Pros & Cons
IBM ThinkCentre A50p Specs
| Graphics Card: | Intel Extreme Graphics 2 |
| Monitor Type: | CRT |
| Monitor Type: | LCD |
| Operating System: | Microsoft Windows XP Professional |
| Primary Optical Drive: | CD-RW |
| Primary Optical Drive: | DVD-ROM/CD-RW |
| Processor Family: | Intel 5 Series (Pentium 4) |
| RAM: | 1 GB |
| RAM: | 512 MB |
| Screen Size: | 17 inches |
| Secondary Optical Drive: | DVD-ROM |
| Storage Capacity (as Tested): | 120 GB |
| Type: | Business |
Company:
IBM Corp., www.ibm.com
Price:
$1,299 direct
Spec Data:
2.8-GHz Intel Pentium 4, 512MB DDR333 SDRAM, 120GB hard drive, Integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2 , CD-RW drive, DVD-ROM drive, Integrated SoundMax sound card, IBM stereo speakers, 17-inch CRT monitor, Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Pros:
Good price. Access IBM button makes self-servicing the system a snap, and IBM's Rapid Restore Ultra is great for those "uh-oh" moments. USB hub on multifunction keyboard is convenient, and FireWire is a welcome addition.
Cons:
CRT monitor, not LCD. But non-Hyper-Threading Pentium 4, integrated (though upgradable) graphics, and DDR333 memory hold back performance.
Bottom Line:
The IBM ThinkCentre A50p is a solid business machine with surprising features for the price.
Review
The IBM ThinkCentre A50p is all business. Granted, this system is not the fastest among...
IBM ThinkCentre A50p
The IBM ThinkCentre A50p is all business. Granted, this system is not the fastest among the Pentium 4-powered small business systems we profiled, and it was the only one that lacked Intel's Hyper-Threading (HT) technology. But the IBM's performance is good for day-to-day office work, and the feature set is what makes us consider the ThinkCentre the most attractive small-business desktop.
IBM chose to send us a 17-inch CRT monitor instead of an LCD, a trade-off for cost. But this price does include Microsoft Office Standard edition (which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook). To us, that's a fair trade to keep the price below $1,300. The A50p's non-Hyper-Threading Pentium 4 and DDR333 memory led to lower scores on our tests, particularly Business Winstone Multi-Threading. But performance is more than adequate for 2D business chores. And unlike as with other low-cost machines, the A50p's integrated graphics can be bypassed in favor of a faster AGP solution should you need the graphics horsepower.
IBM's Enhanced Performance USB Keyboard has a built-in two-port USB hub—in addition to the eight USB 2.0 ports on the system—which is convenient for hooking up a mouse, camera, or other peripherals. The keyboard also includes a blue Access IBM button (familiar to ThinkPad users), which launches IBM's proprietary utilities. These can help you troubleshoot problems or figure out how to perform tasks (burning a CD, backing up your desktop, and more).
The Access IBM button also figures prominently in the Rapid Restore process: Should your computer become unusable (but still able to boot), the Rapid Restore program can help you return the ThinkCentre to its out-of-box state, without your having to search for recovery discs. Rapid Restore can also create a backup on your hard drive after you've set it up to your liking, with all your programs and documents. This option will take up some hard drive space, but with 120GB, you have plenty to work with.
The IBM ThinkCenter A50p may not be the fastest PC in this group, but it's not slow, either. And with its surprisingly rich feature set, we think it's a winner for small businesses.
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