 | Apple iMac MB950LL/A 21.5-Inch Desktop
Long time Mac hater finally gave in -- 2010-03-09
I've been strictly a PC guy for as long as I can remember (only used Macs in college writing labs). Since graduating from college over 14 years ago I literally have not used even one Mac. I was pretty much anti Mac because I thought they were over priced, underpowered and Steve Jobs really got on my nerves. I mean, for the money you could get a faster, more feature packed PC for much less. I was also concerned about compatibility with PC files and software.
Well, now that I've matured some, gotten over my childish hating of Steve, and had to decide on a new PC for our family to use, and Mac now has PC emulation software, I reconsidered. My first reaction was to get another PC and continue along my merry way as I've always done. When I started my shopping I thought what the heck, let me check out the latest Macs on the apple Web site. I was blown away by the new iMacs. I ended up spending about 2-3 hours over a few days looking at the iMacs and reading reviews around the Web.
Long story short I finally got my iMac. It was a tough decision because I was purchasing one of these things I thought was overpriced and underpowered years back. The specs on these new iMacs got me intrigued. I'll admit, the large screen and all-in-one form sold me. The Core 2 Duo and 4GB ram was decent enough for me to give it a try. In short I am VERY pleased I bought this computer. It's outstanding. Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Design: This all-in-one design is absolutely better than any other all-in-one out there. Just one stunning screen and a keyboard and a mouse (and now large brick connected to the power cord!). When I took the thing out I was looking for the other "components". Simply refreshing. How can Apple create such a slim, light and usable machine while HP, IBM and the others produce these clumsy all-in-ones?
- Screen: Just one word: amazing.
- Ease of use/setup: It's obvious these Apple guys really think about what users go through from the point they open the box, to the point they start using the computer. The process was so simple and easy. This old PC guy was almost looking for warnings or errors to pop up or something. Well done.
- Login process: OS X boots up so quick that sometimes I sit there waiting for the computer to do the hourglass thing like a PC. But it doesn't. You log in, you see the main screen shortly thereafter and you're ready to go. It almost seems wrong. Doesn't this thing need to boot up a bunch of stuff to get going? Apparently not. Also the clean layout of the icons on the bottom of the screen with no other pre-installed craplets or other desktop icons is such a refreshing change vs PCs.
- Software: I will hold off on commenting here until I've spent more time with the installed and purchased iWork software. Can't wait to get my hands on Garage band. My kids and I will have a blast.
- Keyboard and Mouse: Keyboard is so sleek and small you'd think it was a toy. It takes a bit of getting used to because some of the keys you'd find on a PC keyboard are missing (the back space and delete keys are the same key...use the Fn+delete to do forward deleting of characters). All in all though, not a problem. I haven't gotten used to all the multifunction keys yet, but I'm assuming these other cool stuff I can do with it that I'll figure out later.
- Magic mouse: One word: Schweet! I'm using it now easily scroll through this comment I'm writing.
- Speed: So far haven't done any real heavy lifting with it like movie editing or MP3 encoding/transfers, but my Web browsing and video watching are blazing. And overall system response is excellent. Will report back as I use the system more over the next few weeks/months.
- Integrated with my home Wi-fi without a hitch. Even automatically found the drivers for my HP All-in-One printer. I didn't even have to download the Mac driver or anything.
- Oh, and it's real quiet too.
Cons:
- Screen can show a lot of glare. This can be a problem for some folks and in certain room settings
- Could have gotten a unit with more ram and faster processor if I got a PC. But to be honest, given my experience so far with this thing, I really don't care. Technical specks aint everything. User experience is important as well. I guess a gamer would care though. But they can get the 27" model with the intel i7 processor.
- PC guys have to learn some things like how to cut, paste, undo, use safari, etc.
- That's all so far, will report back over the next weeks/months with new issues/concerns.
In summary, I am one happy customer. We still have two PCs in the house and I'm still a PC guy; but check back with me in a year or so -- that may change.
