This PC is worthy of consideration if you want something zippy and good-looking, not to mention easy to maintain and upgrade, for the office.

The HP DX2710_03 (FH071PA) is a very capable business PC that is stylish enough to suit any home environment. Featuring a very effective processor, a wide array of expandability options and a sub-$1000 price tag, its only let-downs are the relatively small hard drive and the lack of DVI outputs.

This business PC has an enticing price tag and is useful for multitasking, but it needs much better graphics capabilities.

For a basic business computing environment, the Extensa E261 Standard is ideal. It's inexpensive, it won't consume too much electricity, and yet it will still run most office applications swiftly.

The A57 is tiny and power efficient, and it's suitable for businesses large and small. It was a little sluggish in our tests, but not enough to hinder basic office applications and multitasking.