Low-cost PCs reviewed

The Mac Mini's been everywhere in the tech news due to its $499 price tag, but for those not ready for total family-PC conversion," there are alternatives in the PC world, of course. The Washington Post recently took the time to answer the question of whether $500 is enough to get all a family wants from a PC, testing eight desktops - systems from Compaq, Dell, EMachines, HP, IBuyPower, Polywell, Sys Technology, and WinBook ranging from $505 to $750. Six had at least 512 MB of RAM. Bottom line: "We found many of these desktops fine for most home and office tasks, but less suitable for high-action gaming and heavy-duty graphics or audio work." Do read the article for specifics. The Post also had what I found to be the best family-oriented review of the Mini (see "Mini's ins & outs" in my newsletter).