Hey PC guys/gals out there...you will not regret buying this thing. Go ahead, do it.
Very nice surprise. -- 2010-03-05
My problem with Apple was that I didn't know if you could even surf the internet, have a mail account or do anything else I used to do on a pc. All the info that Apple itself gives you really doesn't tell you these basic things that I realize are obvious to most, but they weren't at least to one.
When I got it, all I had to do was plug in the power cord and the ethernet cable and I was ready to roll.
I liked just about everything that I looked at. It was very quick, very easy to use, and the magic mouse is too cool!
It seems like that if you do have a little problem, it was hard for me to solve them without calling AppleCare. I feel very comfortable that I will get everything figured out in a short time.
All in all, It is a beautiful machine that works very well. And I don't miss the boxes that ask me if I want to contact Microsoft about the multitudinous errors. The color and sound are great.
|
 | Acer AspireRevo AR1600-U910H Black/White Desktop PC (Windows XP Home)
terrific choice for my purposes -- 2010-03-09
I am very happy I went with the AspireRevo as a main computer for my uses. I am tired of things too big and too heavy. I bought an external CD/DVD drive so I am in business for what I need to use a computer for. I also bought an eSATA hard drive enclosure to put a 320 GB SATA drive from my desktop I moved down the basement to use on the AspireRevo. I am thoroughly happy with it and it boots so fast after moving 1 GB of ram to it from another computer, that I can turn it on just a couple of minutes before I am ready to use it which means I also shut it off when I will be away from it for an hour or more. Helping me to save even more energy. Way better than the Vista machine I moved down the basement.
Great computer - No good for boxee -- 2010-03-07
I love this little PC (with 2GB of memory). It is nearly silent, very cheap to run and can more or less be left on all the time.
I recently discovered boxee. This PC can't render HD video fast enough for boxee. Try watching the Glee season finale on it from the Fox website and you'll see a jerky picture.
Shame but nice nevertheless.
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 | Apple Mac mini MC238LL/A Desktop
An incredible little machine -- 2010-03-08
I've been eyeing this low-end Mac computer for a while, and about a month ago I finally took the plunge and bought it. And in the subsequent time that I've owned it, I could not have been happier with my decision.
I am primarily a Windows user, but have had on and off access to Macs over the years, mostly at work. I am also a big fan of all Apple products, but did not think that I could justify the high price of their computers when I could obtain a supposedly "similar" Windows system for almost half the price. Well, after years of suffering through many, many Windows annoyances that were seriously impeding my attempts to get any work done I decided to finally give Mac a full chance. As I mentioned earlier, so far I have been duly impressed.
The specs for Mac mini are comparable to a low-end MacBook computer. Given that you still need to bring your own keyboard, mouse and monitor, it is unlikely that you will be saving more than $100 - $200 for the whole system. This is still nothing to sneeze at, but if portability is something that you would need then buying a MacBook may be a better overall deal.
Over the years I've accumulated more computer keyboards and mouses than I know what to do with. I tried connecting this Mac Mini to a Dell USB mouse and keyboard, Logitech wireless mouse, and two different Microsoft wireless desktops. Each time I was able to connect and install those devices without a single hitch, and it only took a few seconds for those devices to be recognized and for them to start working properly. In fact, the Microsoft wireless desktops paired up faster with this Mac than they did with my Windows machines.
I also had an old LCD monitor lying around, so I did not need to invest into a new monitor. Be warned though: most older monitors have a VGA input, while Mac Mini has only MiniDisplay and DVI connector cables. In order to attach this computer to a VGA monitor you'll have to separately purchase a Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter MB572Z/A. As with most Apple cables and adapters, this one is somewhat expensive - it costs about $30. In my estimate this is about three times as much as such a cable is really worth, but unfortunately you don't seem to have much choice if you want to connect this computer to a VGA monitor. I really think that Apple should have made this cable a standard addition to the Mac Mini. After all, if you are going to pay a high price of Apple's own monitors for instance, you might as well buy an iMac.
