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18th
AUG

Dell OptiPlex¿ GX520 (98548) PC Desktop

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Posted by Jay under PC Desktops

The Dell OptiPlex GX520 Desktop Personal Computer — 1GB RAM; 8 USB Ports Pros: extremely quick multitasking made very easy no delays very compactCons: limited room for expansionThe Bottom Line: This is an excellent computer due to its speed multi-tasking functionality and ability to run huge programs. The Dell OptiPlex GX250 Desktop Personal Computer Welcome to the year 2006. I finally upgraded from a Dell Dimension XPS R450 (Pentium II) after being forced to work with it for over 2 years. It was getting quite slow and there were several programs that I wanted to be able to upgrade to which simply wasn’t feasible with my now dinosaur. This is where the Dell OptiPlex GX520 entered into my life and made me quite a happy person. The OptiPlex actually comes in three different formats designed to cater to many different types of users. It also depends on your preference for size and capabilities to improve on your system as time goes by. They offer the GH520 in a Mini-Tower version a smaller Desktop version and an even smaller Small Form Factor version. I ended up with the Desktop version because it was going to fit all of my needs better than the other ones for the time being. So What Is It and How Much Did You Pay For It? When purchasing the new computer there were a few key things that I was looking for. I wanted something that was going to be quite fast would allow me to work on many programs simultaneously without crashing or slowing down and that would allow me to use some rather large programs (DreamWeaver being one of them). Plus with the new system it would be a nice added benefit if it didn’t take up too much desk space so of course that came into consideration with the whole process. In the end we went with the Dell OptiPlex at a little less than $900.00 and thus far I have been quite happy with the purchase. This was with a discount that they were offering and it does not count the monitor which was added on a little later. The bare bones system of the GX520 sells for $501.00 as I saw the other day which isn’t too bad if you are looking for a new system. Bumping it up in software as well as tools pushed me closer to the $900.00 plateau (with a $100 discount). If you are interested in the particular monitor I went with it is the E196FP Dell 19-inch Flat Panel Monitor. It is very sleek and has really dressed up my workspace. So What Does It Do and How Does It Work? Operating on Widows XP Professional and using Service Pack 2 the computer comes with a Graphics Memory of 224 MB. The Physical Memory of this system is 1024 MB using the Pentium 4 processor and a processing speed of 800 MHZ. The OptiPlex has an Intel 82945g Express Chipset Family Accelerator and really springs to life when you are running applications on it. It operates on a 3.40 GHz has the Pentium 4 650 processor 1 GB of RAM with which to work with. This excess storage space serves as an asset when it comes to dealing with many internal files and all of these intangibles add up to being one quick computer. It is astonishing how much faster this one is compared to my last one and it is so much better not having to deal with the constant delays between using one program and loading up another one. As I had mentioned with the smaller size desktop option the potential for upgrades becomes somewhat limited. On the front is the 48X CD-ROM Drive and a second storage area where a zip drive or burner could go but as of yet I haven’t taken advantage of that second drive. Instead I will be using an external USB drive to transport files from one computer to the next. This method is much easier for me and already being in possession of an external zip drive there was no real reason to splurge and get one on this computer with the purchase. It won’t be too hard to add one on at a later date if the idea so hits me though. The additional space saver is that the drives are turned sideways so that you are saving even more inches. Inside the computer we have the 80GB SATA and 8MB DataBurst Cache boot hard drive which takes up most of the space that is available to the small box. So What Does It Look Like? The dimensions of the box measure out to 15.6 inches tall and 4.5 inches wide with a diameter of 13.7 inches. You can see by this that it is pretty small and next to my 19 inch monitor it appears to be even smaller. It has 2 card slots which allow 2 low-profile PCI cards inside the machine. On the back there are enough ports to satisfy all of the computer nerds out there. It has 1 VGA port 1 serial port 1 parallel port a RJ-45 network port and 6 additional USB ports to go wild with. It also has the three sound jacks (microphone stereo in and stereo out) so that you can pump up the volume with the systems bells and whistles. If that isn’t enough for you there are also 2 additional USB ports on the front console along with a stereo out and headphones jack. This gives the computer a lot of functionality and allows you to hook up many external USB devices simultaneously. I can tell you that this is a blessing because it means when I am plugging in various toys I don’t have to worry about unplugging some of the others. So What Else Do I Get With the OptiPlex CG520? Despite not ordering the monitor straight up with the system there was still a lot that I got with the computer. First of all they include a Dell