Desktops

Help me: CNET Australia's top How-to stories of 2009

Need help working out your new tech device? Here's a round-up the top Help stories our readers turned to for info in 2009.

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  Dell Inspiron One 19

  Following the trend of all-in-one desktops, the Dell Inspiron One 19 is aimed at the budget market and clearly shows in both design and performance.

  Specs: 2GB , Windows 7 Home Premium , Intel Pentium

  Where to buy? $999 to $1,799 at 1 store

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  Apple iMac 27-inch (Core 2 Duo 3.06GHz)

  Behind its expansive display, Apple has packed one of the fastest all-in-ones available, and added a few useful extras to sweeten the deal.

  Specs: 4GB , Mac OS X , Intel Core 2 Duo

  Where to buy? Check price listings

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  Dell Vostro 320

  While a few tweaks such as an in-built wireless receiver for keyboard/mouse and a video input so it could double as a monitor for your laptop would be nice, if you're looking for a cheap all-in-one PC, it's hard to ignore the Vostro 320 as an option.

  Specs: 2GB , Windows Vista Business , Intel Core 2 Duo

  Where to buy? $799 to $999 at 1 store

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  Dell Studio One 19

  There's a decent but not great PC hiding behind the Studio One 19's touchscreen gimmickry.

  Specs: 4GB , Windows Vista Home Premium , Intel Core 2 Duo , DDR2 SDRAM

  Where to buy? Check price listings

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  AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition

  While the higher power consumption is a slight concern, the X4 955 proves that AMD is back in the performance game and ready to play hard ball. Bring on the next generation.

  Where to buy? Check price listings

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  MSI Wind Top AE1900

  MSI's Wind Top AE1900 tries harder than most to sell the nettop concept, but still falls flat in several specific areas, especially value for money.

  Specs: Windows XP Home , Intel Atom , DDR2-533

  Where to buy? Check price listings

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  BenQ nScreen i91

  BenQ's nettop looks affordable on the surface, but you're still paying a premium for a low-powered desktop machine.

  Specs: 1GB , Windows Vista Home Basic , AMD Sempron 210U , DDR2-667

  Where to buy? Check price listings

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  HP TouchSmart IQ528a

  HP's TouchSmart series still works well as an all-in-one solution, but seems to be on auto-pilot at the moment due to a lack of innovation. Here's hoping Windows 7 gives it the injection it needs.

  Specs: 4GB , Windows Vista Home Premium , Intel Core 2 Duo

  Where to buy? Check price listings