One of the things that impress me the most with Mac Mini is the incredibly short boot up time. Things have gotten so ridiculous with my three year old Windows Vista laptop that my morning routine would consist of me turning it on, going to have breakfast, and then coming back to it to finally use it. The first time I had a completely "clean" boot up of my Mac Mini (i.e. without having to go thorough all the first-time use setup procedures) I was so shocked with how quickly it happened that I literally thought that it was more or less instantaneous. The next time I actually clocked it, and I found out that the complete boot up doesn't take more than forty seconds. This is incredible. I find myself leaving my Windows computer turned on much more than I actually need to use it, because having to go through the whole boot up process (even from the hibernation mode) takes so long that my productivity necessarily suffers. Needless to say, that wastes too much energy. I can finally save some money on my electricity bills by shutting down my computer when I am not using it. This very short boot-up time is especially impressive considering that Mac Mini still uses a regular mechanical hard drive. I shudder to think how fast it would boot if it had a solid-state hard drive.
This machine is incredibly quiet. There is no noticeable fan cooling noise whatsoever. The most noise it ever produces is when a CD or DVD is being inserted or ejected. Other than that it just sits quietly on your desk.
The size of this machine is also incredible. It really is very, very small and the Mini moniker is well deserved. Even on an incredibly cluttered working desk like mine, it still finds enough room to sit.
Home networking was also a breeze to set up with this computer. Most of the computers that I have on my network are Windows machines, but Mac Mini had no trouble detecting them or being detected by them. I was particularly pleased that connecting to my Acer Aspire AH340-UA230N Home Server. In fact, other than not having the access to the administrator console on WHS (which, granted, is a big thing) Mac seemed to be interconnecting with it much smoother than Windows computers. Redmond should probably take a not of this.
Working with various software packages has been extremely smooth as well. This computer seems to have enough power to handle even larger Photoshop or movie editing projects without any major noticeable slow-downs. For most casual users I think the specs of this system ought to be more than adequate.
As many reviewers have pointed out, this Mac Mini would make a great addition to the home entertainment center. Currently I use a cheap Windows Vista PC for that purpose, but that entails dealing with all the bugs and inconveniences of Windows. When you are just trying to watch a movie or listen to some music, you don't want to be dealing with system messages and virus protection issues, and you certainly don't want to have to deal with the rebooting of your computer. Furthermore, Mac Mini is much more versatile that Apple's own Mac TV, and it is not likely that it will become obsolete any time soon, so you'll be able to access all of your media collection for the foreseeable future. The only thing, however, is that I wish Mac Mini had more robust support for various video and audio output cables. An HDMI support in particular would be really nice. Also, Apple still does not support Blue Ray, which may be an issue if you want your Mac to be all-in-one media device.
So whether you want a computer that will do all of your usual everyday tasks, or an addition to your entertainment center, this Mac Mini would certainly be the right computing solution for almost all of those needs. I could not recommend it strongly enough.
Excellent computer. Migrating files from Macs with older OS's may not be so easy. -- 2010-03-07
For speed using heavy-crunching software such as Illustrator or Photoshop, this computer is of professional quality, I'd say. I am a graphic designer, and I've witnessed my files grow in size exponentially over the past 15 years, as has most the industry. We have gone in that time from vector files with a few discretely placed photographic eps's to deeply layered hybrid files that combine Photoshop PSD's in an Illustrator environment, with effects native to both. The files resulting from this method of work can soar over a half Gig with a few hours "imagineering" in either of these programs. I find that this little computer, the Mac Mini, can handle these files at home very respectably, so I can recommend it without reservation for most routine uses. There's a good chance you'll probably never use half the processor's power.