USB 2-Button Entry Mouse with Scroll Button and a Dell USB Keyboard to get you up and running. This keyboard is really something else too and is quite spectacular in appearance. It has a lot of usability that I haven’t even quite figured out just yet. It comes with a 90 McAfee Security Center this one has a 3-year on-site hardware warranty Windows XP Professional SP2 with Media and of course all the internal hardware I touched on in my review already. There are options like DVD Drives Super Drives and Zip Drives that you can order with the system but they do cost extra and you need to figure out just want you want (or need) in order to get by. I think mine is pretty well decked out for my needs and having it be so miniscule in size does not hurt either. So How Do I Really Feel About the Dell OptiPlex GX520? If you hadn’t guessed by now I am quite happy with the system that I now have. Using programs like Adobe Reader 7.0 the Internet Explorer and all of my Microsoft Programs has become far less of a chore now that I have a computer that can keep up with my constant alt-tabbing. It’s interesting because I had been used to the delay and actually calculated it into how I did things. I would have to time one page to load and be ready while I did the something on a second page in the hopes of having no down time. With this computer that down time is a thing of the past and it has quickly becomes my new best friend when it comes to anything computer related. The mouse movements are just as quick and when I am using that as well as keystrokes to work through applications and web-sites I am very pleased with how quickly it works. The sound card works great and keeps my ears happy for the music-playing and with the 8 total USB ports available this little system has everything I have ever wanted in a computer. The only potential downside you could find is that there is no monitor with the system. By finding one to suit your needs though it will quickly abate that problem and thus leads me to a high recommendation of the Dell OptiPlex GX520. A rather large bonus is that you can get one of these systems for less than $1000.00 if you are creative in your approach. If you are looking for a desktop computer that is going to operate with a lot of speed but not take up too much room this is the perfect solution. Recommended:Yes Amount Paid (US$): 892.00Operating System: WindowsProcessor: OtherProcessor speed: 801-900Internal Storage: CD-ROM

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18th

Dell Dimension 4400 (A-D0314) PC Desktop

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Posted by Noel under PC Desktops

Dell Dimension 4400 - I Love This Computer Pros: Reliable computer. You can customize to get the computer you want.Cons: NoneThe Bottom Line: The Dell Dimension 4400 is the best computer I’ve had. If you watch for specials you can get a computer within your budget from Dell. I have been using computers for several years but I am far from an expert. I don’t normally write reviews in this area but I am so pleased with this computer I wanted to write about it. I hope I haven’t missed anything. Please let me know in a comment if I have. For the last few years I have been using a computer that I hated. When I got it it didn’t have everything I wanted - mainly the amount of RAM - but I settled for a computer that was on sale. It was a good price. The computer wasn’t good though. I had trouble with it right from the start. I don’t know how many times I had to reformat it. I did have a rescue CD with that computer so that did make the reformatting easier but it was still a pain. Also I didn’t have a separate Windows 98 CD or different CDs for drivers for some things in my computer like the modem and CD-ROM drive. All of that stuff was on the rescue CD. So one time when I messed up big time my accidentally deleting my modem driver - I was having internet problems at the time and trying to fix that when I hit the wrong button - the only way to fix it was to use the rescue CD and reformat the computer. I was fed up with all the problems with that computer. In December of 2001 I started doing some research on a new computer. I knew basically what I wanted in a new computer so I was mainly comparing prices. I had decided that I wanted either a Gateway or a Dell. I kept checking the sites for both computers and after a few months of comparing prices I decided on a Dell Dimension 4400. When I went to the Dell site www.dell.com I started with the base model for the Dimension 4400 series and customized it to get the features I wanted. There were a few things I absolutely wanted on the computer and I wasn’t going to change my mind about them. I was more flexible on some other things. I did know I wanted to get the most I could get within my price range. I want this computer to last me a long time and I took that into consideration when making some of my choices. When I ordered my Dell there were a few specials going on that I took advantage of. MY COMPUTER The Dell Dimension 4400 computer is midnight grey in color. The monitor keyboard mouse speakers and CPU are all midnight grey in color. The CPU is a tower. The tower and monitor both weigh about 40 pounds. I can’t remember the exact weights now. The tower is the same height as the 17-inch monitor. My computer looks like the picture that Epinions has for the Dell Dimension 4400 with one difference. The computer in the picture has four drives on the CPU. Mine has three. I have a one year-limited warranty. I