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With little marketing or promotion, IBM this week introduced three new PCs in its NetVista line of desktop computers. The new NetVista M Series PCs quietly appeared on Big Blue's Web site.

All three NetVista M Series systems sport Pentium 4 processors supported by Intel's 845 chip set, according to the Web site. The 845 chip set began shipping earlier in September. It enables PC makers to incorporate older SDRAM memory instead of the pricier RDRAM that shipped with all previous Pentium 4 computers.

Customizable through IBM's Web site, pricing for the NetVista M Series ranges from $1169 to $1849, according to IBM.

Many Options

The NetVista M Series' sharp-looking, dark-colored tower design, which IBM has dubbed "stealth black," can be had in three pricing categories--what the company terms economy, value, and performance models.

Economy configurations include a 1.6-GHz Pentium 4 chip, 128MB of SDRAM, a 40GB hard drive, CD-ROM, and the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system.

Value systems deliver a 1.8-GHz Pentium 4, 256MB of SDRAM, a 40GB hard drive, CD-ROM, and Windows 2000.

Performance NetVista M Series PCs pack the latest 2-GHz Pentium 4 chip, 256MB of SDRAM, a 40GB hard drive, CD-ROM, and Windows 2000.

Shifting Focus

The NetVista line is the centerpiece of IBM's PC offerings. However, the Armonk, New York-based computer maker has been steadily de-emphasizing PCs as standalone products, choosing to focus instead on overall IT service as its bread and butter, according to officials.

IBM's PC strategy is reflected in its industry ranking as a PC vendor. According to IDC research, IBM is the number-five personal computer maker in the United States by number of shipments, coming in behind Dell, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and Gateway, respectively.

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