A friendly warning: They say it's easy to connect your previous computer and migrate all pertinent files over to the Mac Mini without any networking knowledge. The promise of this feature excited me, as one who has wrangled with networking and permissions scenarios in the past until I threw up my hands and called in the pros. Well, the jury is still out on this aspect of the Mac Mini, but I will tell you what I know. I owned a G4 running OSX 10.3.9 at the time this computer came. I attempted to use the migration assistant software on the Mac install disk to move all my files off the old computer. It wouldn't work. Turns out (oops -- they forgot to mention!) you have to have at least OS 10.5.something on your present computer to use the migration assistant on the OSX install disk, along with two monitors, two keyboards and two mice -- two complete setups, in other words. (I was switching out the computer only, and had neither spare monitor, nor keyboard/mouse). Lacking this, you are back to attempting to move everything using a firewire connector and target disk mode (rustle up a second keyboard and "Hold down the T on startup", a friend tells me, on the old computer, and it will appear as a hard drive/storage device on the desktop of the new Mac.) --Or I'm back to old school ethernet and networking and permissions "wizardry"; and me without a pocket shield or slide rule. Dang! (Of course, another option which I am mulling is to buy a portable hard drive housing for the old computer's drive, pull it, and move everything over like so. A portable HD would work too. All these solutions cost, however, and I am weighing long term utility of each solution against cost.)
For the moment, I am beat. 'Can't make it happen without another trip to the hardware store. (The G4's firewire connector was 6 pin, and the Mac Mini's is 9 pin, rendering my old firewire cable useless. An adapter I saw on a trip to BestBuy yesterday cost $45 because they "helpfully" included 6 feet of firewire cord with the $8 adapter. -- Nice. This is why brick and mortars are failing every day. One size does not fit all. I can order just the adapter online for under $10, shipping included, if I have the patience and luxury of time to wait a week. You bet I can, for that kind of price differential.)
I wouldn't even mention the migration problem, other than that I want to offer a heads-up to anyone else whose previous set-up might be similar to mine. Bottom line, Macs with older OS's may not experience such a smooth movement of their old computer's files to the new Mac. Even with this one hardware/software oversight (which might be more my problem than the Mini's) I would rate the Mac Mini experience five star.
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 | Acer AspireRevo AR3610-U9022 Desktop PC (Dark Blue)
REVOlution -- 2010-03-09
I must say, I just recieved my Revo 3610 yesterday and it was more then I could have expected,for the price it did everything I was hoping it would, and was a breeze to set up, the HDMI and 7.1 oprtical output worked perfectly. Windows 7 come with Windows Media Center that includes an HD movie player, It excepts movie files in DVD format and upscales, so there is no need to but additional software such as PowerDVD 9. I have attatched a 2TB external drive and can store hundres of movies eliminating the need to burn DVD's. both units together are small enough to hide and has more then enough ports to suffice a HTPC. a really cool item I got tho was the LG super multi 2TB NAS storage system, with a blu-ray burner, it's small, does the funtion of a player,burner and an external drive will hold at least 400 movie files in DVD format and thousands in AVI, look into it, this was a perfect combination, it makes a nearly invisible complete HTPC
Awesome HTPC! -- 2010-03-08
Amazon seems to label this as dark blue but I really think it is black. I am very happy with this little nettop so far. I have it hooked up through hdmi to my 52" lcd tv. There wasn't as much bloatware as I thought there would be so that was nice. I only had to uninstall about 3 or 4 things. I installed XBMC, Boxee, Hulu Desktop, and Flash 10.1 beta onto it and it is running really well. I originally tried to stream my videos but that didn't work out too well since I have a wireless g-router. So I just attached an external hard drive to the nettop and all my media is playing perfectly now. I even installed Steam on this to see how it would run some games. I am really impressed, I downloaded Left 4 Dead using 720p display settings and it actually runs pretty smooth. The load time is a bit long but it isn't that bad. Once it is running, it is very playable and looks great. There is a common problem that I have using hdmi though. The screen appears overscan but it is easily fixed by using the NVidia display settings to resize it. The wireless keyboard and mouse that it comes with feels cheaply made but they do the job. I think the stock set will do just fine, although I am thinking about purchasing a multimedia keyboard with a trackmouse. The Acer Revo boots up fairly quickly and it comes preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (NOT Starter!) a big plus! All in all, I am very happy with the Acer Revo.
