I love my laptop computer, but there are times when I want to sit at my desk and see everything on the big screen. This is especially true when I’m working on an article or document for a customer – that extra screen space of a 19″ flat panel monitor makes the job easier.

Computers are moving out of the dusty basements and into the living areas of many homes. Unfortunately the traditional computer is a bit unsightly.  Face it, computers don’t blend in very well and they take up a honking chunk of space. If you don’t have the space (or just don’t want to look at the ugly big box all the time) and want the size and luxury of a large monitor, look to what I’m calling the mini computers. They have all the advantages of a big box computer but a fraction of the size.

Acer has one of note at the moment -  the Acer ASL100-ED403. It’s small – 2.4″w x 9.8″ d x 7.9″ h in size.  Add a nice 19″ monitor and you have the perfect system for a home office or internet cruiser. I don’t think it would be the best for gaming – I read the power supply is relatively light weight, so if you have a family member who is a hard core gamer, look elsewhere. This system won’t do for big games.
The computer, despite it’s size, is a heavy weight with a 2.1 Ghz processor, 1 gig of ram, Nvidia graphics (adjustable to 256 megs), 250 meg harddrive and more. For those who don’t speak geek, this translates into a fast and powerful machine. A bit of overkill for the average user, but better too much than not enough.

I doubt it is the most upgradeable system because of its small size, a bit of a drawback, but many home users shouldn’t be too worried about that. Most of my home and home office customers rarely need system upgrades. The basic out of the box computer is more that enough.

The computer runs Vista already, take it home and it’s ready to run.  Pick out the right monitor and you will have a great system. Shop around for the best price – in Toronto at the moment the best price is Best Buy for $699 + taxes, the monitor is extra. If you have a nice flat panel monitor, use it, you don’t have to purchase a new one.