I also got my first computer in 1994 and it also was a Packard Bell, 100MHz. Cost: $2800. Less than four months later it was out-dated. They had already came out with 500.
My PB actually lasted a couple years (was way faster than the crap the school computer labs were running) before I had a 133 mhz 586 with a gig hard drive built for $1300.00. $1500.00 is actually the most I've ever spent on one system, and two I had built in 2000 and 2001 are still going strong in my office, with no upgrades, running Win98. I think I replaced a fan motor on one.