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RSS feedsThanks to falling prices and the sheer flexibility of today's PCs, setting up your own fully-fledged office at home is easier than ever.
This month we look at what you need to turn your boxroom into a boardroom.
Of course, when you're first starting out money can be tight, so we set our budget at £1,200 (inc VAT) and asked manufacturers to pack in as many useful extras as possible.
We were impressed by what you can get for your money. Many of the PCs we received come with the latest Pentium III processor and outstanding graphics cards. More importantly, most come with a printer, and in some cases even a scanner and a digital camera, providing you with all you need for a home/office system straight out of the box.
This test looks at six different systems, some offering raw power and blistering speed, while others are slower but add real value with handy peripherals and great software. We put all of them through a tough workout to find out which manufacturer offers the best all-round solution.
BIG RED VOYAGER DISCOVERY K400
Big Red sent in a digital camera, a scanner and a colour inkjet printer alongside the Voyager Discovery K400 - all you'll need to set up a complete home/office. But before you get too carried away with the generosity of this bundle, it's worth noting that the 400MHz AMD K6-2 is the slowest processor in the group test.
Fortunately, this is the only serious compromise the system makes as you do get 128Mb of RAM, an 8.4Gb hard drive and a 16Mb 3D Blaster Banshee graphics card - all of which adds up to a more than adequate specification for a home/office PC.
A lot of thought has gone into the setup as the PC comes with all the software and drivers installed. Even the scanner software is loaded so everything is ready to go out of the box. It also comes with an introductory video entitled A Beginner's Guide to Computers and Windows 98.
The system has a 17in Iiyama monitor, which is a good-quality display.
The keyboard is also pleasant to use with soft, responsive keys. The mouse is a Trust model that uses a grey button on the side to scroll the screen, which is a bit of an odd arrangement if you're used to a standard or wheel mouse.
The ivory case is quite large and the beige CD-ROM doesn't match it, but its size does mean there's plenty of room inside if you want to get down to some upgrading. There is lots of scope for new cards with two PCI, one ISA and one shared PCI/ISA slot free. Since there is no backup storage device supplied you might want to fill one of the three free bays - one 3.5in and two 5.25in - with a Zip drive, for example.
Performance is affected by the processor, and the Voyager Discovery K400 was the slowest PC in the test, but it's quite fast enough for most applications used on a home/office computer. The 3DMark 99 Max graphics score was also second to last but unless you want to play the most demanding 3D games, this system will easily meet your needs.
A comprehensive bundle that sorts out all your home/office technology needs in one go. Not the fastest PC, but great value for money with all the extras you get.
- £1, 199 (inc VAT)
- Big Red: 08700 711117
BIG RED VOYAGER DISCOVERY K400
Performance **
Build quality ***
Features *****
Value for money *****
Overall ****
DELL DIMENSION XPS-T450
Dell sent in the cheapest bundle of the lot, twinning the 450MHz PIII-based Dimension XPS-T450 with a Hewlett-Packard colour inkjet printer and a scanner, and still coming in under budget.
The Dimension has a 9.1Gb hard drive, which is sufficient for most needs, and comes with a 16Mb Diamond Viper V550 Riva TNT-based graphics card.
This makes it a fast performer, but is perhaps overkill in a home/office PC. We would have preferred to see Dell include an extra 64Mb of RAM to bring the allocation up to 128Mb.
The monitor is a Dell-badged 17in display which is fine, if nothing special. The keyboard is a Dell Quietkey model, which was comfortable to use, though not noticeably quieter than any other keyboard, and you also get an Intellimouse, which is always a bonus.
You will have to go without a DVD-ROM drive as standard in this PC, as it only comes with a 40x CD-ROM, but there is space to add one in later if you need to.
Like all the Dell PCs we see it's really easy to get things going as all the ports on the back are colour-coded, which makes putting it together child's play.
There are also two manuals to help you out if you do get stuck. The first is a straightforward user manual, while the second is a more technical, troubleshooting guide.
The Dell's case is compact and slim, but despite its slender form, you are still able to work comfortably inside the PC.
There are two 3.5in and two 5.25in bays available, so you can add a backup device as well as a DVD-ROM drive if you want to. There are also three free PCI slots and one ISA slot available.
The XPS-T450 came in third in our SYSMark and graphics tests, though it only trailed the second-place performer in the SYSMark test by one point. This makes it a fast performer that should speed through any office tasks with no trouble.
