Electronics & Computers Deals here!
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Media Centers on the cheap | |
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 Matthew Elliott Section editor |
You don't need to spend much more than $1,000 these days to bring home a desktop with Microsoft's Media Center OS. A four-digit price may sound like a lot next to a TiVo, but a Media Center PC doesn't require a monthly subscription fee, and it lets you burn DVDs of your favorite shows and gives you a fully functioning Windows PC when you are sitting slacked-jawed in front of the tube. We're seeing Media Center PCs in all shapes and sizes, from a pair of Sonys that use a standard tower to WinBook's living room-friendly model to a small-form-factor cube from Polywell.
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| Product name |
Gateway 832GM |
Polywell MiniBox 939AX |
Sony VAIO RA820G - P4 540 3.2 GHz |
Sony VAIO RB38G - P4 550J 3.4 GHz |
WinBook PowerSpec MCE 410 
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| Review date | June 3, 2005 | April 15, 2005 | November 19, 2004 | March 25, 2005 | April 15, 2005 |
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Editors' rating (Editors' rating explained) |
6.0
Good |
6.6
Good |
7.5
Very good |
7.0
Very good |
8.2
Excellent |
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| Buying choices |
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| Review summary | If you don't mind the one-size-fits-all retail approach, you can save a nice chunk of change with the Gateway 832GM from your local computer superstore. | The Polywell MiniBox 939AX's rough edges and lack of support docs take the luster off an otherwise functional and affordable Media Center PC. | Sony figured out a way to keep an Intel Pentium 4 processor cool without using an army of cooling fans, giving the nearly silent VAIO VGC-RA820G living-room appeal. | With its satisfying range of media software and its affordable price, we think the Sony VAIO VGC-RB38G is a smart buy for connected families. | A home-theater PC and 30-inch LCD for less than two grand? The living room-friendly WinBook PowerSpec 410 is one sweet deal. |
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| Product series | See all products in this series | N/A | See all products in this series | See all products in this series | N/A |
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| User comments | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! | 7.6 Very good (from 28 users) | 6.6 Good (from 8 users) | 6.0 Good (from 6 users) |
| Basic Specs | |||||
| Product Description | Gateway 832GM Media Center - Pentium 4 630 3 GHz - 17 in TFT active matrix | Polywell MiniBox 939AX-3200 - Athlon 64 3200+ 2 GHz - 17 in TFT active matrix | Sony VAIO RA820G - Pentium 4 540 3.2 GHz | Sony VAIO RB38G - Pentium 4 550J 3.4 GHz | PowerSpec MCE 410 - Pentium 4 530 3 GHz |
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| Type | Media center | Media center | Media center | Media center | Media center |
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| Product Form Factor | Tower | Small form factor | Tower | Tower | Desktop |
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| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 8 in x 17.5 in x 16.8 in | 10.6 in x 13.2 in x 7.9 in | 7.4 in x 15.3 in x 15.6 in | 7.1 in x 15.2 in x 16.9 in | Info unavailable |
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| Weight | 37 lbs | 10.1 lbs | 34.2 lbs | 25.4 lbs | Info unavailable |
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| Processor | 1 x Intel Pentium 4 630 / 3 GHz | 1 x AMD Athlon 64 3200+ / 2 GHz | 1 x Intel Pentium 4 540 / 3.2 GHz | 1 x Intel Pentium 4 550J / 3.4 GHz | 1 x Intel Pentium 4 530 / 3 GHz |
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| Processor Main Features | Hyper-Threading Technology , Intel Execute Disable Bit , Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology , Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology | Info unavailable | Hyper-Threading Technology | Hyper-Threading Technology , Intel Execute Disable Bit | Hyper-Threading Technology |
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| Cache Memory | 2 MB L2 cache | 512 KB L2 cache | 1 MB L2 cache | 1 MB L2 cache | 1 MB L2 cache |
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| Cache Per Processor | 2 MB | 512 KB | 1 MB | 1 MB | 1 MB |
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| RAM | 1 GB (installed) / 4 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 400 MHz - PC3200 | 512 MB (installed) / 4 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 400 MHz - PC3200 | 1 GB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 400 MHz - PC3200 | 1 GB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 400 MHz - PC3200 | 512 MB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 400 MHz - PC3200 |
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| Storage Controller | Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-150 ) ; IDE ( ATA-100 ) | RAID ( Serial ATA-150 ) ; IDE ( ATA-133 ) | Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-150 ) ; IDE ( ATA-100 ) | Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-150 ) ; IDE ( ATA-100 ) | Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-150 ) ; IDE |
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| Floppy Drive | Info unavailable | None | 3.5" 1.44 MB floppy | Info unavailable | None |
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| Hard Drive | 1 x 250 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-150 | 1 x 200 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-150 | 1 x 200 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-150 | 1 x 250 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-150 | 1 x 160 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-150 |
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| Hard Drive (2nd) | - None | - None | None - None | - None | - None |
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| Optical Storage | DVD?RW (+R DL) | DVD-RW | DVD?RW (+R DL) | DVD?RW (+R DL) | DVD?RW (+R DL) |
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| Optical Storage (2nd) | None | None | DVD-ROM | DVD-ROM | None |
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| Card Reader | 8 in 1 card reader | 3 in 1 card reader | Card reader | Card reader | 7 in 1 card reader |
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| Storage Removable | None | None | None | None | None |
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| Monitor | Flat panel display - 17 in - TFT active matrix | Flat panel display - 17 in - TFT active matrix | None. | None. | None. |
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| Printer | None | None | None | None | None |
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| Graphics Controller | Intel GMA 900 | PCI Express x16 - ATI Radeon Xpress 200 | PCI Express x16 - ATI Radeon X300 - 128 MB | PCI Express x16 - ATI Radeon X300 - 128 MB | PCI Express x16 - ATI Radeon X300 SE - 64 MB |
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| TV Tuner Type | Analog TV | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Analog TV | Analog TV |
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| Audio Output | Sound card - 7.1 channel surround | Sound card - 5.1 channel surround | Sound card | Sound card | Sound card - 7.1 channel surround |
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| Communications | Fax / modem - PCI - Plug-in card - 56 Kbps | None | Fax / modem - PCI - Plug-in card - 56 Kbps | Fax / modem - PCI - Plug-in card - 56 Kbps | None |
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| Voltage Required | Info unavailable | AC 120/230 V | AC 120/230 V | AC 120/230 V | Info unavailable |
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| OS Provided | Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 | Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 | Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 | Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 | Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 |
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| Manufacturer Warranty | 1 year warranty | 3 years warranty | 1 year warranty | 1 year warranty | Info unavailable |
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| Product name | Gateway 832GM | Polywell MiniBox 939AX | Sony VAIO RA820G - P4 540 3.2 GHz | Sony VAIO RB38G - P4 550J 3.4 GHz |
WinBook PowerSpec MCE 410
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| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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| Price range | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available |
The manufacturer sells this product directly from its Web site.
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