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Spend $850 on a used car, and in a few days you'll spend another $850 on repair costs. Invest $850 in the stock market, and in a few weeks you'll have $600 worth. Spend $850 on Cambridge SoundWorks' new MegaTheater 510 DVD home theater system, and in a few minutes you'll have more entertainment than you bargained for.

When Apple introduced its lower-priced line of iMacs in 1998, it made a big step toward its goal of getting Macintosh computers in the hands of a wider range of users. The line has undergone a number of changes since then, with new iMacs sporting everything from psychedelic candy-color cases to powerful built-in video editing capabilities.

Thomas J. Norton takes a look at the huge <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?62">Fujitsu Plasmavision SlimScreen PDS-6101 high-definition plasma display</A>. As TJN notes, this 61" flat screen presents an enormous picture in an easy-to-manage slim package. But he finds there might be a peeve or two among the pixels.

<A HREF="http://www.echostar.com">EchoStar Communications Corporation</A> is reeling in the wake of its recent failure to win approval for its proposed acquisition of competitor <A HREF="http://www.directv.com">DirecTV</A>. The Federal Communications Commission and the US Justice Department have both blocked the $18 billion merger. A trial over the issue is expected early next year.