POWER
winner Dell Dimension XPS P200s
Dell has gained a loyal mail-order following by “custom building” just the PC you want: dial the 800 number, list off the parts and wait about a week. Dell’s sleek power system blends top-quality components and good service at the company’s basement prices. The standard issue P200, at $2,599, includes a 200-MHz Pentium processor, 32 MB of ram and a roomy hard drive (2.1 GB). Its multimedia package boasts a fast graphics card, a CD-ROM drive, a subwoofer and a bright, Trinitron 15-in. monitor. When you’re not playing games, you can take advantage of the bundled business software. (800-348-6155)
the buzz TRACEY CAPEN, PC World: “The Dell Dimension XPS systems are fast and a good value. They’re nicely constructed and easy to service. The interior design is set up so it’s easy to reach and replace components. It’s an overall well-rounded package.”
runners-up
Micron Millenia Plus P200 Like Dell, Micron lets you select each component that goes into your computer. The $3,099 base price includes a 200-MHz Pentium chip, CD-ROM drive, sound card and three-year warranty. (800-438-3343)
Gateway G6-200 FPC For a $3,000 system with a 17-in. monitor and the fastest processor you can buy, look to mail-order house Gateway. You’ll also get a 12X CD-ROM drive and 33.6-kbps modem. (800-846-2000)
SMALL OFFICE
winner HP Vectra 500 Series
Good PC service and reliability are doubly important when you’re working out of a small office or at home and your tech support staff is your brother-in-law. Hewlett-Packard’s Vectra is a super machine, but it’s the service that really makes the difference: you get a three-year warranty and software that enables technicians to dial in to your PC over a modem line to diagnose and fix problems. An optional networking kit lets you link PCs to share files or a printer. Configurations cost up to $3,264 for a 200-MHz Pentium system. (800-322-4772)
the buzz WENDY TAYLOR, PC Computing: “HP’s Vectra is a solid machine with some of the best networking smarts available in a PC today. Plug it in, follow the instructions, and you’ve got your own small-office or home-office network–and you don’t need a nerd to run it for you.”
runners-up
NEC Ready Office NEC sells solutions, and this $3,000 small-business package doesn’t disappoint. The uninterruptible power supply, Pentium processor and Iomega removable storage give the extras you need for an office machine. (800-632-4636)
AST Advantage! 9310 This economical $2,199 home-office system gives you all the basics–a Pentium-166 processor, 2.5-GB hard drive, a personal scanner and a 33.6-kbps fax/voice modem–plus useful extras like business and productivity software. (800-876-4278)
FAMILY
winner Toshiba Infinia Home PC
We’ve already told you why we love this machine; now we’ll get to the gear talk. The Infinia comes crammed with everything that makes it the perfect machine for your whole family: gamers will love the thundering sound from the built-in speakers and subwoofer. A small module that snaps into the monitor offers one-touch access to the TV-tuner, radio, CD- player and answering-machine features. The top model, which sells for $3,548 with a 17-in. monitor, includes a Pentium-200 processor, a 3.0-GB hard drive and an 8X CD-ROM drive. The machine also comes with a fantastic collection of software. (800-334-3445)
the buzz JULIE COHEN, Home PC: “The Infinia is totally different from any other computer in its overall style and the components it includes. They did a nice job of coming up with a fresh design. The ‘in-touch’ module in front is remarkably convenient too.”
