 GHz AMD Sempron 3200+ processor
• 80 GB hard drive, 256 MB of RAM (4 GB max), DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive
• Seven USB 2.0, two Firewire, one VGA, one parallel, microphone, headphone, multi-format memory card reader
• Integrated video/graphics card with up to 128 MB of allocated video memory; 10/100 Ethernet, 56K modem
• Windows XP Home edition, SP2

Reviews (1)

Mine has yet to work, Direct form Shuttle.
I bought mine direct form Shuttle PC.
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Features

• Intel Celeron 320 2.8GHz
• 256MB RAM, 40GB
• 48X CD-ROM, Win XP Pro

Editorial Review

The HP Pavilion a1250n comes loaded with the all tools you need to easily create, manage, share, and enjoy your digital photos, home videos, movies, and music. It features a wide range of connectivity options for all your peripherals and preloaded HP Image Zone Plus photo editing and management software. It comes loaded with 1 GB of RAM, which can be bumped up to 4 GB, as well as a super-sized 250 GB hard drive. It's powered by AMD's powerful Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor, which makes it easy to multi-task through your multimedia applications. It also features a LightScribe multi-format DVD/CD burner, a 9-in-1 memory card reader that's compatible with today's most popular digital camera formats, and a wide assortment of pre-loaded software.Read more

Features

• Entertainment-focused desktop PC with 2.0 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ dual-core processor
• 250 GB hard drive, 1 GB of RAM (4 GB maximum), LightScribe multi-format DVD/CD burner
• Six USB 2.0, one Firewire, one parallel, one VGA, one 9-in-1 memory card reader
• Built-in 10/100 Ethernet; 56K (V.90) modem
• Windows Media Center 2005

Reviews (3)

eh good
Since this is the only to right my review i bought my computer from bestbuy and it came with a bungle( nvidia geforce 7800 GT 256,Logitech G15 keyboard,Logitech mx518 mouse,and logitech speakers 5.1)and was cool for a while but i did love the keyboard and also had this computer for 10 months in planing to buy a new motherboard,new processer,and DDR2 1gb ram for windows vista and stuff but over the stuff i got it great and i know half about computers (still learning)so i give this computer a 4 star rateing. :)

Horrible System - Hardware & Component Faults Throughout
The HP a1250n is, without a doubt, the worst computer system I have ever experienced. I have used a wide variety of computers and I can honestly say that this HP is absolutely the most problematic.
Great Buy
I've had this computer for a week. Runs great and very silent. AMD athlon dual core is VERY good. It is a lot better than the newer Pent D processor because it is silent, fast, and DOES NOT heat up. If you have a Pent D, you know that it is loud. I don't even hear my computer when it's on that's how smooth it runs. Con about this computer is a decent graphic card. I had to buy a new one, but once you have a good graphic card it is very good. ... Read more

Features

• 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 running Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger"
• 512 MB RAM, 160 GB hard drive, and and SuperDrive (DVD-RW/CD-RW)
• 17-inch (16-inch viewable) flat CRT
• Two FireWire 400 ports; three USB 2.0 ports, two USB 1.1 ports (on keyboard); VGA output; S-video and composite video output; headphone jack; and audio line in jack
• Built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet and 56K V.92 modem

Reviews (1)

User friendly and virus free, now with faster processor
Apple is, quite simply, the best and most innovative computer manufacturer. A recent article in Consumer Reports identified Apple computers as the most reliable computers and PC Magazine user surveys have reached the same conclusion. Furthermore, Apple computers -- including this new, more powerful eMac -- are impervious to the viruses which regularly plague Windows-based PCs.
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Editorial Review

The new iMac dazzles with its brilliant 17-inch widescreen flat-panel display that adjusts its height or angle with just a touch. But what’s more amazing is its compact base now packs powerful new features like a speedy 1 GHz G4 processor, more extreme nVidia graphics, a faster DVD-burning SuperDrive--and new advanced wireless options.Read more

Reviews (22)

Really Great!
Not only is it great looking... it works great too!Painless switch from Windows...Haven't needed to purchase any addition software becuase the bundled software does everything...And it is super cool looking!

