And although eMachines was practically the only cut-rate name in town when it started, Compaq , Dell , Gateway , and IBM are now in the running with similarly priced models that deliver more features and much better support. The utilitarian eTower is relatively easy to set up. The color-coded installation poster was among the best we saw. Its 19.5GB hard drive is also more generous than others in this price range. On the downside, the speakers and mouse are cheap-feeling.
All drive bays are full, and only two PCI slots are available.
From eMachines' Web site you can get answers to frequently asked questions and submit e-mail queries to technical support, but you won't find system documentation, a troubleshooting wizard, or information on driver downloads or bug fixes. And live technical assistance is limited. From the date of their first call, customers receive 15 days of free telephone support. Find out how. All Rights Reserved.