If you decide to go with the 8500 check out
www.bensbargains.net or
http://www.fatwallet.com/ etc untill you find some good coupons! I got my 8500 (not top of the line configured as: P4 2.0, WSXGA+, 256MB (cheaper to upgrade on my own), GF4, XPHome (removed and replaced with pro and Redhat 9),802.11g,and the rest kinda stripped down.) Anyway i got mine for $1,280 after rebate. So keep your eyes open and you can find a killer deal.