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| Apple Mac mini MC239LL/A Desktop
everything a pc has and more but 1/4 of size -- 2010-03-09
This is my first mac and I just have to say wow. I edit a lot of photos and home videos and the preinstalled software makes it a breeze without having to install any third party softwares. The stability is impecable as well as the speed. My husband is a pc system builder and loves it as well.
Mac Mini. My Experence comeing from a windows background -- 2010-03-06
Others have given quite in-depth reviews of the mac mini. I'm going to just share with you, some of the reasons that I went to this.
First, I've been a PC user for years. I was sick of how SLOW windows was, programs taking for ever to launch, virus etc.
First, for those who have a worries about switching. Mac is EASY to switch to.
There are some great programs out there, that can copy over your IE Bookmarks, your documents, your ITunes.
Pretty much EVERYTHING on your PC, can be easily brought over to your mac.
I was, frankly shocked at how easy it was to get my info off the PC to a Mac.
(moving from PC to PC, was NEVER that easy)
BTW- If you want to move from Mac to Mac, it's JUST as easy.
Apple has done a GREAT job of migration of data, Microsoft could learn a lot from them.
For those who are worried about still using some PC only programs.
Get Fusions! You can easily load your XP or other OS, run it in tandem with your Mac OS and copy/paste between them.
Unreal how great this works.
Finally lets talk about size and power.
This thing is small, it uses very little power and it's quiet!
It's graphics are quite powerful. Photo shop, Dream weaver ran nice and quick.
Plenty of USB ports and built in Wi-Fi.
How much more can you ask for?
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 | Compaq Presario CQ5320F Desktop PC (Black)
great machine for the money -- 2010-03-09
Good speed and no more freeze ups like my old computer. I was upset tho that I was not informed that my printer will not connect to the back ( I guess I have to buy an adaptor) This is a great product tho and I am very happy with it.
somewhat capable -- 2010-03-08
Have just had this computer up and running a mere two to three weeks but I am very happy with its performance so far, a few items have not been able to download from my previous computer as it was a 32 bit but I guess that is just a small problem otherwise am pleased with the speed of this computer and the fact it has windows 7 home premium which seems to be a good OS, will know better once I have been using it a while longer, Thanks Tiger D.
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 | Zotac MAG Intel Atom N330, NVIDIA ION, 2 GB DDR2, 160 GB HD, eSATA, HDMI HD-ND01-U Mini PC - No OS
Decent as Half an HTPC, Still Lacks in Meeting Expectations -- 2010-03-06
I recently had a chance to compare this Zotac MAG to the to its most popular competitor from Acer (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030L3ASU?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8) and I have a bit to say about both. I've broken down my comparison by specific sections, detailing often-overlooked characteristics of computers.
As someone who has been involved in mini-PCs, having owned one since ASUS first started vying to draw attention away from Apple's still-visually-unchanged Mac Mini, I hope you find my review helpful and that the insight I share positively impacts your buying decision.
=== OPERATING SYSTEM ===
You may have noticed that no operating system is included with this unit. While some may see this as a limitation or a caveat, true HTPC junkies know that the best home theater programs are truly found on Windows. Windows Media Center is a decent looking application and it indeed works, but it has limitations (mostly due to the legalities of Digital Rights Management). Open source applications like MythTV, XBMC and Boxee (the latter two being front-end only, meaning no recording capabilities) give you a bit more freedom with what you can do with your media, including flexibility and where your media is viewed (e.g. on an alternate computer, media extender, burned to DVD, transferred to a mobile device, etc).