A well-built PC, which benefits from a fast processor and graphics card, plus a scanner and a printer. The XPS-T450 is a fine choice for a home/office PC.
- £1, 173.83 (inc VAT)
- Dell: 01344 720000
DELL DIMENSION XPS-T450
Performance ****
Build quality *****
Features *****
Value for money *****
Overall *****
EVESHAM MICROS SCORCHER DVD VOODOO
If we had asked for a games system we couldn't fault the Scorcher, with its 450MHz Pentium III processor and a fantastic Voodoo 3 3000 graphics card - but we were looking for a home/office PC.
If you need the sort of performance and topnotch graphics demanded by the latest games then this computer (which also includes 128Mb of RAM, a 12Gb hard drive and a 6x DVD-ROM drive) would be a great choice, but this specification is excessive for a home/office PC. Where other manufacturers toned down the specifications of their systems in recognition of the type of applications run on home/office PCs, and spent the money saved on useful extras like a scanner or a printer, Evesham has chosen to go for raw power.
The Scorcher comes with a 17in Mag monitor - a good-quality display, if nothing extraordinary. The keyboard wasn't so impressive and the keys had a spongy feel to them, but you do get a Logitech wheel mouse to play with.
You slide off the whole case to access the motherboard and the internal components, and here we weren't too impressed to see the clip from the plastic strip that holds the AGP graphics card had broken off and was loose inside the case. Apart from this, the inside is quite tidy, and there's loads of room to upgrade with two PCI slots, one ISA and one shared ISA/PCI slot free, plus two 3.5in and two 5.25in bays available.
As we had anticipated, the Scorcher DVD Voodoo 3 blew the competition away in our performance and graphics tests. It really does give a scorching performance, easily snatching the top slot in the SYSMark test. But where it really streaks ahead is in the 3DMark 99 Max graphics test, thanks to the Voodoo 3 graphics card, which we gave a top score of five stars in our Close-up review in June.
Unsurpassed performance and the best graphics card possible make this PC an ideal choice for games. But it's way over the top for a home/office system. We'd rather have seen less power and more peripherals.
- £1, 199 (inc VAT)
- Evesham: 0800 496 0800
EVESHAM MICROS SCORCHER DVD VOODOO 3
Performance *****
Build quality ***
Features **
Value for money **
Overall ***
GATEWAY G7-450
The Gateway G7-450 is the only system to come in a desktop case, as opposed to the more common mini tower. This is something to bear in mind if desk space is tight, as this type of case takes up more room than a tower unit, which can live under a desk. It also means that if you rest your monitor on top of the case, then you have to heft it off every time you want to access the inside of the PC.
The rest of the peripherals are similar to those supplied with all our systems. The 17in Gateway-badged monitor is fine for business use. We had a bit of trouble pushing the flap on the front that hides the image controls back into place - it took a fairly powerful shove, giving the impression that the flap might not last too long. The keyboard is a sturdy model and you get a genuine Microsoft Intellimouse.
The PC is built around a 450MHz Pentium III chip and features a 5x DVD-ROM drive, but the 8.4Gb hard drive is one of the smallest and you only get 64Mb of RAM. Not that impressive when you bear in mind that you don't get any extras with the G7-450. The graphics card doesn't help to improve the picture. The 8Mb ATI Rage Pro Turbo is fine for 2D graphics, but its 3D performance isn't up to much as its 3DMark 99 Max score testifies.
To get inside the PC you have to slide off the top of the case, and there is plenty of room to add in new cards with four free PCI slots. The outlook for new drives isn't so bright as you only have one 5.25in bay to play with. We did spy a free 3.5in bay, but thanks to the internal design it would be virtually impossible to access. The two free DIMM slots are also obscured by all the cabling running over the top of them.
Despite the fast processor inside this PC it didn't fare that well in the performance test, only managing to come in fourth, and its graphics score was even worse, trailing in at the back of the field.
This PC doesn't really match up to the promise of its Pentium III chip.
With no extras and poor performance, it isn't a very tempting option.
- £1, 173.83 (inc VAT)
- 0800 552000
GATEWAY G7-450
Performance **
Build quality **
Features **
Value for money **
Overall **
PANRIX MICRO-466
The Panrix Micro-466 might not appear that special from the outside, but a look inside the case reveals hidden strengths. It's built around the fastest Celeron chip running at 466MHz, and, should you tire of this processor, its motherboard combines a Socket 370 connector with a Slot 1 connector for a Pentium II.
