
No, thank you

Get an all-in-one media-center desktop for $699.99

Averatec's iMac lookalike packs a wealth of media-center features, including a digital TV tuner and stowaway remote.

iMac style, Windows pricing. This sexy all-in-one is a steal at $699.99.

Call me crazy (you won't be the first), but I have a soft spot for all-in-one desktops. And with my noisy, hulking Pentium 4 tower just about ready for retirement, I'm seriously eyeballing this CompUSA deal: The Averatec D1002UHCE-1 all-in-one desktop for $699.99.

This is a new system, not a refurb. Ground shipping will run you a reasonable $23. Interestingly, Circuit City has the same system for the same price with free shipping, but you'll most likely have to pay sales tax (about $42 in my neck of the woods).

The iMac-like Averatec offers some impressive specs, including an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 22-inch LCD, 320GB hard drive, built-in webcam, and analog/digital TV tuner. Particularly geek-tastic, the wireless keyboard sports a stowaway media-center remote.

CNET rated the Averatec three stars out of five, dinging it for mediocre performance and its lack of Blu-ray and 802.11n wireless. I don't consider Blu-ray an essential feature in a system with a 22-inch screen, but 802.11n would certainly be nice.

As for performance, it's gotta be faster than my four-year-old P4, right? Also, keep in mind that CNET's rating was based on a $1,299 price tag. At $699.99, I put this all-in-one in the "steal" category, especially for someone looking to replace an aging desktop. Very, very tempting to yours truly.