In the late 1990s several companies tried to market Internet appliances, basic boxes for e-mail and Web surfing. But the appliances never took off, because full-blown PCs got so darn cheap. And the trend continues today--take Dell's Dimension 3000, for example. With an impressive bundle that includes a 15-inch LCD and an inkjet printer, it's a great deal.
The Dell E153FPB LCD monitor, while far from top-of-the-line, is a refreshing change from the bulky, generally poor-quality CRTs that come with many budget systems. Text was sharp, images were bright, and colors looked rich. However, though the LCD makes Web browsing and text-based duties pleasant, it isn't accurate enough for color-sensitive tasks such as meticulous photo editing. As for the printer, while you do get it free, you have to shell out an additional $25 for a cable to hook it up to the PC.
Like all Dell systems, the Dimension 3000 comes with user-friendly features such as well-labeled and color-coded rear ports, a detailed setup poster, and an extensive user manual. Although Dell wasn't the top-ranking PC maker in our recent Reliability and Service survey, most of the company's reliability scores were above average. Its service scores for phone support, though, were below average.
The biggest disappointment was the system's embarrassingly slow performance. With a WorldBench 5 score of just 62, it landed about 30 points below the average for value systems on our
The integrated Intel 865G graphics system could play simple games in our tests (we used The Incredibles: When Danger Calls), but because it relies on main system memory for graphics, it was not powerful enough for more intensive titles such as Unreal Tournament 2003. In our tests playing UT, the system mustered a tepid 19 frames per second running at 32-bit color depth and 1024 by 768 resolution. Worse, the machine lacks an AGP slot for adding a graphics card that would have boosted the PC's gaming performance.
Its low price and nice LCD make the Dimension 3000 a good choice for users with modest computing needs.
Sean Captain