Praise from a new mac convert
It's been a little over a month since I bought this machine, and I'm only kicking myself for having kept my feet in the Gatesian concrete for so long before. The machine itself is brilliant in its design, look, and efficiency. I picked it up at an apple store in NYC, and didn't ask for any upgrades since I wanted to take it right home from there. However, I would recommend those who can spend $50 more to opt for 512MB of RAM rather than the standard 256, although it runs quite well on the latter. The graphics, for which apple is so famous, are everything they're cracked up to be and then some. The mac browser, on which I'm writing now, safari, is a cut above IE for speed, design, and interface. What truly distinguises the mac, however, is how it does more with small packages: OS X is about half the size of windows xp, and runs more efficiently and with more ease and sensitivity to what users really want to do with a computer. I've spent some 15 years with my head under the hood of Mr. Gates' dirty windows, and although I learned a ton of information and made myself look pretty smart at work in the process, it was dreary constantly having to work around or fix the bugs that the skinny billionaire could have easily taken out himself before he sold me his OS. For windows users who are looking at this with the same question in their minds as I had: "is it worth it, after all these years, moving to a completely new platform" the answer is yes, it is more than worth it, if you're willing to make a few comparatively minor sacrifices. Obviously, (unless you want to keep a windows PC on the side) software will have to be replaced or trashed--don't worry, the proprietary productivity software sold with these macs, called appleworks (which I believe is a reworking of the old Clarisworks), is extremely functional and versatile, and the way windows software is constantly being ramped up, a gradual transition won't be that much of an additional expense, in exchange for the beauties of working on a platform like OS X. One caveat about hardware, however: you will have to consider the possibility of replacing your peripherals: I had to set aside my HP Officejet R40 and buy a comparable all-in-one device that's compatible with the mac and uses USB cables rather than the parallel port (it was only $200, so it's not a back-breaker). If you can handle those passing challenges, you are not likely to look back ever again to the PC: the imac in particular, is a stroke of design genius, and OS X is the only computing environment I can ever claim to have actually enjoyed looking at and working with. Finally, if you're what they call a "power user" (i.e., you like to have the fastest and most loaded machine on the market when you buy), you may wish to wait for the vaunted G5 to appear (I think they're actually taking orders for it now). But the 1GHz G4 is a powerful enough machine to do everything that a PC is capable of, with as much speed and far more grace and balance than any PC I've owned can claim. And if the $2,000 price tag of an imac is rather too much for you, consider the emac, which starts at well under a thousand but uses the old CRT. In any event, you won't go wrong with the mac, and if you're like me, you'll only be wondering what took you so long.

Nearly Perfect...
I have had this computer for nearly 6 months (since March) and I have been very happy with it.I have added additional memory and have recently expanded the hard drive with the addition of an external 160 gig 7200 rpm drive.Read more

Features

• Manufacturer Part Number: ADA3500CGBOX
• Product Line: Athlon 64
• Packaged Quantity: 1
• Packing: Box
• Package Type: Retail

Editorial Review

The HP Pavilion a1310n comes loaded with the all tools you need to easily create, manage, share, and enjoy your digital photos, home videos, movies, and music. It features a wide range of connectivity options for all your peripherals and preloaded HP Image Zone Plus photo editing and management software. Store more music, videos, and data on the roomy 200 GB hard drive. It comes loaded with 1 GB of RAM, which can be bumped up to 4 GB, an AMD Athlon 64 3700+ 2.2 GHz processor, LightScribe multi-format DVD/CD burner, a 9-in-1 memory card reader that's compatible with today's most popular digital camera formats, Windows Media Center 2005 (with Rollup 2 Update), and a wide assortment of pre-loaded software. Read more

Features

• Entertainment-focused desktop PC with 2.2 GHz AMD Athlon 64 3700+ processor, 1 MB L2 cache.
• 200 GB hard drive, 1 GB of RAM (4 GB max), LightScribe multi-format DVD/CD burner with dual-layer support
• Six USB 2.0, two Firewire, one parallel, one VGA, one 9-in-1 memory card reader, 10/100 Ethernet; 56K (V.90) modem
• ATI Radeon XPress 200 video card with up to 128 MB of shared video RAM, 10/100 Ethernet, 56K modem
• Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (Update Rollup 2)

