At home we've got a 4+ year-old iMac (the one that looks like a lamp), which we still love except for its crummy fist-sized speakers that do not do justice to our brilliant Pandora radio station preferences. So we're thinking of upgrading to these Logitech Z-5 speakers, because 1) they're omnidirectional (the sound comes out of all sides of the speakers), 2) the sound, while not blow-you-out-of-the-water-amazing, is 1000 times better than what we have now, 3) they connect via USB so there's no enormous power adapter, 4) they work with both Macs and PCs, 5) there's an auxiliary input for other audio sources, and 6) we can get them for $80. More Logitech PC speakers.

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Multitaskers on tight budgets might like this small Acer Aspire desktop PC. The space-saving and energy-efficient desktop has an AMD Phenom X3 triple-core processor, HDMI port for expanded connectivity, 320GB hard drive, Vista Home Premium, and media card reader. It even comes with a keyboard and optical mouse. And it's only $480. More budget desktops.

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The new HP Mini 1000, like the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, isn't just a tiny laptop. It's a "netbook," which is loosely defined as a small, lightweight, affordable, energy-efficient laptop that's geared for Web surfing and emailing. The Mini 1000 is less than an inch thick but its keyboard, according to HP, is 92% as big as that of a full-size laptop. The netbook starts at $400; the base price includes Windows XP Home, an 8.9" screen, 512MB DDR2 system memory, mini webcam, 8GB hard drive, and Wireless-G card. But you can upgrade components if you're willing to pay a bit more.

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CNET says the Gateway T-6330U "combines an attractive case design and movie-friendly display with lengthy battery life for a thoroughly decent entry-level laptop." Specs include a 14.1" screen, 2.0GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor, Windows Vista Home Premium, 250GB hard drive, HDMI output, 5-in-1 media card reader, and webcam. The laptop weighs 5.7 pounds and costs just $650. More budget laptops.

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There are some people in our office building who like to work in the dark. (GameSpot, we're looking in your direction.) We don't understand that. We need bright lights to a) keep us awake, and b) see what we're doing. But if you're one of those computing vampires, Logitech just came out with an illuminated keyboard you might like. The 9.3 mm-thick keyboard has a sleek, minimalist design (no USB ports or any other bells or whistles) with laser-etched keys that have adjustable backlighting. And it's black, so when you spill food all over it (because you can't see what you're doing because you're working in the dark), it won't show that much dirt.

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