After years of school and dealing with slow, outdated, hand-me-down PCs, it was finally time to upgrade my PC to a state-of-the-art machine... or at least, something close to that. Now, I am blessed with a Dell Dimension 8100 1.3 Gz Pentium 4 desktop monster.


Why Dell?

I was looking to get a quality desktop for less than $1,000.00. My budget did not include a monitor as I was planning to salvage the one from my Pentium Pro. While it would be cheaper to build my own system from scratch, with my new job, I lacked the time to indulge in such a project. So I started looking around…

My previous computer was a Dell Dimension XPS Pro 200N. Over the years, it served me well. I have never had to call Dell regarding any problems with the machine. Most of the hardware is still in the ancient desktop and runs reliably more than five years later. The only problems with the XPS Pro are (1) it uses the very outdated Pentium Pro processor, and (2) it uses the Windows 95 OS (never a good thing!). My brother also uses Dell computers, and he has had no significant problems with his machines as well. All in all, Dell has proven to be a reliable brand.

With the falling tech market, Dell has taken it upon themselves to kindly put the rest of the competition out of its misery. What does that mean for the consumer? Dell has been slashing the prices of their PCs and has been offering a string of special deals on top. Usually this means an instant rebate (if you buy the computer online) plus some other offer such as a memory upgrade or a CD-RW upgrade.


So what did I get?

I went to the Small Business section of www.Dell.com. Ordering online was a snap. The web site is nicely laid out with much information to help you in your decision. Once you choose the system, Dell caters to both computer illiterate and tech gurus in offering a multitude of options for customizing the basic system into your dream machine. In the end, I bought a Dimension 8100 with a Pentium 4 1.3 Gz processor and the following:

- 256 Mb PC600 RDRAM(special offer doubled the memory for free)
- 20 Mb Hard Disk space
- 32MB NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 4X AGP Graphics Card with TV-Out
- Integrated 3Com® EtherLink® 10/100 Ethernet Controller
- 16x Max Variable DVD-ROM (+$50.00)
- Soundblaster 64V PCI LC Sound Card (+$30.00)
- Windows Me
- Microsoft Works with MS Word, Encarta 2001, MS Money, Norton Antivirus
- 6 month free trial with AOL
- One year on-site service warranty and one year 24x7 phone support

I saved a bit of money by recycling a computer monitor and speakers. But if you wanted to get a complete set with a 17 inch monitor and Altec Lansing speakers, it would cost you an extra $160.00 and $30.00, respectively.

Base cost? $899.00. Adding the DVD-ROM and the sound card brings the price up to $979.00. Take off $100.00 (online instant rebate) and that brings me to a grand total of $879.00! Not bad, especially with the extra 128 Mb RDRAM. I realize that the specs are not that impressive, but I did have a budget. Four business days later, a big box from Dell next to my front door. No fuss, no hassles, and quick service to boot!


Design

The Dimension 8100 features a slick, black plastic case with a silver front. A 3.5 in. floppy disk drive rests on top, followed by three drive bays. The first of these was occupied by the DVD-ROM drive. The Power and Reset buttons are located below and to the right.

The back of the unit is neatly arranged. The power cord slot is separated from the other ports for computer accessories. Major ports such as for the mouse and keyboard are surrounded by bright, colorful frames that match the colored hardware connectors. With the fold out setup poster, anybody should be able to quickly get their Dell up and running. The computer comes with 4 USB ports, each with individual power lights.

Also inside the box was Dell’s Enhanced Quiet Key Keyboard. The black, plastic keyboard has the standard assortment of keys plus a sleep button (handy, I suppose, when the boss comes around while you are playing games) and web browser keys for e-mail, home page, and search page. The keyboard feels light and on the fragile side, enough so to make me paranoid about dropping it. While typing, the keyboard is beautifully responsive and the key presses are very soft – I can barely hear myself typing.

Dell also packaged in a black, two button mouse that feels even cheaper than the keyboard. The mouse looks nice and matches the style of the desktop. It works well enough, but I opted to use a Logitech MouseMan Trackball instead.


Is it a lemon?

Setting up the computer was a breeze. It actually took more time to get the computer out of the box than to set it up. Once I got it running, the computer quickly started and before long, I saw the logo for Windows Me. The machine ran like a charm. I installed various software and attached all sorts of peripherals such as my Handspring USB cradle and HP 855C printer. The Dell tolerated it with ease. I only ran into trouble when trying to get a Zoom 56K v.92 external USB modem to work. Windows Me had difficulty finding the drivers after installing them three times. But once that problem was solved, the modem also ran flawlessly.

The packaged software worked without a hitch. But none of it really tested the capabilities of the machine. The only truly graphically intensive programs I use are games. Sorting through my current stock of games, I only found one game that would test the power of Dimension 8100. I blew the dust off Ultima IX: Ascension, a game that has crushed many computers in its lifespan with its poor programming and ludicrous system requirements. Casualties included my family’s Pentium II and my brother’s Pentium III. To my surprise, Ultima IX was actually playable with game detail set to the max. While the animations were still a bit choppy, the game was not a colorful slide show. Now that was impressive!


Final Thoughts

Overall, I am very happy with the Dell Dimension 8100 1.3 Gz Pentium 4. It is a great choice for those looking for a pre-made, easy to use computer that provides fast, reliable service. It is a great choice for those looking to upgrade their current computers or for those looking to purchase a new machine for personal, home office, or business use. Even with the rapid technological advances, the Dell Dimension 8100 should be able to keep pace for a good number of years.

While the keyboard feels cheap, it works very well, especially for those who don't like the annoying click-clack from heavier keyboards. You may want to consider getting an ergonomic keyboard if you do a lot of typing; your hands will thank you for that later. I would consider replacing the pathetic mouse with something sturdier and with three buttons and a scrolling wheel (numerous models from Microsoft and Logitech are available).

Buying online from www.Dell.com was a great plus. It was simple to pick and configure a system and it gave me access to nice online-only deals. Anybody looking to purchase a Dell computer should browse through their web site; you never know what kind of sweet deals you can find!


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 879.00
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20