Desktop differences: among major brands, fine performance is a given - but design details matter.(computers)(Buyers Guide)

It's very much a buyer's market for computers. Sales are down, profits have evaporated, and HP and Compaq are merging to stay competitive. Strapped as they may be, however, the manufacturers continue to offer plenty of interesting choices. Many new computers have all you need to take advantage of digital sound and images. The latest option: a DVD recorder to put home videos on disc.

Not everyone needs a new computer. In many cases, it's better to upgrade what you have; see page 17. But if a new computer is right for you, consider one of the 12 we tested; we looked at both cutting-edge and basic machines from all the major manufacturers. We have fresh data from readers on reliability and satisfaction with technical support and buying advice; see page 18.

THE THREE BASIC CHOICES

You can buy most major brands on the web or through an online terminal in a store, picking and choosing options such as processor speed, memory size, and hard-drive capacity. Most manufacturers' computers fall into one of three groups, based on configuration and price:

Basic machines are the least expensive and generally come with the fewest features, the slowest processor (although today's slow processor was unimaginably fast just a few years ago), and the least room for expansion or upgrades. Nevertheless, a basic computer is fine for most uses. Price range, with 17-inch monitor: $600 to $1,100.We tested six examples of the breed.

Midrange models represent good value. They have all you need for personal finances, work at home, and other chores. Processors range from 866 megahertz (MHz) to 1.2 gigahertz (GHz); the Macintosh keeps pace with a 600- to 700-MHz G3 processor. Most midrange computers have some room for expansion. Price range, with 17-inch monitor: $1,200 to $1,800.We covered the midrange in the September issue.

Cutting-edge models have the fastest processors (2-GHz is currently the fastest on the market), the largest hard drives (60 to 80 gigabytes), the most RAM, and the greatest room for expansion. But these machines don't have much of an edge over midrange computers for everyday tasks. Price range, with 19-inch monitor: $2,000 to $3,000.