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Get an all-in-one media-center desktop for $699.99

Averatec's iMac lookalike packs a wealth of media-center features, including a digital TV tuner and stowaway remote.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
iMac style, Windows pricing. This sexy all-in-one is a steal at $699.99. CNET

Call me crazy (you won't be the first), but I have a soft spot for all-in-one desktops. And with my noisy, hulking Pentium 4 tower just about ready for retirement, I'm seriously eyeballing this CompUSA deal: The Averatec D1002UHCE-1 all-in-one desktop for $699.99.

This is a new system, not a refurb. Ground shipping will run you a reasonable $23. Interestingly, Circuit City has the same system for the same price with free shipping, but you'll most likely have to pay sales tax (about $42 in my neck of the woods).

The iMac-like Averatec offers some impressive specs, including an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 22-inch LCD, 320GB hard drive, built-in webcam, and analog/digital TV tuner. Particularly geek-tastic, the wireless keyboard sports a stowaway media-center remote.

CNET rated the Averatec three stars out of five, dinging it for mediocre performance and its lack of Blu-ray and 802.11n wireless. I don't consider Blu-ray an essential feature in a system with a 22-inch screen, but 802.11n would certainly be nice.

As for performance, it's gotta be faster than my four-year-old P4, right? Also, keep in mind that CNET's rating was based on a $1,299 price tag. At $699.99, I put this all-in-one in the "steal" category, especially for someone looking to replace an aging desktop. Very, very tempting to yours truly.