also got a $75 mail in rebate on the system. Once I received my computer I had to go to the Dell site to download the rebate form. I had some trouble finding the form so I sent an email to Dell. They answered me within a few hours with the URL to the page where I could find the rebate. My Dell Dimension 4400 has a 1.6 GHz Pentium 4 Processor. I could have chosen a faster processor but I decided this one would be fine. The computer is very fast in loading programs and doing different tasks. The installation of new programs is done in no time at all. My experiences in the past with two different computers greatly influenced my thinking when I decided on the size of the hard drive and the amount of RAM. The hard drive was completely full on my third computer and the RAM was upgraded as much as it could be. Once the computer got to that point it was locking up on me constantly. Even though I saved often I still lost parts of papers for school when that happened. With my last computer I didn’t get as much RAM as I originally wanted and I regretted it almost from the day I got it. I had problems because of the amount of RAM not being high enough. I even upgraded the RAM once and it still didn’t help. For my Dell Dimension 4400 I wanted to make sure I would have enough RAM to run any program I wanted and a big enough hard drive so I wouldn’t have to worry about running out of hard drive space any time soon. I decided on an 80GB RPM Ultra ATA hard drive and 512MB DDR SDRAM. A 3.5 inch floppy drive comes standard with the Dell Dimension 4400. When I ordered my computer there was a special going on where you could choose a free DVD-ROM drive or a CD-RW drive. I definitely wanted the CD-RW drive and I also wanted the DVD-ROM drive too. I used the option to get a 16x DVD-ROM and the decoding software for the drive. Then I added a 24x/10x/40x CD-RW with Roxio Easy CD Creator 5 to the optional second CD-ROM drive bay. A program called Dell Jukebox by Music Match was also included. That program pops up when an audio CD is put in the CD-RW to play. I have used both drives since I got the computer. DVDs and CDs play wonderfully on the Dell Dimension 4400. I have burned a few CDs with this computer. I wasn’t sure what I was doing but there were very good instructions so I had no trouble burning CDs. It didn’t take long to burn the CDs either. I have also formatted a few CDs for saving data files. I didn’t have any trouble with that or saving some files to a blank CD-RW. There was an option to add a zip disk but I didn’t think I needed that since I was getting the CD-RW. My Dell Dimension 4400 has a 64MB NVIDIA GeForce2 Mx graphics card with TV-out. I don’t really know what that means but the graphics are wonderful on this computer. I had trouble with a game not running right on my old computer because of the graphics card. That game runs with no problems on this computer and the graphics are great. A friend who knows a bit more about computers than I do did say that it would be a good idea to get a 64MB graphics card. For the monitor I picked a 17-inch monitor (15.9 in viewable). I had been thinking that a flat screen monitor would be nice since it would take up less space and be lighter but in the end I decided on a regular monitor. I had a 15-inch monitor on my old computer and I decided that I wanted a bigger monitor this time. I spent a lot of time using a computer at work too. That computer is so out of date and slow it isn’t funny but it does have a nice 17-inch monitor. I got use to that monitor at work so my 15-inch seemed small here at home. Also the flat screen monitor was a bit more expensive and I decided I didn’t want to pay extra for a flat screen monitor. The picture on this monitor is beautiful. The picture is sharp and clear no matter what I am doing - playing a game playing a DVD surfing the net or using some other program. DVDs look great when played on this computer. The power button is on the front of the monitor at the bottom where it is easy to get to. The power button was on the back of my last monitor. There are also four buttons on the front of the monitor to adjust the color brightness and a few other options. I haven’t had to adjust any of the settings on the monitor. My Dell Dimension 4400 has Integrated ADI 1885 Audio and Harman Kardon HK-206 Speakers. I have no idea what that means but the sound is great. I have played a few audio CDs on this computer and they sound terrific. The speakers have a full rich sound. The sound quality produced is very good. I can pick up on little things in the songs that may not be obvious at first or that I don’t hear on my CD player. This computer has better sound than my CD player. There are two speakers. They are rather small but they do put out a lot of sound. I’ve never had the volume all the way up on them. On one of the speakers there is a small knob that you turn to turn the speakers on and to adjust the volume. When the speakers are on there is a little green light that is on. I have one speaker on each side of my monitor but the cords for them are longer so you could have them farther apart if you wanted to. I do still have to connect to the internet through a dial up connection so I needed the computer to have a modem. It is a V.90 PC Interface Data/Fax Copper Modem. Since I live out in the boonies and the phone lines out here are lousy I can’t connect that fast. I am still connecting at the same speed I was on my old computer but pages are loading faster for me now. I did choose to add