In today’s world, there are more PC-building corporations than ever, and many of them quite reputable. The 6 most well-known and trustworthy PC corporations today are Alienware, Dell, Gateway, HP, IBM, and Sony. Yet there are so many options available, that sometimes it can be tough to decide which company’s computer is right for you or your family.
For desktop PC’s, Alienware carries 2 lines of gaming desktops, both of which are very expensive, starting at $1,600 for a bare minimum computer. One line is the Area-51, which carries Pentium 4 processor from Intel, and the other line is the Aurora, which carries the more powerful Athlon 64 processor from AMD. Both desktops are good for gamers and avid computer users of any age, as they can be customized down to the most minute details, such as the color of the case, keyboard, and mouse. Alienware is not known for their technical support, so don’t expect to be getting a lot of help if you do run into problems with your Alienware desktop, but you can purchase up to 3 years of onsite service, which will bring technicians to you to fix your computer’s difficulties.
Alienware also carries gaming laptops, which is great for gamers on the go. Alienware laptops carry Pentium 4 processors and pricing starts at $2,200. To find out more about Alienware computers, go to www.alienware.com, or call 1-800-ALIENWARE.
Dell also carries both desktops and laptops for the home and business. The desktops for home and home offices start at $499, and are backed by possibly the best technical support of any of the 6 companies. The line of desktops that Dell carries are Dell Dimensions, which range from the bare bones $499 Dimension 2400, to the $1,700 Dimension XPS.
For laptops, Dell has 2 lines, the Latitude, and the Inspiron. The Latitude is a business laptop, and the Inspiron, which starts at $750, is mainly used as a desktop replacement. Go to www.dell.com or call 1-800-WWW-DELL for more information.
Gateway is one of the two corporations, along with IBM, that does not let you customize your computer choice, but rather has a set array of options from which a customer may choose. Gateway carries 3 kinds of desktops, regular home desktops, gaming PC’s, and media center PC’s, which are computers used more often to listen to music and watch movies than anything else. The Gateway 310 Series starts at $499, and the prices go up from there. Gateway has exceptional support as well, and their computers are reasonably inexpensive.
As far as Gateway laptops go, there are 3 types. There is a mobile laptop, which is designed exclusively for people who travel with their computer, because it is light and small. There is also the desktop replacement, which is a larger and better-performing laptop that is meant to replace a desktop computer such as a Dell Dimension, etc. Tablet PC’s are the latest technological advance in the PC world. Tablet PC’s are no larger than a pad of paper, and they act like a large Palm Pilot, because you can write on them. You can fold these laptops so that there is no keyboard, or even take the screen right off the keyboard. You can hold it and write on it just like a pen and paper. Tablet PC’s can also be turned into a regular laptop, so they are very versatile computers for people with a need for good performance and portability. Gateway’s Tablet PC’s start at $1800, and their other laptops start at $1000. For more information about Gateway computers, visit www.gateway.com.
HP, due to its recent acquisition of Compaq, has lost much of its reputation as a computer company with great customer service, though they have vowed to focus more attention on their customers this year. Because HP bought Compaq, the company now sells both the HP Pavilion desktops, and the Compaq Presario desktops. Pavilions are basic desktop computers that start at $399, and will work for people with a moderate budget who need a computer for storing photos, or other simple tasks. Presario computers are more advanced, available with wireless internet access and other powerful features. Presarios start at $369, but if you want to have a very powerful computer, looking at the $800 customizable 8000Z series might not be a bad idea.
As far as laptops go, HP once again offers Pavilions and Presarios, each starting at a reasonable $700. Pavilions and Presarios are available as tablets, desktop replacements, and portable laptops. The Pavilion zd7000 series notebook starts at $1,250, and comes equipped with a 3.4 Gigahertz (fastest Intel makes) Pentium 4 processor. For more information about HP computers, visit www.hp.com.
IBM is the most experienced PC company of the 6 major corporations, having been around the longest. IBM’s desktop line is called the ThinkCentre, and the ThinkCentre “A” Series starts at a very reasonable $359, which comes with a 2.4 Gigahertz Intel Celeron processor, as well as IBM’s award-winning Rapid Restore software for unfreezing crashed computers.
The ThinkPad laptops that IBM produces also come with similar software, only the laptop version of Rapid Restore also shuts off the laptop if it senses the computer failing, which keeps you from losing data. ThinkPads start at $800, and the ThinkPad “X” Series is one of the lightest laptops available, weighing in at 2.7 pounds. For more information about IBM computers, visit www.IBM.com
Sony is one of the newer computer companies around, but they have proven themselves with the all powerful VAIO desktops and laptops. VAIO desktops start at $699, and the VAIO RS Series comes with a 3.2 Gigahertz Pentium 4 processor.
Sony’s laptops are the smallest in the world. The Z1 Series is about as thin as a floppy disk or 2 CDs, but is priced at a hefty $2100. Other Sony laptops start at around $1,250, but are fully equipped to any user’s needs. For more information about Sony desktops or laptops, visit www.sonystlye.com/VAIO.
