Out of every company on the market, Dell is quite possibly the greatest provider of systems with marvelous system and tech support options.

Now, Dell has released their "Cutting-Edge Business Desktop," the Dimension 8200 Series.

System Specs and Upgrades (This is the average package)
- 2GHz Pentium 4 Processor
- 40GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive (Upgraded to 120GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with DataBurst Cache)
- 256MB PC800 RDRAM (Upgraded to 512MB)
- 19 in (17.9 in viewable) Trinitron Monitor (Upgrade to your standards)
- 16X DVD ROM Drive with Software Decoding or 48X Max Variable CD-ROM
- 64MB NVIDIA GeForce2 MX Graphics Card with TV-Out (Upgraded to GeForce3)
- Turtle Beach Santa Cruz DSP Sound Card
- Harman Kardon HK-695 Surround Sound Speakers with Subwoofer (Upgraded to Altec Lansing THX Certified ADA995 Surround Sound 5.1 Speaker System)
- Microsoft® Works Suite 2001 with Money 2001 Standard
- Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
- AND! 3Yr Ltd. Warranty- 3Yrs At-Home Service + Lifetime Phone Support

Now that is a lot of info. For those of you who don't understand a single word of that, It's top of the line. It's the current Dodge Viper (Or whatever car you please, Vipers are sleeeeeek!) of the home computer market. You want a computer to show off to your friends, this is it.

Anyway, Dell gives a great package for those who are looking for a great personal desktop. The entire system is can be upgraded to your needs. If your looking for a gaming, reference, business, or video/audio platform, the 8200 can be molded to your desires. With all possible system upgrades available on the home computer market, it's impossible for the 8200 to take a wrong turn. This package is great for first time users or veteran computer junkies. This was the first time I upgraded my processor in 4 years (400MHz to 2GHz... wow). So I am a tad biased in what I see in this computer. The applications of it are amazing, just amazing.

The only real let down, in my opinion, is the introduction of Windows XP. Windows 2000 made simple, the anarchy of it all. The fact that XP has decided not to work on certain programs designed for Win98 is also a major factor. That is very crucial for you PC owners who might be looking to upgrade and network. But, then again, it is my personal opinion.

But, all frailties mean nothing with Dell's excellent tech support. Any PC is worth buying from Dell due to it's reputation and ideal customer support. This is what catapults Dell to the top of the personal computer market.

Besides the XP let down, the 8200 provides and excellent desktop for those looking to be a part of the cutting edge.

With the full amount of upgrades, the system topped just over $3000, but the price is totally worth it.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 1500 - 2500
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 41-50