a 10/100 PCI Fast Ethernet NIC to my computer because cable and DSL internet are now available where I live. If I switch over to one of those later this computer will be ready. On the front of the CPU there is this little flap thing that lifts up. Under there is a jack for head phones and a USB port. On the back of the CPU there are two more USB ports for a total of three. Right now I don’t have anything that uses the USB ports so three of these ports are plenty. Someone that has many things to hook up to the computer through USB ports may need more than three of these ports so a Dell Dimension 4400 may not be a good choice for them. I can’t remember for sure now but I don’t think you can change the number of USB ports when customizing a Dimension 4400. I got a normal keyboard. It is called a Dell Enhanced Quiet Key Keyboard. It is very quiet when I’m typing things. My old keyboard was very loud especially when I was typing faster. I can type fast so my old keyboard frequently made a lot of noise. This one makes hardly any at all even when I am typing faster. The keyboard does have a few extra buttons on it shortcut buttons for email search and something else. Those three buttons are above the function keys. I don’t know how they work because I’ve never used them. There is also a button between the F10 button and the Print Screen button that has a picture of a moon on it. I’ve never used that button either. My Dell Dimension 4400 has a mouse with a scroll wheel. I’ve never used a mouse with a wheel before so I had no idea how I would like that but I figured if I hated it I just wouldn’t use the wheel part. Well after one night of surfing using the wheel I was hooked on using it. I really like that and I wonder how in the world I managed without one for so long. The next day at work several times I caught my fingers automatically trying to move the wheel and I was trying to figure out why the screen wasn’t scrolling. The mouse on my computer at work has no wheel. A midnight grey mouse pad with the URL for Dell also came with the computer. Some software did come with the Dell Dimension 4400. It came with Symantec Norton Antivirus 2002 EM Package Dell Picture Studio for Windows XP Works Suite 2002 Quicken Tax Suite 2002 and AOL 7.0. I have no need for AOL since I’m happy with my current internet provider. Also there is no local access number for AOL where I live. The Works Suite 2002 includes six programs - Microsoft Picture It! Photo Streets & Trips 2002 Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Standard 2002 Microsoft Money 2002 Standard Microsoft Works and Microsoft Word. CDs for each of the programs came with the computer. The programs were installed by Dell but I discovered for a few of them I needed to put the CD in to install some other component. For the Streets & Trips program to work the CD must be in the drive. I had a choice between Windows XP Home Edition and Professional Edition. I choose the Home Edition because I didn’t think I would need the Professional Edition. I did receive a Windows XP CD. I also received several different CDs containing drivers and things that were installed by Dell. There is an owner’s manual that covers things like installing printers solving problems adding parts and contacting Dell. SHIPPING I ordered my Dell Dimension 4400 on a Monday. I was given an order number so I could track the progress of my computer which I did several times. I was anxious to get it once I ordered it. By Thursday morning it had shipped out by UPS. By Friday evening it was an hour away but I had to wait until Monday to get my new computer because UPS doesn’t deliver on Saturdays. Shipping charges were added to the cost of my computer but the mail in rebate I got covered almost all of the shipping cost. Sometimes Dell will offer free shipping on certain computer systems. Just keep your eyes open and watch for the commercials or check the website every so often. The computer arrived in three boxes. Two were rather large and heavy and the third was small and light weight. The monitor was in a box by itself. It was packed well and not damaged in any way. The tower keyboard mouse and CDs that came with the computer were in the other large box. That box was also well packed so the tower keyboard and mouse were well protected. The third small box contained the speakers. SET UP The Dell Dimension 4400 is very easy to set up. A large poster illustrating how to connect everything comes with the computer. Even without the poster it is easy to set up and connect everything. The cables are color coded with the spaces on the back of the computer where they plug in. So if you have a cable with a purple end on it you plug it into the purple space on the back of the computer. People who have never hooked up a computer before should have no trouble with the Dell Dimension 4400. I had it up and running in just a few minutes. It actually took me longer to unhook my old computer untangle the cords and move it out of the way. When I turned on my Dell Dimension 4400 for the first time it loaded up very quickly. It took me few a few things to get the computer set up like registering my copy of Windows XP that just took a few minutes and were very easy to do. I didn’t have to register the computer itself. There is a service tag number for the computer so if I have to contact technical support at Dell about something they can identify the computer by the tag number. The first time Windows XP loaded it recognized my printer a Lexmark z22. A