The untrained PC salesman may say to the neophyte buyer, "Check this out. You pop in a music CD, fire up Windows Media Player, go to the Rip tab, and—bam! All those songs are now on your hard drive! And watch. We can put a blank CD-R disc in here and—ba-bam! Out comes a music compilation, just like the old mix tapes you used to make. This is a serious audio machine."

No, this is what any $399 PC can do. Unfortunately, this is about all most shops pitch to buyers. There is nothing out of the ordinary here, nothing to differentiate this system from every other budget box on the market, and nothing captivating that makes a buyer cry out, "Oh, I've GOT to get me one of these!" Fortunately, there's plenty of audio value you can add to a system to lift it from being boring to blazing. You just need to open the customer's eyes to the possibilities.

First off, I do a fair amount of ripping myself from both digital and analog sources. Much as I love Windows Media Player 10 as a playback application, I can't stand it for ripping. Historically, I've used MusicMatch for this, but even in version 10, I have so many conflicts with the software—for example, it won't start on my main system once I've executed WMP10 until I reboot—that it's become nearly unusable. Besides, you can't resell MusicMatch, and it's not well suited for analog input.

No, for basic ripping and burning I'm now devoted to Ahead's Nero 6 suite (www.nero.com). The breadth of this package is phenomenal, everything from the classic Burning ROM application to a DVD movie player. Admittedly, the CD ripping module in Nero isn't pretty, but it gets the job done effectively from one screen so, unlike WMP10 for example, you're not digging through sub-menus wondering how to change the recording options, never mind encode MP3s below 128 kbps. (You don't want to encode audiobooks above about 64 kbps because you'll just waste drive space.) Where Nero shines is its tape and LP recording wizards, which walk the user through setting proper recording levels, filtering out analog noise, and so on. This should appeal to anyone over the age of 35 who would like to resuscitate his or her ancient music archives. Moreover, once you've switched from ripping to burning, nobody beats Nero on burning options or quality.

Nero has a basic waveform editor, which is useful for removing silent passages, unwanted pops, and other trouble spots. However, Nero's advanced tools are somewhat limited. For hefty audio editing and compiling projects, my favorite title is Adobe Audition, which descends from the much-revered Cool Edit Pro. Audition is the kind of arsenal you need when performing multi-track projects (up to 128 stereo tracks, all of which can have EQ and other effects). Audition does everything Nero does, only at higher quality levels. Admittedly, Audition may not be as useful as a CD ripper, but the filtering tools are noticeably better. Audition lets you isolate and modify certain sounds, such as background voices or select instruments. You can burn gapless audio CDs, which is a godsend if you've ever grown sick of having half-second skips between continuous music tracks. You can even encode tracks into 5.1 audio for integration into Adobe Premiere Pro. A demonstration of these capabilities to anyone interested in audio dabbling will leave him or her speechless.

But that's just software. A solid audio station needs equally good hardware. For a desktop solution, I would only recommend two sound cards: Creative's Audigy 2 ZS or M-Audio's 7.1 Revolution. Both have exceptional quality, but only Creative offers DVD-Audio support. DVD-Audio is another amply ignored selling tool as the difference between a 16-bit stereo CD and a 24-bit, 5.1 DVD-Audio album is stunning. I can't imagine anyone who appreciates music hearing the difference on a good set of speakers and not paying to upgrade from integrated audio. Also note that several Creative SKUs come bundled with a bay device sporting MIDI In and Out ports. Anyone who plays an instrument and has an interest in recording their work will be enticed by the idea of getting into MIDI.

Then there's the optical drive. You might think that they're all the same, but you can tell the difference when dealing with damaged source discs. A bad CD in a bad drive will kick out annoying pops and hiccups just like an LP. This is why a strong audio machine should have a drive with the latest correction technologies. Take BenQ's newest DVD burners, such as the DW1620 Pro, or a leading unit from Plextor, such as the external PX-716UF. Both models feature tilt control. This monitors the angle at which the laser bounces off the disc surface. If the angle is anything besides a 90-degree angle from the disk plane—a common occurrence due to disc warping—read and write errors can result. Tilt control ensures that the optical pickup will move accordingly to maintain a perpendicular laser angle. Both vendors have adopted black disc trays to reduce write jitter. Plextor has a feature called VariRec that allows for either automatic or manual adjustment of the laser power to calibrate better with the media being used.

The CPU can also play an important part in audio applications. For instance, re-encoding an audio stream, particularly a complex one designed in an application like Audition, is incredibly CPU intensive. If the encoder is written to take advantage of Hyper-Threading, the difference between running an HT-enabled processor versus non-HT could be 20% utilization or more, and when a single-thread chip is showing utilization above the 90% mark, that can mean the difference between smooth encoding and having errors caused by background tasks.

On the other side of the fence, AMD argues that its Opteron platform is ideal for digital audio workstations (DAWs) because its integrated memory controller architecture offers much lower latency than the Pentium 4 or Xeon, which are allegedly plagued with data congestion and collisions on the front-side bus that translate into audio performance drops. AMD maintains that an Opteron system can be loaded past 90% utilization with tracks, filters, effects, and other elements without suffering any drop-outs during realtime encoding. This makes an Opteron-based DAW the platform of choice for those wanting to put together a home studio and/or do live multi-track recordings.

