Altec has been making good multimedia speakers for a while. They were the only brand around a few years ago, but have seemed to slip through the cracks with the popularity of Klipsch, Logitech, and Boston. Altec speakers have good sound and have always been priced well, but they don't offer anything that really stands out. Altec's name simply can't compare to the likes of Klipsch and Boston, and both of those companies satisy both ends of the extreme with Logitech in the middle. Altec is lost in all that, and I also think that they don't build stuff to the same quality level as Boston and Klipsch. They have a cheap, plastic feel to them, whereas my little BA4800 satellites have considerable heft.
Nothing beats listening to speakers before you buy, though. Ask friends if they have any of the speakers you want and demo them in a natural environment if you can. The store sucks for listening.
