I looked at Dell just a few weeks back, demon.Prices seemed...

I looked at Dell just a few weeks back, demon.Prices seemed good, but I didnt like the fact that you couldnt walk in and buy one, you had to mailorder, they charged $99 delivery fee, and the warranty provisions were VERY limited, so I gave them the miss.

Bought a ITC centris from Harvey Norman for $2.5 k with DVD player & CD burner. Paid $255 extra for an EXTRA 2 year warranty, so I am fully warranted for 3 years, by which time it will be obsolete.
Seems to be OK.

If you go for Dell, just read the fine print re warranty.
hey, even if you buy a top brand, you could score a lemon.Service & warranty is more important than the brand.

Cheers
GZ