The memory is also 100MHz SDRAM as opposed to 66MHz. You don't need this for the Celeron chip that runs at 66MHz, but you will need it if you choose to upgrade to a PII, which can take advantage of the faster memory. This is handy, simply because it means if you do swap out the supplied chip for a PII you won't have to change the memory.
Having said that the outside of the PC isn't that special, we were very impressed by the 17in Viewsonic monitor. It had a particularly bright, clear picture that set it apart from the run-of-the-mill monitors supplied with the other systems. The keyboard and mouse are standard units.
This PC isn't let down by the rest of the specification either. It has 64Mb of RAM and at 14Gb it also has the largest hard drive in the test.
The graphics card is a 16Mb 3Dfx Voodoo 3 2000, which runs at a slightly slower clock speed than the 3Dfx Voodoo 3 3000 found in the Evesham Scorcher - 143MHz compared to 175MHz. It also has a 6x DVD drive and it comes with an Epson Stylus Color 640 colour inkjet printer.
Apart from the upgrade path offered by the Elite BX motherboard, there are also two PCI slots, one ISA slot and one shared ISA/PCI slot free for new cards, plus four free bays - two 5.25in and two 3.5in. Unfortunately, the 3.5in external bay has a 5.25in cover, which means if you do fit a drive it won't look that attractive.
Unsurprisingly, the Micro-466's Celeron chip didn't fare as well as the Pentium IIIs in our performance test and it came in second to last, but the margin here isn't that great and this PC is plenty fast enough for office applications. The graphics score was much better, and the Voodoo 3 2000 won its rightful place behind the faster Voodoo 3 in the top performer, the Evesham Scorcher.
This is an innovative PC that offers a variety of upgrade options, plus a good specification as standard. The monitor outclassed all the others and you get an Epson printer thrown in too.
- £1, 210.25 (inc VAT)
- Panrix: 0113 244 4958
PANRIX MICRO-466
Performance ****
Build quality ****
Features *****
Value for money ****
Overall ****
VIGLEN HOME PRO P3-450
Viglen was among the manufacturers that chose the Pentium III route.
It backs up the 450MHz processor with 128Mb of RAM, but the hard drive is amongst the smaller ones at 8.4Gb and there is no DVD-ROM drive; you have to settle for a 32x CD-ROM instead.
Setting the system up is simple, thanks to the labelled ports on the back. There's also a large illustrated guide and a manual, but one slight disappointment was that the latter referred to a Windows 95 PC though the Home Pro came loaded with Windows 98.
Externally there is little to set this PC apart from the competition. It comes with the ubiquitous 17in monitor, though this is a multimedia model with the speakers attached to the sides of the screen.
Viglen also supplies a pair of Yamaha speakers if you don't like this setup.
The keyboard is a little odd as the keys have a rough, chalky coating, which we didn't like much. But you do get an Intellimouse and, even better, this bundle includes a Hewlett-Packard DeskJet 710 colour inkjet printer.
The case has an attractive, compact design, but thanks to the neat internal design, there is still room to manoeuvre inside. This is handy as there is scope to upgrade, with two ISA and two PCI slots free. There are also three bays - two 3.5in and one 5.25in - available for new devices. So if you do feel the need for a DVD-ROM drive or extra backup drive, you aren't short of space.
The AGP slot is taken up by an 8Mb ATI Expert 98, a fine budget card based on the Rage 128 chipset. It provides good 2D and 3D performance, and won the Home Pro third place in the 3DMark 99 Max graphics test.
Overall performance was even better and the 450MHz Pentium III chip helped to propel the system into second place.
A good performer, with a topnotch processor and loads of RAM. A DVD-ROM drive would be nice, but the colour printer is more useful.
- £1, 200 (inc VAT)
- Viglen: 0181 758 7000
VIGLEN HOME PRO P3-450
Performance ****
Build quality ****
Features ***
Value for money ***
Overall ****
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO SET UP AN OFFICE AT HOME?
The first thing you'll need is a PC, but which PC you choose depends on what you want to use it for. If you are looking for a PC to run a small home office, then you really don't need the latest, fastest chips and graphics cards, which is a relief as this means you also won't have to pay for them.
Many of the PCs in our test have a Pentium III processor, and really this is overkill for most business applications. It is a very fast chip, and it will make demanding applications like Photoshop and high-end DTP packages fly, but it really won't make that much difference in Word.
