OT: Can someone help me pick out a desktop machine?

If price is your issue, as it seems to be: 1) You probably want an AMD chip 2) You should be looking at refurbished systems; I have had a lot of good luck with refurbished IBM/Lenovo systems purchased at http://outlet.lenovo.com/. You might also check Costco if u have one locally; they seem to have good deals on HP systems. Unless u are into serious video editing, large compilations, or any other CPU intensive activity, any current CPU should be sufficient for your needs. May I further suggest that what u really care about is the graphics card (not built in so you can upgrade if and when necessary), the monitor (large, LED backlit, fast) and the keyboard (feels good). If you are in this group u should have enuf talent to upgrade the memory and HDD to whatever u need. Tom