So, there's a bit of logic to the exclusion of an operating system such as Windows 7 with this unit. But if you're still a sucker for Windows, the least I can do is save you a bit of money by suggesting you get the OEM edition (32-bit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NGJO92?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8 or 64-bit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NGQLSY?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8) which comes without the fancy (read: pricier) rounded-corner packaging that intrigues us consumers. On the other hand, the Acer model (linked at the beginning) comes with Windows 7 Home Premium pre-installed. It saves you time, costs you an extra thirty, and doesn't help you much unless you really want Windows 7 Home Premium. At least Home Premium has Windows Media Center though.
=== CAPABILITIES ===
Unfortunately, however, the operating system wasn't the only thing to be left out so that failed to deliver on a CD/DVD drive, as well as a decent way to implement some form of TV capture card (whether mini PCI-E, onboard hookup, or otherwise). The missing media drive can be an annoyance, especially considering it is annoying sometimes to get USB drives to work, especially on bootup when you're starting out with a machine that's missing its most essential component, the OS, which needs to be installed in some form or another. For such a sexy box, a viable solution might be to grab one of these thin, sexy external drives (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C1BBU8?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8) which won't detract from the all-important visual appeal, if your box will ever have eyes laid upon it and you still want to play and burn CDs and DVDs, or ever want to install CD/DVD based software from time to time without too much hassle.
However, between the (forgiveable) missing media drive and the (inexcusable) missing TV capture solution, I really can't recommend this for use as an HTPC, in full or part, because it makes this device pretty limited. Technically, if you have digital cable, you could get a remote dual-tuner (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010Y414Q?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8). Otherwise, about all you be able to do is use it more as a media extender for another PC already set up to act as the main media server/TV-capture source. Of course, if you're only after this unit for use as a media extender, it may just suit your needs perfectly. Be sure to snag a good media-center remote (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00123UGWQ?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8) if that is indeed the case. From my experience and perspective Zotac is great at making gear *almost* good enough to be used as an HTPC.
=== POWER ===
Is it powerful? Sure. Is it efficient? Absolutely. That's what the Nvidia ION is all about: pairing the power of the central processor with the graphics processor for an economical yet potent combination. Media will benefit from the ION core, which is why Nvidia ION boards and boxes are so popular for use with HTPC implementations.
Can you call this a multi-tasking beast, on the other hand? Not really. While indeed you do benefit from the multi-tasking capabilities provided by dual-core hyperthreading Atom processor that Zotac chose to use with this unit, there are reasonable limits, especially if media is playing (including in the browser). You probably don't want to be browsing the Web with more than a handful of tabs open, especially since Flash-based media is placed on and over-abundance of websites these days. So, leaving browser tabs open will begin to bog down the machine rather quickly, especially if you tend to browse the web fiendishly like I do (opening as many Google results as I can in separate tabs, and similar antics).
If you use multiple apps or programs at once, you probably don't want to run more than 2-3 (and try to keep background processes and system-tray utilities to a minimum as well). The system can withstand the graphics intensive Aero interface Windows Vista and 7 provides pretty well, but when you start to accrue several windows, all which employ the same translucent effects, they can degrade the performance of the machine over time as well.
=== HEAT ===
I must admit, I almost took this for a device encased in heat-friendly metal. Turns out it's just the fancy product-marketing graphics that portray it as something shiny and sleek. While, indeed it is, it's just shiny and sleek in plastic form. That being considered, the amount of venting is not quite as adequate as is to be desired, but proper venting is an obstacle to many of today's mini-pc form factors. Unit is warm when idle, but can heat up a bit during moderate to heavy use (watching movies, etc). Both the Zotac and the Acer had about the same heat radiance.
=== NOISE ===
Noise can also be a concern when considering using a machine as an HTPC, but audiophiles wouldn't be caught using cheap gear anyway. With the Zotac MAG, you'll hear it running if you try (e.g. stick your head up to it), but to say it's noisy would be a mistake. The noise generated by the system is pretty much on par with or less noticeable than anything else you're probably running at home. VCRs were noisier. The static from your speakers are probably even noisier. Plus, if it's mounted to the back of your TV, the TV itself would block most of the sound in the unlikely event that the fans were to start roaring up.
