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As a guide: the best desktops will score above a 90 on a given subject, and the best notebooks will score above a 70. We do this so it is easy to compare consumer notebooks against consumer desktops in addition to comparisons within each category.
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Multimedia Tests PC Magazine uses the same tests and the same scale when rating the multimedia-Music, Photos, Video, Gaming-on desktops and notebooks. Winbook PowerSpec MCE 410 Multimedia Test Results View the WinBook PowerSpec MCE 410, Gateway 832GM Media Center and HP Digital Entertainment Center side by side. But if you're looking for an inexpensive Media Center for the living room, WinBook offers a solid solution. The z545 costs more ($2,000), but it also gives you a lot more, like 360GB of storage. And compared with the similarly designed HP Digital Entertainment Center, there's no contest.
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You can pair any monitor with this system, if need be, but the 30-inch widescreen certainly sweetened the deal.Ĭompared with the PC Gateway 832GM Media Center, which is similarly priced and configured, the MCE 410 wins points for style, but the 832GM tower has more upgrade potential and uses a better TV tuner card. Our MCE 410 arrived with the WinBook PowerSpec LC30D 30-inch widescreen LCD TV, an $899 option. With only two small fans providing cooling, the system runs a little hot but is very quiet-a must for living room systems. Image quality from the Avermedia M-150 TV tuner card was less than stellar live TV programs seemed slightly washed out and a subtle jitter appeared at times. Still, the MCE 410 has two low-profile PCI slots available for expansion. And according to WinBook's Web site, an upgrade to a larger drive is not available. Though the 160GB hard drive is by no means small, a Media Center requires a bigger drive to store recorded TV programs, music files, and digital photos, especially since there's no room for an additional drive inside the system. The 64MB ATI Radeon X300 SE controller is fine for playing DVDs and running other Media Center apps.
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The system has more than enough power to run any Windows Media Center Edition 2005 applications without a problem, and it will handle your basic home-office and multimedia project workload as well. The MCE 410 is powered by the Intel Pentium 4 530 (3.0 GHz) processor and 915 chipset it came configured with 512MB of DDR RAM, but will accept up to 2GB of memory. The same can be said for the included Altec Lansing three-piece speakers they're adequate, but a multichannel (5.1, 6.1, or 7.1) speaker system is the way to go. The integrated sound solution is sufficient for small rooms, but a card like the Creative Audigy2 ZS ($70) would add more chops to the overall audio experience. The back panel is well stocked with audio connections, including two additional SPDIF and two RCA audio jacks, and speaker jacks for 8-channel surround sound. Rear-mounted expansion connections include FireWire, gigabit Ethernet, and four more USB ports. Below the readout is another flip down panel, containing a 7-in-1 memory card reader and controls for CD and DVD playback. Front and center sits a blue digital readout panel that displays DVD and CD titles and tracks, TV channels, and more. On the left is a dual-layer, dual-format DVD burner, and below that is a panel that flips down to reveal one FireWire and two USB ports, an SPDIF input, and microphone and audio line-out jacks. Its flat black case is offset by a glossy black trim, and there's a big chrome-covered volume knob (which kept popping off) on the front right side of the unit. On the outside, the MCE 410 looks like a stereo component. Unfortunately, the lack of a few key high-end components detracts from an otherwise well-rounded Media Center. The WinBook PowerSpec MCE 410 ($999 after rebate, without monitor) is an affordable way to bring PC power and Media Center functionality to your living room.
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