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THE LATEST Pentium 4 processor not only passes another megahertz milestone by running at 3.06 GHz, it also introduces Intel's new hyperthreading technology to the desktop. Hyperthreading enables one processor […]

ONE-STOP SHOPPING FOR NEARLY ANY ACCESSORY No matter which Gateway ® system you use--and even if you use another vendor's--you'll find all the accessories you need from a single provider: […]

This month's Top 100 introduces an updated benchmark suite to test systems for our charts of office, home, and notebook PCs. PC WorldBench 4 runs tasks in 11 common programs […]

Eight notebook computers priced under AUS$5,000 are reviewed. The Acer TravelMate 525TVX and Compaq Armada E500 both offer excellent battery life and good overall designs, but each makes some compromises; the Acer's graphics display is weak, while the Compaq comes with only 64MB of RAM. Fujitsu's LifeBook S has a sleek, stylish design and travel weight of only 2.3kg; the 600MHz CPU is slower than competitors but adequate. Gateway's Solo 5300XL Deluxe offers good performance with its 700MHz processor and is well designed, with the exception of the touch pad which is not very sensitive. Pioneer's Powerbook is the only model to include a 1GHz processor and has an excellent feature set for only $3,999. It uses a desktop processor, which shortens battery life and runs relatively hot. Sony's VAIO FK7700K is an entertainment-oriented machine that is somewhat under-configured and suffers from poor battery life. The Toshiba Satellite Pro 4600 is very powerful but large and heavy. The Twinhead Efio 1000 uses a thin-and-light design with a travel weight of 3.15kg but lacks a CD drive, and the only floppy disk is external.

Gateway's $5,463 Select 1100 is the fastest system Australian Personal Computer has tested. The Select 1100, built around a 1.13GHz AMD Athlon processor, scored high in all benchmarks, and its components and extras are outstanding. Another system, the Apple Power Mac G4 Cube, characterized as 'fantastic looking,' is 'highly commended.'

Seven Pentium III-based systems are reviewed. Dell's Dimension XPS T550 earns the Editor's Choice rating, with Adelong's Advantage Pro MP450 a close runner-up. The Dell machine is expensive at $A5,640, but comes with a staggering bundle of top-notch hardware and software, including a huge Ultra ATA/66 hard drive and a superb Riva TNT2-based Diamond Viper V770 video card that generates top scores on graphics benchmarks. The audio subsystem is state-of-the-art, with a Sound Blaster LIve sound card and Altec Lansing's new ADA-880 satellite/subwoofer system supporting Dolby Digital surround sound. The Adelong system has a slightly slower processor than most of its competitors, but keeps up surprisingly well on benchmarks and sells for a reasonable A$2,950. Components include a 10GB hard drive and excellent Altec Lansing PowerCube ACS4.51 home-theater speaker system. The machine is among the best values for its price.

The $2,999 Gateway Solo 2500 stands out in terms of features among five notebook computers that were evaluated. The product is both affordable and impressively equipped. The $3,724 Toshiba Satellite 2520CDS/4.3 is also noteworthy. It is built around a 300MHz AMD K6 processor and comes with 64MB of system memory. The $3,595 Compaq Armada 1500C performed best. The model tested had a 300MHz Intel Mobile Celeron processor. Tips are provided for connecting to the Internet using notebook computers or mobile phones.

Compaq's Armada 1500c, Apple's Macintosh PowerBook G3 and NEC's Versa LX stand out among seventeen notebook computers are described and compared. Compaq's machine, offered for a limited time at a price of $2,316, is categorized as a Business Model. Apple's $5,495 PowerBook also as a Business Model, and NEC's $9,057 Versa as a Portable Power Model. All three are named as Editor's Choices.

Judging by recent ads, laptop computers are unobtrusive companions to people on a perpetual business trip. But according to consumer surveys, most people use a laptop computer at home--not in […]

Three hundred may have been the charm last month, but this time around vendors have settled for nothing less than 333MHz for processor speed -- going all the way to […]

Great performance for less: the revamped Celeron 333MHz steals the show whilst the Pentium 11-450 PCs are the new speed stars Of the Intel offering The fastest Pentium II chip […]

We test six super-powered portables--five with Intel's newest 300MHz mobile processor--that can put any desktop to shame The new crop of sport utility vehicles has a lot in common with […]

A survey into computer reliability and helplines found that some sales assistants were too technical when talking to customers while others did not have adequate technical knowledge. However, most recommended an appropriate machine to meet the specified requirements. Free games or larger monitors were not offered. Customers felt confident about recommending Apple, Dan, Dell, Evesham Micros, Viglen and Gateway to their friends but would not recommend Packard Bell and Time products. The same people would not buy a computer again from Comet, Currys, Dixons or PC World.