Reviews (7)

HP a1430n Crashed twice now
I bought this computer in May, it crashed 17 days later.Sent it in under warranty, got it back and it crashed one week later.I don't have any idea what is wrong but I have never had problems like this.It's very frustrating

HP NEVER AGAIN
FIrst lets start buy saying this is the second hp.
Average performance
This model's performance is below from the HP standard I come to expect. Its riddle with more than average trial software that only takes disk space. It started to crash after I loaded some of my own utilities software, which performs just fine on my other HP processors (m7160n). ... Read more

Features

• 2.0 GHz PowerPC G5 running Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger"
• 512 MB DDR SDRAM, 160 GB hard drive, and SuperDrive (DVD-RW/CD-RW)
• 17-inch (viewable) widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD, 1440 x 900 pixels, millions of colors
• Two FireWire 400 ports; three USB 2.0 ports, two USB 1.1 ports (on keyboard); VGA output; S-video and composite video output
• Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) and 56K V.92 modem

Reviews (14)

Best computer I have ever had
I have had this computer for 7 months and I still think it is the best purchase I have ever made.It is beautiful, efficient, and FAST!Never has the computer "locked up" on me, crashed, given me cryptic error messages, or taken more than a few seconds to open a file. My ONLY wish is for a two button mouse, as I still have to work on a clunky Dell at the office, I have never fully adapted to the one button mouse.This is a good, quality product that will last years.I purchased a video iPod shortly afterwards and I just love how the two products work together seamlessly.

Not just for techno geeks
The iMac G5 is an excellent computer for both the novice and the techno geek. Their ads are not just hype. It really is out of the box easy to use and with the assortment of usable software that comes with the G5, it will meets the needs of most users. The iPhoto combined with my digital camera is great. A zippy dependable machine that doesn't require constant updates, patches, and restarts. I use both PCs and Macs but this is the computer I chose for my home. My iMac is a useful tool rather than a time draining frustration.

I was there from the beginning...
I have owned many Apple products starting with the Apple //e. I have owned an Apple //c as well. My Macintosh products include the original 1984, 128K Mac, 512K Mac, Mac SE30, Mac Quadra 700, Mac Centris 610, Mac Color Classic, two versions of the G3 iBook, iMac DV, iMac that looks like a Luxo lamp, and the iMac G5. Do I know Macs? Well, not as well as some, but better than most. The iMac G5 is not my favorite. The Luxo lamp G4 iMac is a nicer form factor and I am sorry Apple abandoned it. However, that said, the G5 iMac is awesome. It is fast and its footprint is small. The sound is weak but nothing a nice set of inexpensive speakers will not solve. However, out of the box, the iMac G5 is wonderful.
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Editorial Review

As the most affordable products in the entire Apple roster of desktop computers, eMacs are not intended for sophisticated applications where power and versatility are paramount. They are, however, just fine for general day-to-day tasks such as word processing, personal finances, Internet surfing, email and light gaming/entertainment. They’re also small enough to fit comfortably on virtually any desk or table, no matter how cluttered it might be. This model, the Apple eMac Desktop 17-inch M8951LL/B, offers twice the RAM and twice the hard disk space of the entry-level eMac, and is also equipped with a DVD recorder. Read more

Reviews (11)

A great computer... Mac or Otherwise
Like many who have written reviews before me, I am a switcher.Acutally, that's not entirely accurate, as I was a long-time Mac user prior to 1997.My last two machines were PCs running Windows 95 and XP, respectively. Don't buy this
1 GHz[.] ATI 7500 graphics[.]This system is 2-3 years out of date.If you are on a budget buy a P4 based system.If you have the money buy a nice G5 based system with 512M of RAM.This computer is something you would buy for a 5 year old.

