Desktops are not Dead

PC World notes a raft of new desktops from Gateway, HP, and Dell. These are the machines whill will drive sales in the key third quarter back-to-school season. My tip, based on following the PC market for four years, is to wait for specials beginning in the last week of July. The best deals are gone by late August.

Three of things I have noted:

• Gateway and HP are starting to ship Microsoft's Windows XP Media Edition 2005 (MC) on every desktop, even inexpensive ones. My presumption is that Microsoft cut the price of the MC OS, which used to be $5 less than XP Pro and $40 more than XP Home. The MC OS does not require a TV tuner. It will manage audio on low-end boxes. In my experience, MC is about useless without the Microsoft remote tuner and IR blaster ket ($40). I have had fun with a wireless mouse and keyboard.
• The new machines are using the BTX form factor. This requires a new motherboard layout, placing the (hot) CPU close to the cool intake air. Over all, air flow is less obstructed. With the PC majors now driving BTX components in volume, I expect hobbyists will have more options soon to build their own BTX desktop.
• Add-on memory pricing has quietly fallen to bargain levels. Two 256 MB paired sticks of name-brand DDR 400 memory for under $40! If you are a power user running XP, now is the time to upgrade to 1 GB of memory. You will be pleased.