I'm looking at a new HP for me--in CompUSA they have a pavilion m1090n photosmart minitower with a "Windows XP Media Center 2004" OS, and I have to see what this is comparable to. Is it a newer version of Home XP or is it the workhorse that XP Pro is only with media functionality? This thing has lots of plugs on the front, and considering that I am wanting to work with my Dad's music and need to plug in various media, all of the white, yellow, and red plugs may come in handy. Plus it has a removable 160 gig "personal media drive" which is for what I was doing with my remote 120 gig hard drive--backups, transporting big files, etc. This machine also has a card reader buillt in on front. Saves on replacing that device.

At the HP web site they don't list the above computer (which has no expansion slots available because it is a minitower). They have instead a comparable media center pavilion m1050y. I've made cursory comparisons so far. This also appears to have no expansion slots. So my zip drive and a floppy drive will have to be external. I have too much old stuff on floppies that haven't been put on CD (that is a project I was about to undertake) that I need one still.

The Dell Dimension 4700 that the kids had is not like the Dell Dimension 4700 they're selling now. But if I get a new one with the same upgrades I planned for the older machine, it won't be bad. I think in comparing them, the HP offers more useful functionality, because they certainly will use the plugs more and I haven't gone in to look at the Dell close up (this old machine takes too long to load those pages). And it makes sense to get the backup for them also.

Dell is offering a free upgrade to a 17" flat panel monitor right now. To look at the one HP you'll have to visit the CompUSA web site, the others are at HP and Dell sites.

I'm off to do some looking. Keep the observations coming--they are very helpful!

SRS