window popped up saying that Windows as detected a new device - I can’t remember exactly what it said now but it was something like that. I was able to click on a button and Windows XP installed the driver from my printer. I never had to put in the CD that contains my printer driver. I was taken though the set up procedure for my printer and it was ready to print in a few minutes. The first time I tried to print it didn’t do anything. I had to go in Control Panel to Printers and other Hardware to change the default printer from the internal fax to my Lexmark z22. That just took me a few minutes to do and I haven’t had any other problems with the printer. I have printed several documents since then with no trouble. I haven’t had any trouble using Windows XP. It is a little different from Windows 98 what was on my old computer but I have gotten use to Windows XP. It has taken me a few minutes to find some things in Windows XP like how to get to the Control Panel but I have always figured it out without too much trouble. Before I got my Dell Dimension 4400 I heard from someone I work with that many of his programs wouldn’t work on his computer after he upgraded to Windows XP. So I was a little worried about that. When I started installing programs only one of them wouldn’t work on my new computer. All my other programs installed for me with no trouble. Installing programs is quick and easy on the Dell Dimension 4400. I can have a program up and running in just a few minutes. The game that I had trouble with on my old computer works just fine on this one. I love my new Dell Dimension 4400. It is the best computer I have ever had or even used. It has been very dependable and reliable since I’ve had it. I haven’t had any trouble at all with it. I’m thrilled to have a computer that will do what I want it to without giving me all kids of errors and illegal operations. I had to put up with that so much on my old computer that I got to the point where I expected the errors and lock ups. Now I don’t have that problem anymore. A Dell computer can be expensive but if you do as I did and watch their site for a while for specials you can get a good price for what you want. You can go with one of their standard models or customize to get the computer you want. A person could go overboard and end up with a very expensive computer because of all the options but if you are careful you can get the system you want at a price you can afford. Just know what your price range is and stick to it. You may need to compromise on a few options. Or you may be able to get a bit more than you originally thought if there is a special going on. Dell seems to offer different sales and specials at different times. If there isn’t any kind of sale when you first check the site just be patient and keep checking back. I would definitely recommend a Dell Dimension 4400 computer and I wouldn’t hesitate to get another one. I am very pleased with this computer and don’t regret getting it at all. Www.dell.com www.dell.com/tv support.dell.com 1-888-799-3355 - You can order a computer from this number talk to someone about the status of your order and a few other things. 1-800-915-3355 - This number was on one of the pages I printed out when I was customizing my computer. I’m not sure if it is for customer support or ordering or both. 1-800-317-3355 - Fax number Dell Computer Corporation One Dell Way Round Rock Texas 78682 Computer Related Reviews Dell XPS 210 Computer ~ Lexar JumpDrive Secure II 256 MB USB 2.0 Flash Drive ~ Lexmark X5150 Printer ~ Lexmark z22 Printer ~ Recommended:Yes Amount Paid (US$): 1200Operating System: WindowsProcessor: OtherProcessor speed: over 1000RAM: More than 256Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVDHard Drive (GB): Over 50

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18th

Dell XPS¿ 210 (DXPS210SP) PC Desktop

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Posted by John under PC Desktops

Dell XPS 210 - Another Great Dell Computer Pros: Small tower. Can be customized. Easy to set up. Runs well.Cons: No way not to have AOL or Earthlink included.The Bottom Line: The Dell XPS 210 is a very good dependable computer that I am very happy with. I am far from a computer expert even though I have been using them for many years and have owned several. I decided that I wanted to venture into this area again because I have been very pleased with my newest computer a Dell XPS 210 desktop computer. In early April of 2002 I got a Dell Dimension 4400 Computer computer after a few years of using a computer that I absolutely hated and had nothing but trouble with. I didn’t have any trouble with the Dell Dimension 4400 and I have remained happy with the decision to get that computer. After almost five years of use the computer was still working well though it was getting to the point where I was limited on programs I could install even after adding more RAM and updating the video card. After how happy I was with that computer I had no doubts about getting another Dell and I starting checking their website for sales and specials. I took advantage of a special earlier this year and got the Dell XPS 210. Every so often I had been going to the Dell website to check out the computers and see if there were any good specials going on. When I decided to go ahead and get another computer I went to the website started with one of the XPS 210 systems that were available at the time and then made a few changes. My Computer The CPU for the Dell XPS 210 is silver