IBM's Aptiva uses K6-166, CPQ's Presario uses K6-233, Acer's Aspire uses K6-233, Part II
The E16 will have plenty of competition: By the time you read
this, Acer, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and Packard Bell should
be shipping new sub-$1000 systems. Most are also without
monitor--but not surprisingly, the more expensive ones offer
heftier configurations.Acer's $999 Aspire 1810M (sold at
Walmart only) is based on AMD's K6-233 processor and
comes with a 2GB hard drive, 32MB of RAM, a 12X-24X
CD-ROM drive, a 33.6-kbps modem, and a 14-inch monitor.
Compaq's $999 Presario 4540 comes with an AMD K6-233
chip, a 3.2GB hard drive, and 32MB of RAM.Also, Monorail's
$999 Model 7400 sports a Pentium MMX-166 processor and
has a built-in SVGA color LCD screen with a 10.4-inch
viewable area.
Matching the E16 with $799 price tags (also sans monitor) are
HP's Pentium MMX-200-based Pavilion 3260 and Acer's
AMD K6-233-based Aspire 1822.Both have 16MB of RAM;
the Pavilion comes with a 2.1GB hard drive, an 8X-16X
CD-ROM drive, and a 56-kbps modem; the Aspire has a 2GB
hard drive, a 12X-24X CD-ROM, and a 33.6-kbps modem. But
if you've been waiting for an affordable IBM, the E16 fits the
bill.
Aptiva E16
PRO: IBM brand for breakthrough $799 price.
CON: Doesn't include monitor, has limited software bundle.
VALUE: Steady performer.
IBM Corp.
800/426-7235 ext. 4340
Street price: $799 (without monitor) |