The eMac is a winner!
First of all I'm a switcher. I came over to the Mac side with the purchase of this 1Ghz Emac with superdrive. I have since sold my windows PC and am forever a Mac-Head now. The first thing to know about this machine is that there is SOME fan noise but it certainly isn't a major issue. It's just a light drone not unlike what a fridge may sound like. If the noise is that big of a concern, I would get an iMac with a flat panel display. I heard those things are silent. Read more

Editorial Review

Despite its mini size and unadorned appearance, the AOpen MiniPC MP-945VX possesses complete functions to give you a most unraveled experience. While this compact bare-bones PC does not come with a CPU, RAM, or hard drive, it's able to handle heavy-duty multimedia tasks with ability to run Windows XP Media Center. It's also ready to handle Intel Viiv multimedia functionality. The AOpen MiniPC has two memory slots for a maximum of 1 GB of RAM and an S-ATA connector, enabling you to use today's speedier Serial ATA hard drives. It includes the following features: Read more

Features

• Super slim, entertainment-centric bare bones PC housing--measures just 6.5 inches square
• Can run Windows XP Media Center operating system; accepts up to 1 GB of RAM
• High-capacity slot-loading DVD+/-RW / CD-RW burner; USB 2.0 and FireWire inputs
• High-def video outputs (DVI and component), optical digital audio output
• Does not include processor, hard drive, or RAM

Editorial Review

As the most affordable products in the entire Apple roster of desktop computers, eMacs are not intended for sophisticated applications where power and versatility are paramount. They are, however, just fine for general day-to-day tasks such as word processing, personal finances, Internet surfing, e-mail and contact management. They’re also small enough to fit comfortably on virtually any desk or table, no matter how cluttered it might be. This model, the eMac Desktop 17-inch M9252LL/A, is the entry-level eMac and therefore the most basic desktop Apple manufactures. Read more

Reviews (13)

Easy to use and very capable
I written reviews for these eMacs before and most of what was said is still true. It is a great starter machine for those interested in trying out Apple's computers (and the nearly crashproof/ viris-free OS/X operating system). Don't buy this machine if you expect to upgrade it later. The processor is not swappable. You can expand the memory, add an Airport wireless network card (still the easiest and the standard the other networking companies can only aspire to), and put in a bigger hard drive. That's about it. However, there's not a whole lot you NEED to add. Nice Machine, and the Price Is Right
I have setup and worked quite a bit with this Apple product, although this is not my everyday machine. In short, this is a nice computer, and non-geek users will love how easy it is to setup and use for most tasks. Behind the times
This system has spec way too low for today's software.Why buy something you will have to replace next year?Step up to something with more memory and a faster cpu (for example you need 128MB *just* to load office!).You will be sorry if you order this system. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Whether editing your family photos, balancing your online checkbook, or listening to your digital music collection, Compaq's SR1810NX offers a versatile, strong base for your home computing needs. Focusing on affordability, this desktop has room to grow with two available expansion slots (one 3.5-inch and one 5.25-inch), 2 available PCI slots, 7 USB ports for connecting peripherals, and the ability to add up to 4 GB of RAM. This desktop comes with a 100 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, 1.8 GHz AMD Sempron 3200+ processor, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, and Windows XP Home edition. Read more

Features

• 1.8 GHz AMD Sempron 3200+ with 128 KB L2 cache
• 512 MB RAM expandable up to 1 GB, 100 GB hard drive, CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo Drive
• ATI Radeon XPress 200 IGP video/graphics card with 128 MB shared RAM
• Three PCI slots (two available), one PCI Express x16 slot (available), two 5.25-inch external bays (one available), two external 3.5-inch bays (one available), and one internal 3.5-inch bay (occupied)
• Software includes Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2, Microsoft Works 8.0, Encarta Encyclopedia 2005, Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware Edition (with 60 days of LiveUpdate), Quicken New User Edition 2005, Microsoft Money 2005

Reviews (1)

"Fine" computer
I'm not computer literate, but my husband is and he is impressed with this computer.For the price, it is a good piece of machinery and will hold us over until we have money to spend on a more expensive one. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Affordable, easy to use and surprisingly diminutive, Apple's new eMac series of desktop computers meshes well with situations where space is at a premium and the user is not necessarily a computing expert. It is therefore a particularly good fit in the elementary or high school classroom. In fact, Apple has designed the system with this function in mind. The mid-level model of the eMac roster is the eMac Desktop 17" M8950LL/A, a smartly priced yet capable unit that's ready for the unique conditions of a multi-user educational environment.Read more

