The most recent articles from What PC?

Time Pluto Tri-View

Ben Lewis — 2002-08-29T14:03:59.000Z

Ben Lewis, What PC?, Thursday 29 August 2002 at 14:03:59

The first three-screen PC hits the shops.

Time Computers has seldom found renown as an innovative builder of PCs. Instead it concentrates on producing standard beige-boxes with lots of everyday features. But with this new Pluto Tri-View system, Time has broken its favourite mould.

The Tri-View's graphics card can spread its display over three different screens and, just to show off, Time has supplied a trio of 15.1in TFT flat panels. The new Parhelia graphics card from Matrox has two digital video interface slots which are split using converter cables into three monitor outputs.

The headline feature is backed up by a powerful Pentium 4 2.53GHz processor, 512MB of DDR memory and an 80GB hard drive. These high-end components combine to help the Tri-View turn in the second highest ever benchmark score in our exacting labs tests. This alone makes the machine worthy of special attention.

Not surprisingly, though, it is the split-screen technology that stands out. This machine is designed mainly for games, as computer-aided design professionals and the like generally prefer bigger CRT monitors.

The system is easy to set up, as Time has tweaked the Windows drivers and Registry settings to spread the display over three screens.

Sadly, this readiness does not always extend to the games or other software titles you might want to view in wide screen. We tested the Tri-View with Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast as it is one of only five games currently supporting this three-display technology.

Ballistics, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Quake Arena and Return to Castle Wolfenstein make up the list of supporting titles, and a few more are on the way.

However, even though Jedi Outcast works with the Tri-View's three screens, we were forced to enter a cryptic set of codes before the game spread itself across them.

First-person shooters, such as those using the Quake 3 graphics engine, lend themselves well to three screens, and the overall effect is highly impressive. Jedi Outcast's cut scenes lost detail when stretched, but the game itself looked good.

The machine lacks an overall control feature to make all three screens display the same colours and brightness. The outside screens displayed different shades to the central one, and we could not rectify this to our satisfaction.

Interestingly, the two outer screens show a skewed perspective, which looks strange when viewed straight on, but adds to the overall effect when you are looking at the central screen. It will be interesting to see how software developers respond to this surround-visuals ability.

Used properly, it could add an extra element to gaming, but it will need to be easier to configure.

The Pluto Tri-View is a great-value system. It has a network port and two USB ports, a powerful processor and a generous hard drive, as well as three TFT screens. It also has four free PCI slots. The quality of the TFT screens is not the best but, for well under £2,000, it would be harsh to complain.

The system we received for review was equipped only with onboard sound facilities, but Time has said that future versions of the machine may possibly include a separate sound card. If this is important to you, we recommend that you check before ordering.

Time deserves a hearty commendation for embracing this fledgling technology without charging the earth. This is a good, powerful machine with plenty of upgrade options.

Supported games list can be viewed here.

Price: £1,879 (inc VAT)

Specifications:

Intel Pentium 4 2.53GHz processor

512MB DDR memory

80GB hard disk drive

16-speed DVD-Rom drive

32x 10x 40x CD-RW drive

Videologic ZXR-500 5.1 speakers

Matrox Parhelia 128MB DDR (triple-output) graphics card

Three 15.1in NFREN NF-1500MA TFT monitors

Contact: Time Computers 0800 771 107

www.timecomputers.com

Time Jupiter

Frank White — 2002-07-12T11:27:14.000Z

Frank White, What PC?, Friday 12 July 2002 at 11:27:14

An inexpensive way to upgrade if you don't need new peripherals and software.

There are times when you don't want to buy an entire computer. If you're upgrading, but are content with your existing peripherals and software, the computer itself - the so-called base unit - is all you require.

That's just what you get here. Time's Jupiter is shorn of superfluous software and any extras apart from a mouse and keyboard, and this has allowed the manufacturer to focus on internal components.

A powerful Athlon XP 2000+ processor sits at the helm, supported by 256Mb of DDR memory and an 80Gb hard disk drive.

The machine duly turned in some impressive test scores. It achieved 173 in SYSmark, which is good for a package at this price. The system also managed a creditable 3DMark score of 5,480.

This is largely down to Time's inclusion of a quality 64Mb GeForce4 MX440 card, which also comes with a TV-out port. The Jupiter didn't fare so well in our NoiseMark test, with sound levels, even when idle, nudging close to those you would expect from a fridge.

The case itself is large, has a simple design and fits with the performance-per-pound ethos that is Time's priority.

It has plenty of upgrade options, with two PCI slots, a Dimm socket for adding more memory, and empty 3.5in and 5.25in drive bays. This means you should be able to recycle parts from an old PC and use them to bolster what the Jupiter can offer.