=== SPACE ===
The size and flexibility of the Zotac MAG are quite unique. Zotac offers you multiple configurations, three to be exact. The first is to position the box flat (no stand). Position option two is to stand the device straight up, using its stand. Option three is for those who have a flat screen TV, but aren't using the VESA mount: there's an attachment that fixates itself to the VESA mount screws on the back of your TV, to which you will attach the Zotac MAG, essentially hiding it from view behind your TV. In some configurations, this may make it annoying for you to access the box easily, but if not, it can be a convenience.
=== OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ===
Some might be considering this unit for purposes other than an HTPC, such as web browsing, a home music and file sharing server, even as a spare computer for the kids (with proper parental controls, of course). The idea of these small PCs is really to allow you to equip just about every room in the house with the 'digital experience' ...whatever that may encompass for you.
Just keep in mind that with the Zotac MAG, you'll need to make sure you grab a keyboard and mouse (I snagged this beauty: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HZUPD4?tag=a52-20&ie=UTF8) if you want to use as more than just a media player. Meanwhile, the competition (Acer) comes with a keyboard and mouse, but it is bulky and not very attractive.
Hope this review has been helpful!
Nice little HTPC system -- 2010-02-25
Definitely a nice HTPC system. I have it connected to my 42" Plasma.
I have a review and a video at [...]
Also, installation notes, power use, software experience and more.
My overall impressions of the system are overwhelmingly positive. Aside from a few minor issues, it has exceeded my expectations.
I purchased this little PC with the intention of using it for an HTPC (Home Theatre PC). Specifically I wanted to be able to play Hulu and Boxee, Pandora, and my CD collection from a network server. Most importantly, I wanted to be able to use it as a MythTV DVR frontend (viewer).check back for updates on how that is going I did not expect to be able to use it as the backend (recorder) - I expected that it would not be powerful enough. That's yet to be determined. I also expect that I will be using it for browsing the net when I need to do that jointly with my wife or company (hey, what does IMDB say about actor Blah, or what does Wikipedia think about this or the other.).
In brief:
Pros:
# Nice design. Very compact, stylish.
# Dual-core Atom with hyperthreading. The Task Manager shows it as four processors.
# NVIDIA ION chip - a HUGE improvement over Intel's own graphics shipset.
# HDMI output - carries both video and audio,
# Multi-monitor support.
# FAST networking, not just any networking.
# BONUS: HDCP support -
# ANOTHER BONUS: GPU-accelerated encoding/transcoding!
# No OS supplied.
# No keyboard, no mouse.
# The case has a neat amber LED ring that glows when the PC is turned on.
# It is literally whisper quiet.
# Very low power draw.
# Some nice trial software included on the driver CD.
Cons:
1. Biggest so far is the reception on the wireless card. The antenna must be weak.
2. HDD and Power LEDs are a hwee bit too bright.
3. Having a little trouble getting sound over HDMI to work. The driver under XP doesn't seem to have that option. That's the driver that came on the CD; I will try downloading updated drivers from the ZOTAC site. UPDATE - new driver from the ZOTAC website fixed the problem.
4. Case is not meant to be opened.
5. The HDD is only 5400 rpm.
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| Compaq Presario CQ5300F Desktop PC (Black)
great machine for the money -- 2010-03-09
Good speed and no more freeze ups like my old computer. I was upset tho that I was not informed that my printer will not connect to the back ( I guess I have to buy an adaptor) This is a great product tho and I am very happy with it.
somewhat capable -- 2010-03-08
Have just had this computer up and running a mere two to three weeks but I am very happy with its performance so far, a few items have not been able to download from my previous computer as it was a 32 bit but I guess that is just a small problem otherwise am pleased with the speed of this computer and the fact it has windows 7 home premium which seems to be a good OS, will know better once I have been using it a while longer, Thanks Tiger D.
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 | Apple iMac MB953LL/A 27-Inch Desktop
a Powerhouse with an amazing display. yes -- 2010-02-21
I've used my quad core 27" for the last 2 weeks without any issue. After much research I decided to go with the quad core instead of the core duo. My friend has the duo and the time it takes me to open large files or render graphics is almost twice as fast.