runners-up
Compaq Presario 3000 Series This stylish $3,499 PC combines the monitor and system into one portable unit, outfitted with a smaller, laptop-like screen. (800-345-1518)
Sony PCV-90 For a Pentium-200 with 3-D surround sound and dozens of bundled titles like Quicken, Encarta and MechWarrior 2, look no further than the $3,478 PCV-90. (800-476-6972)
POWER NOTEBOOK
winner IBM ThinkPad 760ED
IBM is infamous for blowing its hard-won head start in the desktop-personal-computer business in the early 1980s. Now it’s staging a credible come-from-behind charge in the laptop marketplace with a series of thin, lightweight machines that perform well and look great. The strongest of the wonderful bunch is the 133-MHz Pentium-powered 760ED. With a luminous 12.1-in. screen, 16 MB of memory standard in each computer and a large 2.1-GB hard drive and built-in fax modem, the 6.7-lb. computer is powerful enough to handle the strictest demands of Road Warrior computing. (800-426-2968)
the buzz BILL HOWARD, PC Magazine: “IBM has added a lot of flexibility to the ThinkPad 760. It has the best pointing device, the screen is among the best for its size and vivid color, and there’s a modular bay for putting in a CD-ROM drive, a floppy drive or a second floppy.”
runners-up
Toshiba Portege 660CDT For a balance between power and portability, the 5.7-lb. Portege is a good choice. For $5,299 you get a 1.26-GB hard disc, top components and a built-in CD-ROM drive. (800-334-3445)
Compaq Armada 4120T This chameleon-like $3,899 notebook can serve as a streamlined lightweight with just the basics or a hefty multimedia workstation with 4X CD-ROM drive and stereo sound. (800-345-1518)
GAMING
winner Compaq Presario 8712
If playing computer games is among your supreme joys, the $3,148 Presario 8712 is for you. With 6 MB of memory to enhance video quality and an 8X CD-ROM drive, everything onscreen looks better. The JBL Pro Premium speakers and subwoofer deliver terrific sound for playing such included titles as Descent II, MechWarrior 2 and Yukon Trail. The 3.8-GB hard drive gives you enough room to load dozens of programs, and the Pentium-200 processor and 32 MB of ram offer enough power to run any game on the market. (800-345-1518)
the buzz MICHAEL PENWARDEN, Computer Life: “The Presario 8712 is a real standout. It’s a packed system that’s got everything you could want–high-performance video, a dsvd [digital simultaneous voice and data] modem, rich sound, plenty of ram and a big hard drive.”
runners-up
NEC PowerPlayer 2020 This high-end, full-featured, $3,648 gaming machine comes with a top-rate graphics card, booming speakers and one of the best software bundles you can find, including Wing Commander IV, Duke Nukem and You Don’t Know Jack. (800-632-4636)
Acer Aspire Ultimate Solution This budget-priced gaming system packs in a Pentium-200 chip, 32 MB of memory and a 3.5-GB hard drive, along with an attractive array of multimedia trappings, for just $2,599, excluding monitor. (800-558-2237)
BUDGET NOTEBOOK
winner Toshiba Satellite 205CDS
College students and anyone looking to steer clear of a bulky desktop computer or expensive multimedia notebook will find a nice balance in the $1,999 Satellite. Standard features include a Pentium-100 processor, 6X CD-ROM drive, 810-MB hard drive and 11.3-in. dual-scan screen. You can switch to a higher resolution for a more expansive view. While you’ll want to upgrade the 8 MB of memory to 16 MB (for $200) in order to run Windows 95 with reasonable performance, extra touches like the built-in AC adapter–a rarity in notebooks–and Microsoft’s word-processing, personal-finance and greeting-card software make for a great value. (800-334-3445)
the buzz TRACEY CAPEN, PC World: “The Satellite is very fast and well made. It’s a little heavy, but its battery lasted more than four hours on our tests. It’s also very flexible, so you can swap a CD-ROM drive, floppy and extra battery into the same bay.”
runners-up
Compaq Presario 1010 Kudos to Compaq for fitting both a CD-ROM drive and a floppy into a streamlined 12-in.-wide notebook frame. For $2,499 you get a Pentium-120 with 16MB of memory and an 810-MB hard drive. (800-345-1518)
Texas Instruments Extensa 600CD Sporting many of the same features as the Satellite and Presario, the $2,299 Extensa has a larger 12.1-in. screen with support for high resolutions. (800-848-3927)