From...

October 13, 1999
Web posted at: 12:09 p.m. EDT (1609 GMT)

by Alan Stafford and Andrew Brandt

(IDG) -- Celeron-based systems continue to dominate the budget chart, but two AMD K6 systems make strong showings. A well-equipped PIII-450 system, the Micro Express MicroFlex-50C, defies the trend and holds on to the top spot. Even on less-expensive systems, 17-inch monitors are becoming standard equipment, but Crossline's Endeavor BX debuts here with a 19-inch model, a hot graphics card, and a DVD-ROM drive, all for $1188.

Top 10 budget PCs

1. Micro Express MicroFlex-50C
2. Gateway E-1200 433C
3. Quantex M466-2c
4. Micro Express MicroFlex-40B
5. Axis Systems Orion LX/CVE Celeron 400
6. Dell Dimension L466c
7. MidWest Micro Office MWO-400C
8. Polywell Poly 810CW-433
9. IDot.com 400K6-2
10. Crossline Endeavor BX

MORE COMPUTING INTELLIGENCE
	IDG.net home page
PC World home page
Top 10 home PCs (November 1999)
Top 10 mid-priced PCs (November 1999)
Top 10 power PCs (November 1999)
Reviews & in-depth info at IDG.net
		IDG.net's desktop PC page
		IDG.net's portable PC page
IDG.net's Windows software page
IDG.net's personal news page
Year 2000 World
Questions about computers? Let IDG.net's editors help you
Subscribe to IDG.net's free daily newsletter for computer geniuses (& newbies)
Search IDG.net in 12 languages
News Radio
	Fusion audio primers
	Computerworld Minute

Why free PCs don't make the charts

With PCs advertised for well under $500 and scores of companies giving them away for "free," you could be excused for wondering why none of the systems in PC World's budget chart costs less than $800. The answer lies in how we calculate overall system value.

A quick glance at our charts will tell you what we look at when we evaluate a system, including performance, price, hardware extras, and vendor support policies. We don't take special service contracts into account -- such as extended for-fee warranties and Internet access contracts. That's because assigning a reliable value for these services is next to impossible. Most companies offering free or low-cost PCs require you to sign up for a multiyear Internet service contract so they can recoup the money they lose on system hardware.

The other reason you don't see any ultralow-cost systems on the Top 10 Budget PCs is much simpler: We haven't yet seen one that could make our price/performance cut. Although systems that sell for $800 to $1000 also minimize costs in a number of ways, savvy manufacturers can still create systems in that price range that you'd want to use every day. They incorporate processors that are a little slower than cutting edge; they reduce hard drive size and available RAM; and they use less-expensive peripherals, from keyboard to mouse to monitor. But on most tasks, inexpensive systems like the $863 MidWest Micro Office MWO-400C that make our budget chart do a fine job.