This display is so incredible I could go on and on about the crisp sharpness, contrast and color but I will just say its worth every dime I paid.
Primary use: Final Cut pro / After effects / Lightroom / Photoshop + web browsing and typical office functions
Pros:
Huge vibrant display (seriously walk into an apple store or best buy and see how massive this thing is)
upgradeable to 16GB memory
elegant body / hardware quality
Quad core processor out-performed the mac pro in initial bench testing!
1 TB hard drive
fastest video processor ever used in an imac
second monitor supported
it's the envy of all other computers (not to mention your friends)
Cons:
it's expensive
No Blu-ray drive (yet)
Firewire 800 plug change (apple adapter needed)
Keyboard has no 10ket and feels constricted
high quality glass display causes glare issues for some people
I've you're a video editor / photographer / designer or any type of media professional you already know this is a powerhouse for visual productivity.
Got it in 1 week -- 2010-02-20
Ordered 2/12 and received UPS on 2/19. Amazon said early March estimated delivery so I was pleased. Easy to unpack and setup; recognized wifi after 1 restart, and no problems with screen whatsoever.
Just wanted to let folks know about the ETA timeframe.
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 | Gateway SX2800-07 Desktop PC (Black)
bells and whistles -- 2010-03-02
I bought this computer a month ago, and I love it...well mostly. It's lightning fast, and beautifully sleek. It will most certainly take some time for me to get used to the windows 7 though. The machine itself arrived in a much smaller box than I anticipated, and I wondered if it would come in different parts. Ok, I knew it would come assembled, but the box was confusingly small. I opened it and was pleased to see not only the computer, but a keyboard and mouse. One thing I suggest strongly though. It comes woth no discs or paperwork. Be sure, VERY sure... to make a back-up disc the moment you plug it in. The restore feature doesn't seem to be as simple as the restoreit in my last computer. Nonetheless, It has more memory than I will need for quite some time, streams video flawlessly, has enough ports front and back to satisfy the multifuntionist in any family. It has no problem running my giant external drive, my camera, ipod, memory card etc...all at the same time. When it goes into snooze or rest mode, the power button blinks, so if you're in a pitch dark room, it looks a bit like an old blinking hotel sign. I put a sock on it if it's bugging me. It's definitely gonna take some getting used to, but it's a world of difference from my previous HP. Beware, I've moved into the present century!
Outstanding specs at a low budget cost! -- 2010-02-26
I purchased this computer to act as my second webserver. I've got a Verizon FiOS business account with 35Mbps down/35Mbps up and 13 static IPs. I was going to build a computer myself, and the cost for similar specs to this one came to $650. That's over $100 MORE than what I paid.
The essentials to anyone who is considering buying this computer:
- It has HDMI and VGA ports. Yes, I'm serious. HDMI port on a $500 computer. Amazing.
- It has a quad core Q8300 processor that comes in SLIGHTLY slower than a quad Core i5 750. You could pay the premium to get a Core i5 750, but you would never see the difference.
- On that note, check out the speed of the FSB & memory. 4GB DDR3 @ 1333MHz ... that's simply amazing for this $500 price point.
- 620GB SATA hard drive. If you need more space, you can always get an external firewire, eSATA or usb hard drive and plug it in. Seeing as how I'm using this as a webserver, the space is far more than I would ever need.
- Gigabit ethernet port
- Super tiny, fits basically anywhere. The design was very well thought out, I love it.
Honestly I didn't even boot into Windows 7. I've got Windows 7 on my computer, and I use linux on my webservers. So as soon as I got this computer hooked up, I went straight into the BIOS and tweaked a few settings, then installed linux and completely removed the partition(s) that came on the drive.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a low cost PC that outperforms high cost competitors. It's got EVERYTHING you could want at a price you can afford. And no, I don't work for Gateway.
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