While the trend in monitors is to get larger and larger, PC design is leaning towards stylish and space-saving.  If those two factors appeal to you, you’ll love the Systemax Impact Mini-PC from TigerDirect.com.  Just six inches wide and two inches deep, this is a full-featured PC that will fit just about anywhere.  It’s attractive, too, and will look great in an office or in the family room.

The Systemax Mini-PC features an Intel Celeron M processor at 1.40GHz, as well as 256MB of RAM.  It contains a 40GB hard drive.  Surprisingly, it even has room for a DVD-ROM / CD-RW combo drive.  Graphics and audio are integrated, as is both ethernet LAN and wireless LAN (a handy wireless antenna folds down in the back for storage).  You’ll even get a Firewire port, two USB ports, video out, and DVI out, so you’re not limited in what you can do with this computer.

This mini-PC ships with Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2.  Given all its great features, it’s a real bargain at just $449.99.  You can order yours from TigerDirect.com.

SaveAtEagle.com has a deal on a refurbished Hewlett Packard HP Pavilion a1319h desktop PC which is tough to beat.  Just $492.29 (shipping is free) will buy you an HP Pentium 4 computer with a 2.93GHz processor and an ample 1GB of RAM.  This powerful refurbished PC features a large 160GB hard drive with plenty of storage space for whatever you can think of.  Integrated ATI Radeon Xpress 200 graphics and integrated audio round out the internal workings.

Full of great features, this HP desktop has a DVD±RW Lightscribe drive for playback and recording of video and music.  There’s a seven-in-one media card reader on the front panel.  The preinstalled operating system is Microsoft Windows XP Media Center 2005, which has a variety of functions, such as video capture, which will allow you to enjoy your PC to the fullest.

Built for convenience, the HP Pavilion a1319h has Firewire ports (two) on the front and rear, as well as USB ports (seven) in both locations.   The mini-tower design is stylish and space-saving.  You have your choice of both dialup modem and ethernet LAN.  The system doesn’t come with speakers, and you may want to buy yourself a quality set of them to take advantage of this PC’s digital audio out.

The HP Pavilion a1319h is available at SaveAtEagle.com.

Here’s a good deal on the Dell Inspiron 5100 notebook PC.  It’s been refurbished to factory specifications and is a steal at $494.99 when you consider all the great features it’s packed with.  The processor is a powerful Pentium 4 2.4GHz, and it comes with 512MB of RAM.  It easily runs the preinstalled Windows XP Professional Edition operating system and just about any other software program you can think of.  The hard drive is an ample 40GB, which should meet the needs of most users.

One option this bargain-priced laptop is lacking is a writeable CD or DVD drive, but you do get a CD-ROM drive.  An external drive could be easily added if you needed it, and they’re fairly inexpensive, too.  Audio is integrated, as is ethernet LAN.

Most people buying notebook computers are interested in the monitor, and this one doesn’t disappoint.  It has a large 15″ TFT LCD display, with integrated video support.  If this deal interests you, find out more about it at Geeks.com.

Here’s a high-powered desktop PC, the Acer Power APFH-EC3520P, available new for a completely reasonable $419.99.  With a Celeron D 352 processor (3.20GHz), this mini-tower computer will be able to master the most demanding computing tasks.  It has 512MB of DDR2 RAM, which can be upgraded to 2GB, and a spacious 80GB SATA hard drive.  A built-in backup program has partitioned the drive into a main and backup section, so you’ll always have a backup of important data.

The Acer Power APFH has a DVD+/-RW drive, integrated Intel GMA 300 graphics, and integrated audio.  Connect to the Internet using integrated gigabit LAN.  Four USB ports and two audio ports are conveniently located on the front panel, and there are four more USB ports on the rear.

This inexpensive desktop PC offers a few options for future upgrades.  There are two PCI Express slots and two PCI slots available internally should you decide to add something new.  You can purchase the Acer Power APFH-EC3520P desktop computer at NewEgg.com.

TigerDirect has a steal of deal on the Gateway GT4015E desktop computer.  This refurbished powerhouse features an AMD Athlon 64 3500+ processor, running at a speedy 2.2GHz.  It has a generous 1GB of RAM to handle the most-demanding applications, even programs like Photoshop or Premier.  The integrated nVIDIA GeForce 6100 video processor ensures that graphics are sharp and fast as well.  For storage, the hard drive is an impressive 200GB.

There are tons of extra features on this refurbished Gateway PC.  It has a dual-layer DVD+/-RW drive for burning video (which you can store on that huge hard drive), and dual-layer allows you to pack 8.5GB of data on each DVD.  There’s also an internal 8-in-1 media card reader, convenient for accessing files from your digital camera.  The computer is designed to be very user-friendly, with video and audio inputs on the front of the case, along with three USB ports and a two Firewire ports.  On the rear of the computer you’ll find four more USB ports and an additional Firewire port.  This PC has both 56Kbps modem and 10/100 ethernet LAN.

The included operating system is Windows XP Media Center Edition, which features video capture and editing software so you can fully enjoy all the abilities of the DVD-RW drive.  You can buy the refurbished Gateway GT4015E desktop computer at TigerDirect.com.

The Averatec AV2260EH1 refurbished notebook computer is the perfect companion on the road or on vacation.  Weighing in at only four pounds, you’ll barely notice you’re carrying it.  At 12.1″, the widescreen monitor is smaller than many available laptops, but it’s still bright and comfortable to use, and it features AveraBrite LCD Technology with a maximum resolution of 1280 x 800.  There’s definitely a movement towards smaller notebook PCs, so this computer is trendy and powerful.

