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Associated more with paperclips than PCs, office supply specialist Staples is sure to spark interest with its latest offering.
Boasting a 2GHz Pentium 4 processor and 512MB of memory, the Cybercom 2000 Series III comes in at just £699.
Built by Medion, which itself has passed some superb systems through the Computeractive labs, the Cybercom is easy on the eye, sporting a tidy mini-tower case finished with a splash of blue.
The front sports speedy CD-RW and separate DVD-Rom drives, a floppy drive and two USB sockets for easy peripheral connection. Two more USB ports can be found at the rear, along with a pair of serial sockets and a parallel port.
It's nice to see the system is supplied with a bona fide Microsoft IntelliMouse.
While the keyboard is fairly lightweight and generic, it is at least an internet model, with short cuts for calling up your browser, email, search and soundcard volume.
The first catch comes with the monitor - there isn't one. If this PC has been bought as an upgrade, you can use your old monitor. If not, Staples will sell you a new 17in screen for an extra £99.
Another casualty is the speakers, a pair of Labtec Spin-50 desktop models. These are a very basic set that won't satisfy music fans or gamers.
Moving inside reveals a neat design with clear access to the system's two free PCI slots. Two others are occupied by a 56K modem and the graphics card - in this case based on an nVidia GeForce4 420 MX chip.
Sadly, this isn't the best option and despite 64MB of video memory, it turned in a 3D test score that means it is most suitable only for more modest game playing tasks.
A logo on our review PC's packaging bills the chip as the faster 440 model, though the text on the box gives the correct specification and it would have been great to see this.
Another cost saver is AC97 on-board audio, although for users who want a simple but capable PC, none of this will be a problem.
The machine is fitted with a healthy 60GB hard disk and should you need it, there's room to add more storage. Upgrading the memory might be more difficult as both memory slots are filled. This means replacing one or both modules but 512MB should be more than enough for some time to come.
Another notable internal feature is a Noise Killer power supply, designed to keep the traditional desktop din to a minimum.
Under our benchmark tests suite, the Cybercom scored very respectably and proved that it would be superb for running standard office applications.
Along with Windows XP Home, Staples supplies a healthy software bundle in the form of Microsoft's WorkSuite 2002. This includes Word, Works 6, AutoRoute 2002, Encarta and Picture It. PowerDVD is supplied for movie playback and the popular Nero 5 takes care of CD recording options.
The Cybercom makes for a nice starter system or even an upgrade for owners of tiring systems.
The main shortcomings on the video, sound and speakers can be sorted out if they become a problem but plenty of computer users will not be worried, especially when seeing its two-year warranty. Only those with gaming aspirations may want to look elsewhere.
DETAILS
Price: £699
Contact: Staples 020 8665 5812
www.staples.co.uk
See also:
Aries has launched a 1.7GHz PC for £399. It's certainly cheap, but is it any good? 27 Feb 2003
Intel's Celeron comes of age in the battle of the budget processors. 15 Aug 2002
If you're in the market for a new PC, look no further than this. 13 Aug 2002All Desktops
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