Also note the encoding advantages inherent in 64-bit processing. As we recently noted in our online RAMpage! emailing, initial tests are showing over 15% improvement in 32-bit encoder apps running under Windows x64. Applications written for native 64-bit support, such as Cakewalk's SONAR 4 Studio, should yield even more impressive results. For audio enthusiasts, this is another good reason to push a Windows x64 upgrade once it arrives.

There is no such thing as a cool Pentium 4 or Athlon 64/FX, even with the newer low power technologies. These chips burn through wattage like nobody's business, often in the name of performing tasks at 2.0 to 3.0 GHz or more that could be just as adequately run at 800 MHz. Many users don't need all that speed, but since that's what Intel and AMD push through distribution, that's what gets sold. We discussed noise issues above. However, some enterprises care more about power consumption. If the difference between a high-power and low-power CPU running 24 x 7 amounts to even $5 per month, spread out across an enterprise those dollars can add up pretty quickly.

The latest Pentium 4 models rate at 110W Thermal Design Power (TDP), and the high-end Athlon 64s are at 100+W TDP. Intel rates the new "Dothan" Pentium M rates at a mere 21W TDP. The mobile chip runs so cool that when freed from the confines of a notebook chassis, the Pentium M's heatsink remains cool to the touch even when the system is under a prolonged load.

For customers who want Pentium 4-class performance with less heat and lower power, consider going with a desktop Pentium M implementation. There are a couple of desktop designs for Pentium M, such as DFI's 855GME-MGF, although ASUS just released its CT-479 upgrade board for turning a Socket 478 into a Pentium M Socket 479.

"The idea of marrying the Pentium M platform to the desktop came when DFI's customers repeatedly asked for a small motherboard that can compete in the quiet computing space, energy efficient environment, emerging HTPC market, high profile gaming space, or all of the above," says DFI spokesperson Vivian Lien. "After an extensive amount of research and development, DFI's 855GME-MGF microATX motherboard was designed to fill each of those needs. Its versatility, performance promise, and the Centrino platform offer the perfect differentiator in today's competitive marketplace."

That said, keep in mind that the Pentium M lacks the latest Pentium 4 features, most notably EM64T, Hyper-Threading, and SSE3. If your client's applications don't need these features, then the Pentium M remains intriguing.

Alternatively, if performance is a secondary concern, VIA's C3 CPU series may be an even better option for low power applications, particularly in instances where you want the smallest possible chassis footprint. In speeds under 1 GHz, most C3 models don't even require a heatsink. The C3 now comes in speeds up to 1.4 GHz with a TPD of just over 20W. Like the Pentium M, the C3 works more efficiently per cycle than its multi-gigahertz brethren. I have a 1 GHz C3-based PC running Linux in my office, and it handles every office, Internet, and low-end gaming application I throw at it. The sweetness of the deal is the diminutive size of the mini-ITX case, which rests vertically in its stand and measures less than three inches wide. Add on that the VIA system is nearly silent, and this turns into a very persuasive, low cost offering for large offices.

Once again, there's no money in monitors, right? People read the specs, run the SKU through PriceWatch.com, and you're out of the loop. That's because all you're considering is glass. No, you can't compete by selling glass. What you can do is win display business by emphasizing value-rich feature sets that answer needs wholly unaddressed by screen size, brightness, or contrast.

One excellent example is signage. Think about the large LCD displays you see in airports, shopping malls, upscale restaurants, and corporate lobbies. You can try to win that business by arguing display quality, and you might make a convert or two. But the real deal is in lowering clients' total cost of ownership.

Take NEC-Mitsubishi's newly announced 40" LCD4010. Sure, the unit boasts 500 cd/m2 brightness and 800:1 contrast, but that's not the point. NEC's Tile Matrix feature allows for wall-mounted matrices up to 5 x 5 without any of the spendy amplifiers or multi-head video cards required by similar competitors. The LCD4010 operates at lower heat levels with better energy efficiency for longer product life. NEC even throws in clever touches such as long cable compensation, which helps boost signal strength on extended cables to alleviate the need for inline boosters and allow for greater placement flexibility.

Or take LG's 23" L2320A ($2,099) multimedia LCD display. The display itself is sleek and sexy, supporting a 1920 x 1200 resolution capable of meeting next-generation HDTV and displaying the most detailed schematics, but the real value is in the Media Station box that sits on the floor. This little box sports every A/V jack from VGA and DVI to component and headphone. Though this, the L2320A is a one-size-fits all solution for any environment. The unit adds value in a corporate meeting room, where displays can be needed for anything from a notebook to a VHS player. In a den or bedroom, the L2320A can hook to the client's HDTV receiver and pass audio through to a stereo system. All of the cable clutter stays out of sight because the Media Station passes only one cable up to the monitor, which includes the power feed. Even LG's bundled remote control is fairly intuitive. When you consider that Best Buy currently sells HP's 23" f2304 with similar specs but no Media Station for $100 more, LG's solution suddenly looks like a very attractive channel play for the right niches.

Of course, you don't need to have big glass to find novel value. If we learned anything from color calibration, it's that some people demand that things match. Big OEMs have the volume resources to make sure their peripherals coordinate, but most system builders don't. Channel-friendly vendors such as BenQ can help remedy this. The company works to make sure that its peripheral lines blend well together. Take the FP731 17" LCD monitor and the BMW-designed x750 wireless keyboard/mouse combo. The two peripherals look to be made for each other and can lend a chic air to any desktop. I don't expect buyers will rush out to replace their peripherals simply to have a new matching set, but I also expect that if you find a customer contemplating a monitor upgrade, offering style along with solid hardware may tip the sale scale to your favor.