If you have a local PC Club near you, they'll help you put together a computer, decent//good depending on price range for about 700-1000$, then they will put it together for you for 50$, I really recommend them, you get more "bang for your buck" there IMO, with friendly service.

I have an eMachine. Works fine, but (at least the model I have) uses an integrated video card, so it can't be upgraded. :sad:

What's a PC club? I've never heard of that before?? cconti, would you be able to provide links to the specs of each of the machines you're looking at along w/ their prices?

PC Club = http://www.pcclub.com/ ? :)

Any short comments on purchasing a new comouter will be helpful. So far looking at eMachine's T865, HP Pavilion a350n. Any feed back on performance & service?

I've been told eMachines are a good "bang for the buck" but put together cheaply - better get the service plan.

Thanks. :rolleyes:

The HP a350N desktop story.
It took 10 days and countless eMail (including twice with attached modem log) to get past the "Customer Support" that read your message without understanding. They only follow a computer screen. I even waited for 2 promised phone calls from real technicians to no avail. A decision was finally reached that it needed to be sent in. An exchange for the same one would have probably resulted in the same problem, since at the end I even did a destructive restore to "out of the box configuration" and the problem was there.

Problem:
If I have a file download (such as a FTP) going, and then start a task using 50% to 60% of the CPU clock cycles (remember 2.8 Ghz P4 with HT), the Winmodem gets neglected and the server stops sending data. Then when its wait timer runs out because of "no activity" it disconnects, but my computer thinks the modems still hooked up. Also I noticed that when I watch the Performance monitor that shows CPU usage when I initiate a call on the modem, I wind up with 40% CPU usage spikes. That is almost 1Ghz of CPU cycles. If I have a task running using 50% - 60% of the CPU cycles I cannot establish a connection with my ISP.
After FedEx picked up the package on 11/7, for the next 10 days on the website HP provided to me to track the status of my repair, showed "no return date available", "awaiting arrival of the unit". The web site stated 9 days door to door service.
The first call on 11/14 to customer service 800# with someone that made spoken communication nearly impossible because of his poor English, all I got from the guy was soon, and when asked what that meant all I got "don't worry, SOON". On 11/17 I got someone that actually spoke clear English. He was helpful, put me on hold while he checked somewhere and said 2 or 3 days more. On 11/21 I called, told them I am excersizing my "if not fixed in a reasonable time 100% purchase price refund within 90 days" option. "I cannot authorize that", I said "your supervisor please". He didn't know such a warranty existed, after reading it to him he wanted me to fax it to him. I said I can't because my fax computer is the one in your computer hospital. They wanted to talk me into continue to wait, but I insisted "I want my money back". So he said he will pass it on to the QA department, and someone will call within 24 hours, which was never received.

On it went, until finally in the week of 12/7, the website got changed to expect delivery 12/18. On 12/12 I got the computer back. The hard drive and video card were replaced. No explaination as to why. Upon testing the problem was still there. Another call to customer care, resulted in another promise of a phone call. I finally found a website for HP CEO Carly Fiorina, and sent her an email. Next day I got a phone call from QA. Bottom line, HP says the computer works as advertised. I cannot expect the P4 running at 2.8Ghz to handle the Winmodem and do another task that takes 50% CPU time. If I want to fix that problem "go spend $30 and buy a hard modem."

This is my third and last HP. Anyone that I know will get strong advice to that effect also.

PC Club = http://www.pcclub.com/ ? :)

Yes, what Gary said. :P

Roll your own:
1. Cheaper
2. More bang for your bux
3. Better performance
4. More knowledge
5. Pride
6. Ability to upgrade
7. Etc, etc, etc

Buy a machine
1. 2-20% profit to manufacturer and retailer.
2. Emachines, do they have AGP slot yet? Stuck with built-in video.
3. If I fix/upgrade it, am I voiding the warranty?
4. Have to kiss the rear of we who built their own.
5. Having friends over to show them your Hewlett/Packard/Compaq or Emachine and having them say, "So?".