Top 20 Budget Desktops

SUMMARY

Gateway E-1200 366 PRO: Very inexpensive, easy to manage and use CON: So-so performance, smallish hard drive

If you manage lots of PCs, check out Gateway's latest compact desktop--a Celeron-366 system that emphasizes ease of use and service. Better yet, it sells for just $1250--a great price for any PC, much less a LAN-ready model equipped with an ethernet adapter.

But make sure your office has modest computing needs. With a PC WorldBench 98 score of 177, the E-1200 is slow, even for its processor class, and some of its features are merely adequate. The 7GB hard drive seems stingy these days; and while most budget systems now offer 8MB or 16MB of video RAM, the integrated ATI 3D Rage IIC on this PC has just 4MB. Still, if your workgroup mostly writes memos and works in simple database and spreadsheet applications, the E-1200 is ideal.

You can get inside the system in moments--just give a hand-turnable screw a few twists, and press two buttons to release the cover. Inside waits a clean and tidy layout. All ports on the back of the system are labeled and color-coded. The system's documentation exceeded our expectations as well. Along with an illustrated, fold-out setup guide, Gateway includes a clearly written system manual, a troubleshooting guide, and a booklet for new users. If you can't find the answer you need there, try Gateway's support line. In our anonymous calls, reps answered within 5 minutes and responded courteously and accurately to all our questions--even the tricky ones. Gateway backs its PCs with a three-year parts and labor warranty and around-the-clock support.