EMachines Unveils Systems for Students

It's not even July 4 yet, but EMachines is already preparing for the back-to-school shopping season. On Wednesday, the budget computer maker released PCs for students, offering five configurations at prices starting as low as $399 (after a manufacturer's rebate).

The new models are designed to be affordable, yet stylish enough to interest students. The PCs feature EMachines' new black-and-platinum color scheme, part of its "consumer-friendly" look unveiled earlier this year. The units have easy access to USB ports and tech support tools in a slide-up door on the front panel.

The new PCs include a power-saving standby feature and EMachines' BigFix, a proactive tech support application. BigFix monitors the system for possible hardware or software problems, and employs a pop-up window to alert the user to any trouble. The program suggests fixes for the problem and then leads the user through the repair process.

All five models come with Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Money 2002, Encarta Online, and a trial version of McAfee VirusScan 6.0.

PC Choices

The entry-level T1220 PC, which is priced at $399 (all system prices reflect a $75 manufacturer's rebate), comes with a 1.2-GHz Celeron processor, 128MB of SDRAM, a 20GB hard drive, a 48X CD-ROM drive, and a 56-kbps V.92-ready fax modem.

The T1440 has a similar configuration, but with a 1.4-GHz Celeron processor, a 40GB hard drive, and a 40X CD-ROM drive. It's priced at $499.

The $599 T1860 features an AMD Athlon XP 1800+ processor, 256 MB of DDR, 60 GB hard drive, and a 40X CD-ROM drive. Also priced at $599 is the T1862, which has the same configuration, except that it replaces the Athlon XP 1800+ CPU with a 1.8-GHz Celeron processor.

The high-end T2080 model, priced at $749 after the $75 rebate, is designed to support multimedia functions. It includes an Athlon XP 2000+ processor, 512 MB of DDR, an 80GB hard drive, and 40X CD-RW and 16X DVD drives.

None of the PCs comes with a monitor, but EMachines has unveiled two new displays to accompany the new models: the EView 17f flat tube and the EView 17s. The monitors are priced at $259 and $219, respectively but EMachines offers a total of $175 in rebates for the purchase of a PC and a monitor.

All five PCs come with a standard one-year warranty covering free parts, labor, and technical support; extended warranty plans are available for a fee.