and white in color. It is a tower that is much smaller and lighter than my last computer. There is a small front panel door that covers the DVD +/-RW drive the optional floppy drive or media card reader slot headphone and microphone connectors an IEEE 1394 connector and two USB 2.0 connectors. The door has to be opened to gain access to those things. When it is open the door is raised up and sort of lays parallel to the top of the CPU without actually touching it. I tend to leave the door up so I can easily get to the DVD+/-RW drive or one of the USB ports if I need to. There are two more USB connectors on the back of the CPU in addition to the ones used to connect the keyboard and mouse. There is also another connection for a microphone on the back of the CPU. With this computer I didn’t pay extra for a keyboard that had any kind of short cut buttons on it like for accessing email or something. My previous computer had those and I never used them so I didn’t see the need for them on this one. I do think this keyboard is slightly louder than the keyboard for my last computer but it isn’t so loud that it bothers me. The keyboard is black and the USB optical mouse is silver and black. The mouse has two buttons and a scroll wheel something I quickly got use to using with my last computer. I haven’t had any problems with the mouse acting up like would happen with my old computer when the little ball in that mouse would get dirty. A Dell mousepad was included though I still use one that has a gel wrist support. The Dell XPS 210 system that I choose came with a 250 gig hard drive. That was the smallest size hard drive available for this model. If I remember correctly there was one or two larger hard drive sizes that could be chosen as well. The computer has an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.86 GHz processor. Intel developed the dual core technology of two computational units in one CPU. The dual core technology allows for increased multitasking ability and makes the computer more efficient. Windows XP Service Pack 1 or later is set up to work with dual core and hyper threading another Intel technology that has one processor functioning like two. The book that came with my computer said that not all programs will work properly with dual core or hyper threading without an update. I haven’t had problems with any of my programs working on this computer. 1 GB of dual channel DDR2 SDRAM was what the Dell XPS 210 was set to come with originally. Before I got my first Dell computer in 2002 I had a computer that didn’t have enough RAM which caused me many problems and headaches. I learned from that experience and made sure I got a lot more RAM to avoid that type of issue with my first Dell. I decided that I wanted to get more RAM with this system as well since I plan to have it for several years. I ended up deciding to get 4 GB of dual channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667 MHz. The RAM is in four one GB DIMMs. As far as I know that is the most RAM this system can have. My Dell XPS 210 has an 8X DVD+/-RW drive. The drive slides out vertically which was a bit different for me. There is a little spindle like thing in the center of the drive that keeps the discs in place when they are inserted. It is easy to put the discs in place and also to remove them. I have played a few DVDs on the computer since I got it without any problems. The movies loaded up and played fine with wonderful picture quality. I have also played some CDs with no trouble. The computer came with Roxio Creator and Roxio My DVD Plus for burning CDs and creating DVDs. I have burned a few CDs as well as saved some data files to a CD since I got this computer. I had no trouble with either process. I haven’t attempted to save anything to a DVD disc yet. Since I do like to play a couple of games that require better graphics cards for the best performance I decided to pick a better graphic card. I decided on the 256MB ATI Radeon X1300. I have only played a few games on the Dell XPS 210 since I got it and I haven’t had any issues with them. I haven’t installed The Sims 2 on this computer yet but I expect for the graphics to look much better when I do. I also expect to be able to see the cut scenes that I wasn’t able to see on my last computer because that graphic card wasn’t powerful enough to handle them. I can’t remember now what sound card the computer has. I don’t remember if I changed it from the integrated 7.1 channel audio or not. The computer did come with Sound Blaster Audigy software that offers a lot of options for adjusting the sound. I have two small speakers and a subwoofer. The sound quality has been very good for the things I’ve played on the computer or listened to online. The Dell XPS 210 has an integrated 56k data fax modem. Since I now have cable internet I have not used the modem. It also came with integrated 10/100 ethernet. I don’t know if the ethernet is needed for DSL connections like it is for cable or not. It was very easy to hook the cable modem up to the computer. I did have a little bit of trouble getting my internet to work at first but that was because the installation disc I had was out of date. I just had to pick up a new disc at my local cable office and I had no more trouble with the internet connection. I had been wanting a flat panel monitor for years so I made sure to get one with the Dell XPS 210. When I got my first Dell in 2002 the prices for that type of monitor were still much higher which was why I didn’t