Reviews (6)

Switched and how!
My wife is a translator who works at home and I am a freelance writer, teacher, and programmer.We both have used PCs for a LONG time.Her Win 98SE machine was never great and between the lock-ups and random shutdowns never really let her work comfortably.She had even adapted a habit of saving after every line of translated text so as not to lose too much when it crashed.Anyway, her computer was getting on in age and we started thinking about a replacement.I had an XP Home machine but it wasn't too hot either with all it's nasty security bugs (I fought for 8 hours with some internet anonymous who was controlling my system with MS_Blast).I finally secretly settled on an eMac birthday gift.She didn't need the gaming power of some Wintel boxes and other than Word and the internet didn't need much at all.The eMac was nicely priced and once Office v.X was installed had everything she needed to go right on working.To be safe I also bought Virtual PC 6.1 and replicated her old Win 98SE system on her eMac right down to the installed software and quantity of RAM.It took me less than 4 hours to get everything setup (multi-OS network, digital camera, printer, ADSL line, etc.) and I didn't encounter a single problem through the entire process.I was stunned.After more than a decade of fighting with PCs to make them work it was shocking for a computer to just do what it was supposed to do when I wanted it to.Simply elegant.The eMac has worked perfectly with my PC and her old PC on the network and she has had no compatibility problems after having "switched".After 5 months of ownership she is delighted and I am converted.Regardless of the fact that my PC is only a year old I'm pitching it in the garbage where it belongs and buying a Mac.To be able to work with your computer instead of on it is a thing you can only expect from a Mac and so I'll never touch a PC again if I don't have too.If you're reading this you are probably considering "switching" and with the new Macs I'd highly recommend it.They work well with the Windows world but allow you to laugh at it's problems (which you'll never experience).Only caution is to be careful that your system is in good shape when you take it home.I had read that some of the early releases of the eMacs and PowerBooks had some glitches.They were fixed for free but it's still frustrating.We've had no such problems.

ditch your PC and get an emac
For the same standard features, you will pay a bit more for an Apple, but as any Mac user will tell you, you get what you pay for. Now you can get this great system for a budget price. Unless you need the absolute fastest processor, or have your heart set on a flat-panel display, this is the best deal around. You'll need to get a better mouse (true for any Mac), and it could use some extra RAM, but other than that, this has everything the average user needs.

Terrific user-friendly computer.
A recent user survey in PC magazine identified Apple computers as the most reliable and easiest to use computers currently available. Yes, most people use Windows-based PCs, but do you want to be another member of the PC herd -- with all of the problems and frustrations presented by Windows-based PCs -- or are you looking for a computer which is user friendly and seldom crashes? If ease of use and reliability are more important to you than being one of the crowd, please seriously consider buying an Apple. Since the eMac is Apple's least expensive computer, it's a terrific way to enter the user-friendly world of Apple computers at a very reasonable price. And don't be concerned about the processor speed, this is a very fast computer. The 1 GHz G4 processor is roughly equivalent to a 2 GHz Pentium processor. If you're willing to try something off the beaten path, you'll love this computer. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Flex your multimedia muscles with the sleek, black Sony Vaio VGC-RA830G Digital Studio PC. Edit high-definition camcorder video, master your own music recordings, and turn your home movies into high-quality DVDs for the whole family. With Windows XP Media Center, you'll be able to watch and record your favorite TV programs. It boasts cutting-edge technology that will last for years, including an outrageous 400 GB Serial ATA hard drive, which offers faster data transfer, and a dual-layer, multiformat DVD/CD burner. Plus, there's room to expand with capacity for multiple drives. Other features include Sony's innovative liquid-cooling system and advanced noise-reduction technology, a hyper -threaded 3.6 GHz Pentium 4 processor, 1 GB of installed RAM, multiple video format inputs and outputs, 5.1-channel audio capability and supplied surround sound speakers.