Sometimes you just need a fast, cheap computer and you need it yesterday. And when I say cheap, I mean cheap; I mean as little as you can possibly pay, but still well built and with support that actually answers the phone.
We're assuming here that a Mac is out of the question for various reasons.
This is a box I can recommend. Check the reviews. I think this one will be the right answer. I've gotten Acer products on a number of occasions and been very happy with the product and their support on the rare times I've had to call.
And if you need a low-cost, high quality LCD monitor to go with that, check this out. I think you'll be more than happy with it (this monitor is NOT intended for high end color critical design work!) But it will be fantastic for 100% of what 99.9% of folks who use a computer need a monitor to do.
Hanns·G HW-191APB Black 19″ 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor Built-in Speakers
Your comments are most welcome!
-Zack