PC Magazine, Vol. 19 No.22
Summary of Features
Home PCs
[Editors' Choice]
Compaq Presario Compaq Presario
Apple iMac 5000 7000
Price of tested configuration (with monitor) $799 direct $1,187 direct $1,563 direct
Processor PowerPC G3/350 Pentium III/600 Athlon/900
Memory 64MB 64MB 128MB
L2 cache 512K pipeline-burst 128K pipeline-burst 256K pipeline-burst
Monitor size and manufacturer 15-inch Apple 15-inch Compaq 17-inch Compaq
Hard drive size (formatted) 7GB 20GB 30GB
Quantum Fireball Quantum Fireball
Manufacturer and model Ict15 Ict15 IBM DTLA-307030
Rotational speed (rpm) 5,400 5,400 7,200
Graphics chip set ATI Rose 128 Pro Intel 810e nVidia Riva TNT 2
Graphics memory 8MB 4MB 32MB
Optical drives CD-ROM CD-ROM, CD-RW CD-RW
Creative SB Audio
Sound card or chip Harman Kardon ESS Alegro PCI PCI 128
Speaker Apple Odyssey JBL Platinum Series JBL Platinum Series
Number of pieces 2 2 2
Motherboard manufacturer Macintosh Compaq Compaq
Chip set Macintosh Intel 810e VIA Apollo Pro 133
Network adapter Info not available SMC SMC1211TX SMC SMC1211TX
Network port location Motherboard PCI PCI local-bus card PCI local-bus card
Parallel/serial/mouse ports 0/0/0 1/1/2001 1/1/2001
USB/IEEE 1394 ports Feb-00 Apr-00 3-Apr
64-bit PCI/32-bit PCI expansion-bus slots 0/0 0/4 0/5
Front-accessible drive bays (5.25"/3.5") 0/0 2-Feb 2-Mar
Internal drive bays (5.25"/3.5") 0/0 Feb-00 Feb-00
Power-supply wattage 170 145 300
One-touch launch keys for apps/Web sites yes yes yes yes yes yes
Volume/CD control on keyboad yes yes yes no yes no
Scroll-wheel mouse no yes yes
Live technical support 24 hours, 7 days 24 hours, 7 days 24 hours, 7 days
Standard warranty on parts/labor 1 year/1 year 1 year/1 year 1 year/1 year
[Editors' Choice]
Dell Dimension Dell Dimension eMachines eTower Gateway Essential HP Pavilion
L800r 4100 633irx 667c XE763C
$899 direct $1,768 direct $900 street $799 direct $898 direct
Pentium III/800 Pentium III/866 Celeron/633 Pentium III/667 Pentium III/700
64MB 128MB 64MB 64MB 64MB
32K pipeline-burst 256K pipeline-burst 128K pipeline-burst 128K pipeline-burst 128K pipeline-burst
15-inch Dell 17-inch Dell 15-inch eMachines 15-inch Gateway 15-inch HP
9.5GB 19.5GB 19.5GB 9.5GB 14GB
Quantum Fireball Western Digital Quantum Fireball
Maxtor 31024h1 Plus Trigem WD100EB-11BHFO Ict15
5,400 7,200 5,400 5,400 5,400
nVidia GeForce2
Intel 810e GTS Intel 810 Intel 810e Intel 810
6MB 32MB 4MB 6MB 11MB
CD-ROM CD-RW CD-ROM, CD-RW CD-ROM DVD-ROM
Creative SB Audio Creative Labs Gateway AC-Link Crystal
PCI 64V Sound Blaster Live! Info not available Audio Semiconductor
None None eMachines Boston BA265 None
N/A N/A 2 2 N/A
Dell Dell Cognac Micro-Star HP
Intel 810e Intel 815 Intel 810 Intel 810e Intel 810e
None 3Com 3C905C None None None
N/A PCI local-bus card N/A N/A N/A
1/1/2001 1/1/2001 2/1/2001 0 / 0 / 0 1/1/2001
Feb-00 Feb-00 Feb-00 May-00 Feb-00
0/4 0/5 0/3 0/2 0/3
1-Jan 2-Feb 1-Feb 1-Jan 2-Jan
Jan-00 Jan-00 0/1 0/1 0/1
85 200 120 70 100
no no yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes
no no no no yes no yes yes yes no
yes yes no yes no
9:00a–1:00a, 7
24 hours, 7 days 24 hours, 7 days days 24 hours, 7 days 24 hours, 7 days
3 years/1 year 3 years/1 year 1 year/1 year 1 year/1 year 1 year/1 year
Micron Millennia
IBM NetVista A20i Max GS
$758 direct $1,706 direct
Celeron/600 Pentium III/800
64MB 128MB
128K pipeline-burst 256K pipeline-burst
15-inch IBM 17-inch Micron
10GB 29GB
Seagate
ST310212A IBM DTLA-307030
5,400 7,200
Intel 810 nVidia Riva TNT 2
8MB 32MB
CD-ROM CD-RW
On-board Creative
None Audio PCI
Altec Lansing
None ACS33W
N/A 3
IBM Tyan
Intel 810 VIA Apollo Pro 133a
Accton EN1207D-
TX SMC SMC1211TX
PCI local-bus card PCI local-bus card
1/1/2001 1/2/2001
Feb-00 Feb-00
0/3 0/6
1-Feb 2-Mar
0/2 0/3
230 300
no no no no
no no no no
no yes
24 hours, 7 days 24 hours, 7 days
3 years/3 years 3 years/1 year