I'm interested in buying a basic first time computer for some relatives. I don't really want to spend more than $500 for the cpu and monitor. They don't have much previous experience so it would have to come loaded with at least the operating system. I can't seem to find anything at that price range. Any suggestions? It's for Christmas so I'm not in a big hurry. Is there a better time to shop for a computer? End of the month, closer to the holidays, etc?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.