get one then. I choose a 19-inch plat panel monitor that I have been very happy with. One of my cats hasn’t been as happy with the change since she use to nap on top of the old monitor. I love how much lighter the new monitor is in comparison with my previous monitors. I can easily move this one and can even pick it up with one hand if needed. There was no way that was happening with my old monitor. This monitor has beautiful color and a very crisp clear picture. The monitor came with a DVI cable and a VGA cable. Only one of the cables is used to connect the monitor to the CPU. I used the DVI cable. When I got the Dell XPS 210 I was still able to get Windows XP Media Edition 2005. It can be upgraded to Windows Vista but I am in no hurry to do that. XP works fine for me and I’ve never had any problems with it. XP has a power management feature that if used will cause the computer to use less electricity when it is on but not actively being used. The computer can be put in standby or hibernate mode to save power. Standby mode was already activated when I got my computer and I have left it on. After a certain amount of time the monitor and hard drive are turned off. Moving the mouse or hitting a button on the keyboard restores the computer to the state it was in before entering standby. I haven’t used the hibernate mode. According to the manual the power button has to be pressed to end hibernate mode and it could take a little while to return to the state it was in. Some other software came on the computer. There were other programs that I could have had added to the system but I really didn’t need any of them. It did come with Norton Internet Security with a fifteen month subscription for updates Microsoft Works 8 and a few other useful things like the Roxio software for burning CDs. Unfortunately the computer also came with AOL and Earthlink. I had no need for either since I already have cable internet with my local cable company. There was no way to get the system without AOL and Earthlink which I find highly annoying. I did remove those things but it took a little bit of time to get them off. Set Up It was very easy to set up the Dell XPS 210. A poster came with the computer that illustrated how the cables would connect to the back of the CPU. The connectors on the cables were also color coded to match the ports that they plug in to. It only took me a couple of minutes to get everything connected and hooked up. The Dell XPS 210 loaded up very quick the first time I started it. I did have to register my copy of Windows XP something that only took a few minutes. There is a sticker on the CPU that has the Windows Product key on it. There is also a sticker with a service tag number if I ever need to call Dell support or use support.dell.com. The computer is very quiet while it is on and I haven’t heard any kind of sounds coming from the CPU. Installing my programs was very quick and easy. I did have a little bit of trouble when I went to install the drivers for my printer a Lexmark X5150 Printer but that was my fault because I grabbed the wrong CD at first and was trying to use the one for Mac computers. Once I realized my mistake and got the right CD it only took a minute or two for the printer drivers to be installed. The printer has worked fine with this computer. I have been able to scan items with the printer and save them on the computer as well. I never had tried to use the fax feature on the printer. I have also used my Lexar JumpDrive Secure II 256 MB USB 2.0 Flash Drive to copy some files from my old computer to this one. I have also been using the Lexar JumpDrive to back up my reviews. I believe that the information on the drive is access faster since this computer has the USB 2.0 connections. I haven’t had any problems using the drive with this computer. So far I haven’t had any problems with any of my programs not working right on my Dell XPS 210. I believe that all of the programs I have installed so far were made to work with Windows XP. When I got my first Dell I did have one or two older programs that wouldn’t work with XP. I still have some programs that I haven’t installed yet but I don’t anticipate any problems with installing or running them. All of the programs I use load up very quickly. Several of them load up faster than they did on my previous Dell. The start up for the computer itself is faster as well. The computer hasn’t crashed or locked up once since I got it. I ordered my Dell XPS 210 from the Dell website. People can also call a toll free number and order a Dell system that way. It didn’t take me long to find the system I was interested in and make a few changes. The process was easy to follow and I didn’t have any problems with placing the order. I received an email confirming the order and had the ability to track the progress of the computer until it was delivered. I was able to take advantage of a special for free shipping when I ordered my computer. I can’t remember exactly now but I think it took just over a week from the time I placed the order to getting the computer by UPS. I have been very happy with my Dell XPS 210 since I got it. I have had very good experiences with Dell computers and I would definitely get another in the future. www.dell.com support.dell.com Computer Related Reviews Dell Dimension 4400 Computer ~ Lexar JumpDrive Secure II 256 MB USB 2.0 Flash Drive ~ Lexmark X5150 Printer ~ Lexmark z22 Printer ~ Recommended:Yes Amount Paid (US$): 1900Operating System: WindowsHard Drive (GB): Over 50