That's not the end of the story. There are separate DVD-Rom and CD-RW drives, four rear-mounted USB ports and a Creative PCI sound card. The latter isn't the most up-to-date card, but it does a reasonable job.

Price: £699 (inc VAT)

Specifications:

AMD Athlon XP 2000+ processor
256Mb DDR memory
80Gb hard disk
16-speed DVD-Rom
6 x 10 x 40x CD-RW
64Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics card
Sound Blaster PCI sound card
4 USB ports
TV-out connector.

Contact: Time Computers 0870 8303 101

www.timecomputers.com

Evesham Evolution 2.5

Scott Colvey — 2002-07-04T10:38:04.000Z

Scott Colvey, What PC?, Thursday 4 July 2002 at 10:38:04

A monster PC with a price to match.

Another month, another leap in processing power. The latest milestone to be passed is the 2.53GHz mark, the clock speed of Intel's latest Pentium 4 processor. It's this high-powered chip that forms the basis of Evesham's new machine, the aptly named Evolution 2.5.

Initially, the Evesham refused to work, so our labs engineer was called into action, and a loose-fitting graphics card was soon identified as the cause.

That little hurdle cleared, we got down to the tests. Is the Evolution 2.5 the fastest PC we've reviewed? Well, with a SYSmark score of 236, the answer is yes. Is that impressive? Of course, but we wouldn't expect anything less of a £2,000 computer.

Alongside the fast-paced processor sits 512Mb of DDR memory and, for long-term storage, the 100Gb hard disk drive is unlikely to run out of room.

The machine comes with an LG 19in monitor. Our review model was missing this particular item, but fortunately the Flatron 915FT is a popular choice among PC manufacturers, and we had a couple in the labs. It's a fine display; flat-screened and expansive. We're sure Evesham's stock doesn't differ from the competition.

When it's not supposed to be making any noise, the Evolution idled at just under 41dB in our new NoiseMark test. But we have to report that a boisterous CD-RW drive upped this figure to almost 49dB when in action.

The Evolution 2.5 is king of the PC castle - for now.

Price: £1,996.33 (inc. VAT)

Specifications:

Intel Pentium 4 2.53GHz processor
512Mb DDR memory
100Gb hard disk drive
16-speed DVD-Rom drive
40 x 12 x 48x CD-RW drive
Leadtek GeForce4 4600 graphics card
19in LG Flatron 915FT monitor.

Contact: Evesham 0870 160 9500

www.evesham.com

Mesh Matrix XP 1800+SB

Scott Colvey — 2002-06-06T11:55:38.000Z

Scott Colvey, What PC?, Thursday 6 June 2002 at 11:55:38

Good specs, combined with a low price and a three-year on-site warranty, make this a great value piece of kit.

Believe it or not, manufacturers would prefer not to have to sell some computers. Competition is so fierce and margins so tight that building PCs that sell for less than £1,000 is a complex business.

If the price of one component rises, a tightly priced PC can suddenly become unprofitable. But such is the demand for low-cost computer kit that many dealers find the budget sector irresistible, and it's here that Mesh has pitched the Matrix XP1800+SB, an economy computer masquerading as something much costlier.

At the beginning of the year, a PC powered by an AMD Athlon XP 1800+ processor, and supported by 256Mb of memory, would almost certainly have been considered a mid-range machine, and carried a price tag to match.

But such is the rapid advance of the industry that a fleet-of-foot outfit like Mesh can incorporate these components into its line-up of budget computers. At £849, the Matrix XP 1800+SB is great value.

What else does £849 buy you? Well, in this instance you'll get the latest graphics hardware in the form of a GeForce4 MX 440 chip.

This is a respectable operator, clocking up 5,784 points in our exacting 3DMark visuals test, but don't be fooled by the name: most GeForce3-powered graphics cards will outperform the GeForce4 MX 440 chipset.

Even so, the Matrix XP 1800+SB is well equipped to cope with all but the most demanding modes of the latest games and, at this price, it would be impertinent to complain.

Faced with office applications, the SysMark of 172 singles out the machine as a star on the budget stage.

The same sentiment is attached to the machine's 40Gb hard disk drive. By some measures this would be considered small but the simple truth is that few people would genuinely benefit from anything larger; after all, a lifetime's worth of office documents and files would occupy but a fraction of this space.

It's common now for new PCs to come with both DVD and CD-writer drives, and so it is here. Mesh has kitted out this machine with a 16x DVDRom drive and a capable CD-RW (rewriter).

If the CD-RW drive's 40x12x48x speed ratings mean nothing to you, just appreciate that it can 'burn' a CD-R disc in just a couple of minutes; and it's no slouch when it comes to rewriting to CD-RW media.

