Of course, that $649 price tag will get you mostly entry-level components, but it does include a monitor--the decent Dell E772 17-inch display, which renders sharp details and bright colors in a screen size that's large enough to keep you from squinting. Users can move up to the 15-inch Dell E151FPb flat-panel display for $180 more, freeing up desk space without adding too much to the cost of the system.

The system does have a budget-oriented 2.2GHz Celeron processor (iterations of the 2350 can also include Pentium 4 processors--either 2.2GHz or 2.4GHz) and ships with only 128MB of DDR RAM. You're best off doubling that to 256MB for an extra $60--otherwise, you'll feel some system slowdown during any type of intensive multi-tasking. With this amount of memory and the Celeron processor, the 2350 won't be winning any benchmark contests, but it will run office applications and browse the Web handily.

That baseline price doesn't include a floppy drive--if you need one, it'll run you an additional $20. But two optical drives are standard inclusions--a vanilla 48X CD-ROM drive and a high performing 48X/24X/48X CD-RW drive as a second drive. This means that you'll be able to burn your own audio CDs and backup to CD-rewriteable discs at a very affordable price.

A 60GB hard disk ships with the 2350 at this price point, large enough for most needs. If you'll be storing lots of MP3 files or presentation and video files, you might want to beef this up a bit. Moving to a 120GB drive will run you $70.

The 2350 ships in Dell's traditional gray and black mini- tower, an excellent chassis with a wealth of features. Two front USB 2.0 ports (with four more around back) mean that you don't have to crawl around behind your system to plug in and unplug oft-used peripherals. The tower opens easily after loosening a single thumbscrew. The interior of the system is a bit cramped, with only three PCI slots available for expansion, depending on how you configure the system.

Another area that you might feel a little held back on is in terms of multimedia. The integrated graphics of the 2350 don't perform as well with 3-D games as would a dedicated graphics card, and video memory is shared with the main system RAM. And if you do decide to upgrade the graphics, you'll have to search for a less common PCI graphics card--the 2350's motherboard doesn't contain the AGP slot that most graphics cards fit into. But integrated graphics work fine for Web browsing and standard application use, so the average user won't notice what they're missing.

Audio is integrated as well, and the default speaker system is the basic Harman/Kardon HK-395 speaker set, which includes a subwoofer. You can add the impressive Altec Lansing ADA745 4.1 five-speaker set for an extra $50.

Windows XP Home is the default operating system; upgrading to the Professional version will cost you $70. Dell includes some basic office software with the baseline 2350, including a WordPerfect Productivity Pack with Quicken. If Word and Excel are more to your taste, you can upgrade to Microsoft Office XP Small Business for an additional $150.

Dell includes other programs in the software bundle as well. Dell's Image Expert Standard lets users organize and edit their digital photos, create greeting cards, or share pictures via the Web. Real One multimedia player and Dell Jukebox provide playback of multimedia files, and the 90-day McAfee SecurityCenter trial keeps your system safe from hackers and viruses.

Both modem and network interface are included in the 2350, so the system can connect to a dialup or broadband ISP or a home network. Dell also tosses in six months of dialup access, via either America Online or Earthlink. If you're interested in setting up a wireless home network, Dell has the necessary accessories for the 2350. They'll even set up your network for you--for a price, naturally.

Input devices meet the bare necessities of function, with a matching black Dell QuietKey Keyboard and a two-button scroll mouse. Upgrades can of course be had, with Dell's own multimedia keyboard running you an extra $20 or a Logitech optical mouse costing $30. A better bet is to cut the cords and shell out $65 for the Logitech wireless keyboard and optical mouse. This combo allows for smooth and comfortable typing and point-and-clicking without being bound to your desk.

Dell offers only one year of warranty standard on their Dimension systems, but you can opt for a longer term, up to four years. Doubling the standard warranty to two years will run you $40.

Although gamers might snub the integrated graphics and lower-speed processors, the Dell Dimension 2000 line offers adequate performance in a great package for an impressively low price that everyone else will love.

Pro: Economical, great monitor options.

Con: Integrated multimedia, one-year warranty.