Review of the Acer Veriton M460 Desktop

The Acer Veriton M460 Desktop is an entry level desktop that has been selling quite well both online and in stores. If you're the type of person that is interested in name brands then you shouldn't be concerned with buying an Acer. They have a great reputation and are a well established brand. They don't spend the money on their advertising, so they pass the savings onto their consumers. In this review I'm going to tackle the Acer Veriton M460 Desktop and let you know what I think about it and if it really is such a good deal. First let me start with some of the basics.

Hardware:

Processor: 2.0Ghz Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor

RAM: 1GB (DDR2 SD RAM)

Storage: 160GB hard drive(SATA)

Optical Drive: CD R/RW burner integrated with DVD +/- R RW

Graphics Accelerator: Intel GMA 3100 integrated graphics card

Operating System: Windows XP Pro

Includes: Mouse (a PS/2) and Keyboard

This PC doesn't really pack too much of a punch. Mine came preloaded with Windows XP. If I were ordering from a large online retailer I would request a vista upgrade, of course then you'd need to expand the RAM. This desktop has a good processor but the lack of RAM and small hard drive is a real disappointment. The fact that it comes with an operating system that is over 6 years old also disappoints me in Acer. Typically even though they specialize in the budget market they offer a little more to their consumers.

Everything about this desktop says "outdated". Right down to the PS/2 mouse. The integrated video card doesn't do much for this desktop either. Don't expect to play many games or do a whole lot of multitasking. It is however very capable of basic office work, but that is about as far as it goes.

Connections:

1 Ethernet Jack (to connect to a LAN)

1 Modem

1 Parallel Jack (old school printer jack)

1 VGA output (typical monitor connection)

1 audio out / 1 mic in

8 2.0 USB slots (USB slots can be used to connect to printers, mice, digital cameras, etc.)

The connectivity is quite basic, there is little to no in the way of perks. There are an abundance of USB ports, which is interesting. I would like to see some things like firewire etc. In the end at just less than $500 and preloaded with XP I can only recommend this desktop to office workers. It isn't a very student friendly PC, it isn't going to hold many movies, or songs etc. It wouldn't be too hard to find something a little better for about the same amount of money, which is what I would recommend.