At the core of this notebook is an AMD TURION 64 processor, running at 1.8GHz.  You’ll get 512MB of RAM, which can be upgraded to a maximum of 2GB.  The hard drive is a roomy 80 GB.  A DVD±RW drive means you can burn music and make videos, and given this unit’s small size, you could also use it during travel for watching DVDs.   Audio is integrated with a speaker built-in.  For connecting to the Internet, you have the option of using 56Kbps modem, ethernet LAN, or wireless LAN (802.11b+g).

The features don’t stop there.  This refurbished notebook has three USB ports, a Firewire port, and a 4-in-1 media card reader.  Microsoft XP Home Edition SP2 is preinstalled.  Your computer will include an AC adaptor and a battery using AMD Power Notes technology, so it’s guaranteed to last longer and to have reduced heat generation.  The Averatec AV2260EH1 is available refurbished from Eagle Computer.

The Lenovo 3000 J110 is a powerful desktop PC designed to meet the needs of small business users.   This brand new computer features a Pentium D 820 2.8 GHz dual-core processor, which will speed through spreadsheets and word processing tasks.  The 512MB of RAM ensure that you’ll have enough power to configure a Powerpoint presentation, or design a company logo in a graphics program — you can even upgrade to 4MB of RAM if you need to.  This computer will become a valuable and productive member of your office staff.

The Lenovo 3000 has a large, 80GB hard drive with lots of storage space.   There’s a CD-ROM drive, but unfortunately no CD or DVD burner.  Thankfully, there are a number of empty internal card slots and drive bays, so you can easily add-on.  The other obvious add-on lacking with this desktop PC is a pair of speakers, but audio is integrated and waiting for you.  Video is integrated as well, using Dynamic Video Memory Technology 3.0.  Ethernet LAN is installed, featuring Wake on LAN, and there’s also a 56K modem.  Finally, there are six easily-accessible USB ports.

Not surprisingly, the operating system on this desktop PC is Windows XP Professional.  Preinstalled software includes WordPerfect Office 12, Lotus Notes Stand-alone Client license, and Lotus SmartSuite Millennium license.  See the Lenovo 3000 J110 at Geeks.com.

Acer’s new AcerPower FH is a powerhouse PC at a bargain basement price.  Just $529.99 will get you a dual-core processor (Pentium D 820 2.8 GHz), as well as a massive Serial ATA-300 160GB hard drive.  With some new PCs still shipping with drives that are just 40GB, you’ll have a huge advantage in storage capacity.  The RAM on this desktop mini-tower is 512MB, and you can upgrade it to 2GB if you find you need more power.

With the AcerPower FH you’ll get a DVD±RW drive, so you can watch movies and burn videos, music, and data.  The integrated graphics are enhanced by Dynamic Video Memory Technology 4.0, but you’ll have to provide your own monitor.  The audio is also integrated. 

This PC has eight USB ports, so you’ll have a hard time running out.  You have your choice of both ethernet LAN and 56kpps modem.  The operating system is Microsoft Windows XP Professional, and the PC is “Windows Vista Capable”.  There’s a one year warranty backing this PC, and you can see it at Geeks.com.

Lenovo’s T40 notebook PC was designed with mobility in mind.  It weighs just under 5 pounds and is thin and streamlined, making it light and conveniently portable.  It features something called UltraBay Slim,  which is a revolutionary 9.5 mm optical drive - 31 percent smaller than standard optical notebook drives.  It also has a special design to control temperature so it won’t overheat.  Another great feature is an integrated HDD shock absorber.  If you drop your laptop, or it suffers some other sort of impact, this integrated shock absorber will provide extra protection.

The Thinkpad T40 has a 1.5GHz Pentium M processor, plus 512MB of RAM.  The hard drive has a capacity of 40GB, and the operating system is Microsoft® Windows XP Professional.  There’s a convenient CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo drive, integrated LAN and dialup modem, and the notebook has two USB ports.  The monitor on this model is a 14.1″ TFT active-matrix LCD display, one of the reasons this systems manages to be so lightweight.

You can see the Lenovo Thinkpad T40 computer at TigerDirect.com.

I had no idea Walmart sold refurbished computers.  They’ve chosen a nice one to stock, the Compaq Presario CPQ RV5305WM, which features a large 15.4″ widescreen monitor.  The display is Brightview, with 1280 x 800 WXGA resolution and more than 16 million colors, meaning it will be a pleasure to use for entertainment and work.  Graphics are supported by an ATI Radeon Xpress 200M IGP graphics card, with 128 MB DDR of shared memory.

You’ll only pay $498 for this reconditioned laptop PC with a 2 GHz Mobile AMD Sempron Processor (3300+).  The processor is unique in that it has advanced power-saving technology for extended battery life, always a good thing in a notebook computer.  It comes with 512MB of RAM, which is adequate for most tasks, but you can expand the memory to 2GB.  The 60 GB hard disk drive is also roomy enough for most needs, and you should be able to store work files, music, and even some movies.   The 24x DVD/CD-RW combo drive will let you play DVDs and CDs, and will let you record data and music to both CD-R and CD-RW.

Connecting to the Internet is a piece of cake because this refurbished Compaq notebook has 54g 802.11b/g WLAN with “125HSM/SpeedBooster support” to make connections effortless and fast.  Work on it at home with a wireless modem, or take it to your favourite hotspot to surf the net.  Walmart.com offers free shipping to your closest Walmart store, and this laptop has a full one-year warranty, just as good as most new laptops.