The same goes for graphics cards. While you do need a card that can handle 3D graphics for some business applications (and all of the cards in the PCs reviewed here can), you don't need a Voodoo 3, which is designed to handle the type of complex graphics found in the latest games.
It's worth looking for a computer that comes with plenty of RAM, because this goes a long way towards speeding up performance for all applications, and a large hard drive gives you plenty of storage space for all your business data.
A modem is a must if you want to use the Web and e-mail, and all our PCs come with a 56Kbits/s model.
Once you've got your computer sorted out, you also need to invest in a printer to output documents. Four out of our six PCs come with a low-end colour inkjet printer, which is great if you want to add a splash of colour to documents. But if you need to output a lot of text fast, you might be better off with a laser printer.
The other essential tool is a suite of office software. All the PCs we looked at come with some software - most are preloaded with Microsoft Works, which gives you all the basics you'll need like a database, spreadsheet, Word and a personal finance package, amongst others.
Microsoft Office Small Business Edition might be a better option as it includes Excel, Word, Publisher and Outlook for e-mail. Two of our PCs come with Lotus SmartSuite Millennium, a direct rival to Office and more a fully-featured suite than Works, so they are ready to run your home/office system immediately.
The Best Buy in this group test is not the best performer in terms of speed, because we were looking for a workhorse that would meet home/office needs with ease, while providing excellent value for money. Dell's Dimension XPS-T450 meets these criteria, and it's plenty fast enough with a top-of-the-range Pentium III chip running at 450MHz. The 16Mb Diamond Viper V550 graphics card, based on the Riva TNT chipset, turned in a good score and it's more than adequate for any business application. The 9.1Gb Western Digital hard drive is very fast, and provides plenty of storage space for all your data.
The Dell bundle combines a top-quality PC with a Hewlett-Packard scanner and printer to provide you with everything you'll need to set up an efficient home/office system. It's also one of the cheapest systems in the test, giving excellent value for money.
Big Red and Panrix run away with Recommended awards.
Big Red's Voyager Discovery K400 failed to scoop the Best Buy slot because of its somewhat slow speed when compared to others here. But it's sufficiently fast to handle anything the average home/office user will throw at it, and it comes with enough extras to fully stock your business setup.
Alongside the PC you get a scanner, a colour inkjet printer and a digital camera. These may not be the best money can buy, but they're certainly enough to get your enterprise up and running.
Panrix used its imagination to come up with the Micro-466. It's a good performer out of the box, and provides you with a simple upgrade route to a faster processor. You also benefit from the Voodoo 3 graphics card - even though it's a bottom-of-the-range model it's faster than you'll need for most business applications. We were impressed by its excellent Viewsonic monitor, huge 14Gb hard drive and 6x DVD-ROM drive. This bundle also provides you with a colour inkjet printer from Epson, the makers of our Best Buy inkjet printer in the June group test.
WHERE SHOULD YOU BUY YOUR PC?
All the systems we've looked at come from direct manufacturers, who sell straight from the factory rather than through shops. However, there are lots of other places you can pick up a PC and peripherals, and other channels offer different advantages.
If you choose to follow our example and buy direct from the manufacturer you cut out the middleman. In theory, by excluding the profit-grabbing distributors and stores, you should benefit from keener prices. In practice, it isn't that simple - large High Street manufacturers may be able to bulk-buy components at a low enough price to outweigh the commission paid to the middleman.
As for accurate and helpful buying advice, a direct salesforce should be close enough to its products for staff to be able to recommend the package that is best for you. They can also often tailor a package to suit your needs, as was the case with all of our review systems. On the other hand, they are limited to offering you only their own goods.
Stores like PC World have a wide range of PCs and peripherals from different manufacturers, so you should be able to make an informed choice. If you visit a larger store, you can also benefit from the advice on offer at the dedicated business centre, where you can speak to someone who specialises in meeting the needs of small businesses.
If you have access to the Internet you can take advantage of the cost savings offered by ordering online. Once you have registered as a business user, you can benefit from the more aggressive pricing offered by PC World Business Direct. You can get more information from the Web site at www.pcwbd.co.uk or from the catalogue.
Another option is to stay close to home and look at what your local dealers have on offer. They can often offer advice on how to get all your kit working together and may even assist with its installation. Such help is a real bonus, so it's worth asking if this service is on offer. Fujitsu, which sells PCs through Tesco, offers a free installation service and will even set up your PC with any third-party peripherals you have.
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