eMachines EL1200-05w

Tiny desktop, tiny price, tiny performance

WE CAN T UNDERSTAND the appeal of micropriced, microsized desktops: People want small, cheap, basic computers for doing basic things. With eMachines' latestentry in the small-form-factor category, the EL1200-05w, people will get exactly that, for just $298. But as part of the bargain, they'll get molasses-like speeds, painfully limited functionality, and nonexistent expandability.

The El1200-05w measures 10.7x4.2x15 inches (MD), and contains little more than what you'll need to push through everyday tasks: a single-core Athlon 64 2650e processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, integrated Nvidia GeForce 6150SE graphics, a 160GB hard chive, a DVDRW drive, and Windows XP Home Edition. On the front panel, you'll find a multiformat card leader, headphone and microphone jacks, and two USB 2.0 ports; on the rear panel are six-channel audio outputs, an Ethernet port, four more USB ports, VGA-out, and two legacy PS/2 ports for connecting the included old-school mouse and keyboard.

Two half-height expansion slots are basically worthless. One contains a modem, and the other isn't even linked to a slot inside the system. There's also no room for a second hard drive or more memory.This nettop isn't intended for compulsive tinkerer s, of course, although its performance at anything other than Web browsing or reading e-mail might prove problematic for others:The system's scores on our benchmark tests were among the lowest we've seen—only Asus's even smaller Eee Box lagged behind it in terms of overall slowness.



At least you get a one-year parts-and labor warranty and a fair selection of software that includes Microsoft Works 9.0 and 60-day free trials of MicrosoftOffice Home and Student 2007 and the Norton 360 security software. But you'll need to decide whether these benefits outweigh the other trade-offs you'll have to make. —Matthew Murray

www.e-machines.com

Computer Shopper January 2009