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Price: £299-499


Benefits
: sufficient for most people. Easily handles Web surfing, e-mail, Microsoft Office applications and most standard multimedia applications but it is not super fast

Important: get 512 MB RAM + a flat panel monitor

 

 

Dell Dimension C521
Affordable entertainment PC
Processor:
AMD Sempron 3400+ Processor
Ram256 MB DDR2 RAM
Hard drive:
80GB SATA
Screen:
15" Analogue Flat LCD
DVD:
CDRW/DVD-ROM Combo
Other:
Windows® XP Home Edition
From£349(inc.VAT)
 
 

 

Price: £499-799


Benefits: easily handles Web surfing, e-mai and Microsoft Office, but is also great for multimedia fun like music, photos and video because of more power, better monitor and speakers


Important: make sure that the hard drive is >80GB to store your fun stuff

 

 

HP COMPAQ-1949
Latest multimedia Tech
Processor:
Intel Pentium D 805 Dual Core Processor
Ram: 1GB DDR2 RAM
Hard drive:
160GB SATA
Screen:
19" Analogue Flat LCD
DVD:
DL DVD ReWriter Drive
Other:
Windows® XP Home Edition
From£569(inc.VAT)
 
 

 

Price: £699-2000


Benefits: does everything and more super fast including games. This machine will not let you down even when seriously challenged with multitasking and heavy processing tasks


Important
: make sure that you are really getting the latest technology

 

 

Dell XPS 700
Ready for duty
Processor:
Intel® Pentium® D 930 Dual Core Processor
Ram: 1024MB DDR2
Hard drive:
250GB SATA
Screen:
Not included
DVD:
16x max. DVD+/-RW Drive
Other:
Windows XP Media Centre Edition 2005
From£949(inc.VAT)
 
 

 

Price: £499-2000


Benefits: have one machine that allow you to manage your digital music, photos and TV with a simple and easy to navigate interface



Important
: get one with a TV tuner  that has Microsoft Media Center pre-installed

 

 

20" 2GHz iMac
All in one
Processor:
2.0GHz Intel Core Duo Processor
Ram: 512MB DDR2
Hard drive:
250GB SATA
Screen:
20 inch 1680x1050
DVD:
double-layer SuperDrive
Other:
Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger
Wireless & Blue tooth
From£1,129(inc.VAT)
 
 
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These sites also offer value for money and are worth a look!
 
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  We think: great value for money, but only available online  
Dell Web site: can be confusing and the last part of the purchasing journey is particularly long as there are so many options and things they want to sell you,  but the upside is good value, latest technology and the chance to configure your own system.  Notice that they often add 2 years extra warranty, which you manually can de-select to avoid paying a generous insurance premium which you might not need.  
  We think: similar to Dell, but perhaps a bit more colourful but less value for money  
HP Web site: they don't make it easy to navigate their site and it is clear that their focus is more on retail than online, but it is possible but notice that you cannot configure your own system although some people might appreciate that as it is simple  
  We think: great looking machines where lots of love have been put into every little detail including their easy to use software, but be ready to pay a premium.  
APPLE Web site: just like their machines, the web site looks super while the site is as their software easy to navigates  
  We think: like Apple they also focus on great feel and look with many small useful details  
SONY Website:  the look and feel of their website is quite nice, but overall their site is confusing as it is loaded with information and products  and like HP, it can be a bit tricky to buy online  
 
 
  The processor is the engine of the computer and will either be made by Intel or AMD. Their entire range can do the basic job, but their latest Dual Core products offer top performance processing. While a processor is important you do not need to overinvest unless you are into heavy multimedia stuff or gaming
  Short term memory used by the PC to store what your are currently working on. Compares to your desk; the bigger it is, the less you need to use your cabinet (the hard drive), which is not as easy and fast to access. Most common size is 512 Ram.
  Long term memory where you store your files so this compares to your cabinet. The bigger it is, the more stuff you can keep and the less likely you are to run into capacity issues and be forced to delete old files. The most common size is 60-80 GB.
  Most important is the size. Currently they range from 10" to 17" on laptops and for desktops there is no upper limit. The most common laptop format is 15" while the most common desktop monitor size is 17-19". You might prefer a Wide screen format, which is becoming can be more practical.
  Most come with a DVD+RW/+R with CD-RW which means it can read and write CDs and DVDs. The speed is what makes them different. Speed range start from 6x. A DVD burning facility is now standard on most PCs, but remember to check it if you buy a basic system.
  Determines how long you can use it without having to be plugged in. Standard is around 3 hours but it depends on whether you are watching a DVD or is simply writing e-mails.
 
 
 

We regularly scan the websites of the  main brands  to benchmark their products to make sure that we always feature the best deal per category. In case you have a strong brand preference,  we also feature the best per category of a single brand. Enjoy and please let us know if you have some ideas for improving our website!

 
 
 
 

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