When you work from home, it's essential that you have a powerful computer. Unlike corporate workers who do only a few tasks, you publish reports, crunch numbers, build a Web […]

THIS MONTH, INTEL IS KING. The Pentium II CPU is at the heart of every system on the power chart, and only a single system--Gateway's G6-266--has a Pentium II with […]

INTEL'S PENTIUM II-266 CPU powers all five Best Buy systems this month, Pentium-MMX systems slide toward the bottom of the chart, and the middle ranks are populated by medium--to low-price […]

Product Listing Akia Tornado TX266 Akia Corp. 11406 Metric Blvd., Ste. 190 Austin, TX 78758 800-936-5481; 512-339-4804 Fax: 512-339-4886 www.akia.com Direct Price: $4,299 Dell Inspiron 3000 M266XT Dell Computer Corp. […]

Ten hardware-laden 266MHz systems shoot for the mainstream with prices of $2,399 or less. Product Listing CompUSA American A266L-SE CompUSA 14951 N. Dallas Pkwy. Dallas, TX 75240 800-266-7872 www.compusa.com Direct […]

By now you've no doubt heard the buzz about 'sub-$1000' desktop computers. Wondering whether notebook PC prices are about to fall off a cliff, too? While fringe vendors now offer […]

Now those with no more than $2000 to spend can buy a Pentium II system. While you can get the PII-233-based Micro Express MicroFlex P900D for $1899, Unicent's Avanta L233 […]

If you've been pining for a powerful system, now is the time to buy. Our chart ratings now add emphasis to features such as DVD-ROM drives, large hard disks, and […]

Intel's Deschutes CPU outraces Pentium II-300s...ever so slightly. But systems using the 333-MHz chips cost only a little more. Should you bite? BETA You've heard the song before: Intel launches […]

Notebook makers continue their never-ending race to be the first out with a high-end alternative to desktops. Emerging product lines bring ever-bigger screens, better speakers, and performance rivaling that of […]

Steeply discounted PCs pepper our chart this month--in fact, more than a third of our power systems are down $200 or more. Acma's EXP Pro, Everex's StepStation2, and Unicent's Avanta […]

You can get a lot for a little as prices fall and fall: Seven Top 20 PCs now sell for less than $1500, with two models costing only $1249 each. […]

Eight systems offer 300MHz Pentium II performance for as little as $2,600. Intel brought its 300MHz Pentium II processor out of the clean room at the same time as it […]

Amquest HyperModem AM3314E-HY Amquest Corp. 1650 Manheim Pike Lancaster, PA 17601 800-577-3335; 717-569-8030 http://www.amquestcorp.com Avg. Mail-Order Price: $183 Archtek America Corp. 18549 Gale Ave. City of Industry, CA 91748 818-912-9800 […]

Product Listing Comtrade Screamer Pro Comtrade 1215 Bixby Dr. City of Industry, CA 91745 800-969-2123; 626-961-6688 www.comtrade.com Direct Price: $3,175 Dell Dimension XPS D266 Dell Computer Corp. 1 Dell Way […]

New MMX laptops with 166-, 200-, and 233-MHz processors equal a virtual office desktop replacement. Picture this: You're 33,000 feet above sea level, packed in your seat tighter than the […]

The latest crop of powerhouse desktops aims to let you accomplish more work in less time, so you can spend more time cultivating your business. Ho-hum. You've heard it all […]

Intel's 'Tillamook' processor arrives this month in the Gateway 2000 Solo 9100--a luxury notebook with record-setting speed. Not to be left out, Sony hits the power chart with its first […]

New machines reshape this month's Top 20. Almost half the systems are new, including the first Pentium II-300s. IBM and Micron--gone from our chart for a month while they refreshed […]

Top 20 Budget Desktops The non-Intel contingent gains ground on this month's chart: Almost half our budget systems now sport processors from Advanced Micro Devices and Cyrix. But the top […]

The Quantex QP5/200 SM1 MMX soars to a number two Best Buy, combining excellent features, good support, and a strong PC WorldBench score of 230 in an attractively priced $1849 […]

Intel still dominates the power desktops chart, but competition is brewing. The AMD K6-based Nova K6-200TX landed at 15th place this month, after a $300 price cut lifted this quick […]