But at a manufacturer's web site or at kiosks in stores like Circuit City, you can shop by first picking the family that suits your overall needs, then having the computer configured to order. Judging from a recent survey of Consumer Reports readers, buying a computer directly from a manufacturer was a more satisfactory experience than shopping at most major retailers. To find out what each family of computers has to offer, we tested one representative model from each family offered by eight major brands. The results, presented in the Ratings , are designed to help you compare brands as well as families. Base price usually increases as you move up from one family to another, reflecting higher processor speeds, greater hard-drive capacity, and features.
Price ranges between families can overlap, though.
Entry-level models are usually housed in smallish cases, leaving fewer free bays and slots for adding drives and adapters. Some brands' midrange computers don't fit neatly into the line. Sony's PCV-L family has no free expansion slots, and its digital video jack works only with Sony digital monitors. You'll have plenty of expansion space, too. The computers we tested would be fine for most people.