A great deal on a desktop computer from Dell

A couple of weeks ago, a friend needed help buying a new desktop computer. Her computer was really old. We're talking ancient here... going on 10 years old. Can you believe it still worked??? The main drawback to buying a computer right now is finding one that doesn't have Microsoft Vista on it. Even after a year on the shelves, users still find Vista difficult to use and are having lots of conflicts with peripherals and older software.

The hunt was on to find a computer that was sold with Windows XP. And believe it or not, Dell has this option. Was it too good to be true? Was it a refurbished model or something? No. It was for real. A brand spanking new computer with Windows XP.

What's more, the computer was being sold for a song. She got outfitted with a brand new computer and 17 inch flat panel monitor for only about $550 after we selected a couple of minor custom options. The only thing her computer might be missing is Microsoft Office. The inexpensive computers come with Microsoft Works. That was okay for my friend, because she doesn't do any heavy duty word processing or spreadsheets, but if you need Office you'll have to plan on spending about $149 to add it on.

Even better.... Her computer was scheduled for delivery in a couple of weeks. It was there in less than a week. Talk about a great experience purchasing from Dell! They offered everything we could want: a great new computer, a fantastic price, the ability to still get Windows XP, quick delivery, and easy set-up of the system.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.