Tiny MMC E10252

Windows Media Center 2005 may not be to everyone's taste but, as Microsoft has stated, it's the best Windows operating system you can get. So, if you're buying a new computer, it's worth investing in Media Center, even if you don't use all its features.

One of the improvements to Windows Media Center 2005 is the support for more than one television tuner. The Tiny MMC E10252 takes full of advantage of this by including two tuners and an impressive array of multimedia features.

Having dual tuners allows you to record one channel while watching another, which makes replacing your VCR with this PC a realistic proposition. Each tuner can also receive terrestrial radio broadcasts and Media Center can play internet radio stations if you have a broadband connection.

This MMC E10252 doesn't come with a monitor but there is a 200Gb hard disk fitted, offering plenty of space for recording TV. You can archive recorded TV shows on the recordable DVD drive that supports both plus and minus formats.

An AMD Athlon64 3000+ processor provides plenty of power and is assisted by 512Mb of memory. More memory can be added to the spare slot, as performance was good but not spectacular. The GeForce FX5200 graphics card was sufficient to play our test game of Unreal Tournament 2003 at decent resolutions.

A floppy disk drive is fitted at the front of the PC, as is a 4-in-1 memory card reader and two USB 2 ports. The back of the computer houses four more USB 2 sockets and a FireWire port. The mouse and keyboard are both wireless and there is a Media Center remote control.

As well as Microsoft Works 7, there is a three-month trial of Office 2003. Unfortunately, there is no security software. Service Pack 2 does improve the Windows firewall but antivirus software is just as essential.

The Tiny MMC E10252 isn't the most glamorous-looking Media Center PC, but at £630 it's an excellent upgrade system if you already have a monitor.

Contact:
Tiny.com 0870 830 3156
www.tiny.com

Also consider:
Evesham Ebox
More expensive than the MMX E10252 but better suited to sitting underneath the television.