New Gateway, IBM Desktop PCs Boast Form, Function For All Businesses

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Gateway E-6300

Inside are three hard disk bays, one PCI-E x16 slot, one PCI-E x1 slot and three full-length PCI slots. The E-6300 features an integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 with up to 128 Mbytes of shared memory, and the additional bays and slots can be used for other performance upgrades. Solution providers can install more powerful graphics solutions if necessary.

Out of the box, the E-6300 is ideal for general business applications, desktop publishing, streaming audio and video and multimedia. By adding extra storage, powerful graphics cards, optical drives and/or hard-disk capacity, solution providers can create a powerful system for government or military applications, CAD/CAM design, graphics design and more. The E-6300 costs $1,258.

The E-6300 is based on a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 processor, 512 Mbytes of DDR2 Dual Channel 400 MHz SDRAM and an 80 Gbyte Serial ATA hard drive. The motherboard features integrated gigabit Ethernet connectivity and integrated audio. The system features six USB 2.0 ports (two in front and four in back), three FireWire ports (two in front and one in back), two PS/2 ports, one serial port and one parallel port. The chassis is attractive to look at, and its easy-open side panel offers tool-free component access for upgrades or maintenance. Gateway offers matching CRT or LCD displays.

Gateway's three-tier ProNet channel program offers benefits based on partner level. Partner levels are determined by sales volume. Associate Members are solution providers that sell less than $50,000 in Gateway hardware and services per quarter. Members are defined as solution providers selling between $50,000 and $250,000 in hardware and services per quarter and Premier Members sell at least $250,000 per quarter. Benefits include double-digit product discounts, competitive quotes, purchasing assistance, access to an inside sales assistant or an outside sales representative, pre- and post-sales support and 24x7 technical support. Partners are also listed on Gateway's Web site.
IBM ThinkCentre A50 Ultra Small
IBM's ThinkCentre A50 Ultra Small elicits a "Wow" from almost everyone who sees it, even though there's so little to see. Traditionally, desktops were built so that peripherals can be added if needed. This was a particularly important feature when PCs cost thousands of dollars. But as prices fall and computing power increases, most solution providers no longer take advantage of upgrade opportunities. Miniature desktop PCs are gaining popularity because of their space-saving designs. IBM's ThinkCentre A50 Ultra Small takes up 75 percent less space than older IBM desktop chassis, measuring only 10.8 x 3.3 x 10.6 inches. The tight chassis has room for only a notebook-sized DVD-ROM drive and no floppy drive. Inside is a bay for a single hard drive and one 16x PCI Express slot.

The A50 is powered by a 3.2GHz Pentium 4 processor with 256 Mbytes of memory. The system also features a 40-Gbyte ATA-100 hard drive, integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2 processor and integrated Gigabit NIC. The A50 also includes six USB 2.0 ports (two in front and four in back), front and back audio ports, PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports, one serial port and one parallel port. IBM offers a choice of CRT or flat-panel ThinkVision displays. The ThinkCentre A50 is recommended for nearly all business applications, but it is especially useful in places such as stock trading floors where space is at a premium. The ThinkCentre A50 Ultra Small costs $799.

IBM's three-tier PartnerWorld program offers sales training and education opportunities. As partners advance in the program, they become eligible for additional tools and sales incentives. Partners can earn between 3 percent and 8 percent reseller margin.