After my HP Pavilion zv5120us stopped working I had no choice but to buy a new PC fast.  I do not believe that we should buy expensive computer - it is better to buy a cheap computer and replace it more often since they become outdated so quickly.  After doing some research online I found out that Walmart had a few great deals.  There I found the Acer Aspire for just $348 before taxes.  It has 1 GB RAM and that is what got me convinced.  The screen size is 15.4 inches but I have plugged in my Samsung SyncMaster 914V monitor.  Some reviews on the web talk about a bad keyboard or a mouse/pointer being too sensitive - I do not see that and I am a guy who makes a living on the web by typing all day.  The display is excellent and it is fairly light too.  It is too early to predict the performance of this machine or battery life or customer service (I have read horror stories of Acer customer service) but for such a low price, it is still worth the risk.  I think if it lasts a year I will be delighted.

Note: If you are reading this article months after publication and want to see if there are any updates (no updates means that I have had no problems, click here to see updates).