Moving on down the list of key specifications we begin to see where some of the savings have been made. The Matrix XP 1800+SB comes with a Creative five-piece speaker system - the FPS1600 comprising one subwoofer and four satellites - which is good for basic surround-sound output.

However, the speakers connect to onboard sound hardware, and this is lacking in delivery. A convincing audio envelope is created around the listener but the rear speakers seemed prone to the odd hiss and splutter.

Switching off the audio and transplanting the machine to our new NoiseMark test bay, the Matrix XP 1800+SB did OK. Both when idle and active, the computer's components stayed well within the limits specified in the industry's TCO 99 work environment quality standard. It is, though, a tad louder in operation than we would like.

Specifications:

AMD Athlon XP 1800+ processor
256Mb PC2100 DDR memory
40Gb hard disk
64Mb GeForce4 MX 440 graphics 40x12x48x CD-RW drive
16x DVDRom drive
17in NEC monitor
Microsoft Internet keyboard and Intellimouse
Creative four-point surround-sound speaker set
56Kbps modem
Windows XP and Lotus Worksuite
Three-year on-site warranty.

Price: £849 (inc VAT)

Contact: Mesh 020 8208 4744

www.meshcomputers.com

PC World Advent 3509

Scott Colvey — 2002-06-05T12:23:18.000Z

Scott Colvey, What PC?, Wednesday 5 June 2002 at 12:23:18

A 2.4GHz Pentium 4 desktop monster at a very fair price.

The first thing to note about the Advent 3509 is its processor. The 2.4GHz Pentium 4 is as fast as these things get right now so, if you demand the best, it's to be found right here.

The fast processor is complemented by 512Mb of memory and GeForce4-powered graphics hardware which helped the 3509 turn in a pretty impressive SysMark of 228.

During our new NoiseMark test the 3509 did well. Doing nothing other than being on and in an idle state it ticked over emitting sound that barely increased the ambient noise level in our test environment.

The noise rose only marginally when the PC was made to exercise its hard disk and other features, so the machine is unlikely to deafen the user.

Indeed, we could find little about the 3509 to criticise. Faster graphics facilities wouldn't have gone amiss but the A-class processor offsets this somewhat.

Also, the monitor made us wonder. The speaker-bearing Flatron 776FM from LG is a fine display but an odd choice for a machine that is supplied with a surround-sound audio system in the shape of Creative's PlayWorks DTT3500 Digital set.

Better buys can probably be found online or from mail-order operators, but whether potential savings outweigh the cash-and-carry convenience of buying from a shop is a decision for you alone.

Price: £1,628 (inc VAT)

Specifications:

2.4GHz Intel Pentium 4
512Mb DDR Ram
80Gb hard disk
16x DVD drive
24x12x40x CD-RW drive
64Mb GeForce4 MX 420 graphics chip
17in LG Flatron 776FM monitor
Creative PlayWorks DTT3500 Digital speaker set
Windows XP

Contact: PC World 0800 056 5732

www.pcworld.co.uk

Dell Dimension 4400 2.2GHz

Ben Lewis — 2002-05-14T13:10:43.000Z

Ben Lewis, What PC?, Tuesday 14 May 2002 at 13:10:43

A good system for gamers and/or film and music fans.

During the past two years we have seen the clock speed of Pentium and Athlon chips steadily increasing, and now the 2GHz barrier has fallen.

Intel's 2.2GHz Pentium 4 is the star of the new Dimension 4400 from Dell. The machine clocked up the fastest overall score we have to date seen in our Labs test and showed that it will deal admirably with any job you throw at it. But aside from performance, is the rest of the system up to par?

The tower case is finished in a matt black and has a clever design, allowing it to be swivelled open. The right side holds the drives and the left everything else, enabling easy access.

Considering the 4400's princely processor, the 256MB complement of DDR memory is a tad stingy. One spare DIMM slot is available to accommodate upgrades.

Similarly, the 40Gb hard disk drive seems a little slim these days, though it provides sufficient storage for most tasks. An excellent CD-RW/DVD combination drive delivers further storage flexibility.

The GeForce3 Ti 200 graphics card produced a great result in our 3D visuals benchmark and, combined with the 17in monitor, will make most games and DVDs look fantastic.

Elsewhere, the Turtle Beach sound card combines well with the Harman Kardon speakers to provide quality sound, so it's a good system for gamers and/or film and music fans. There is no FireWire port, which is disappointing, but there are four USB ports for adding peripherals.

Dell wants plenty of money for this PC and the bulk of it pays for the fancy Pentium 4 processor. It's undoubtedly a good machine, but can you afford to be this fancy?

SPECIFICATIONS

2.2GHz Pentium 4 processor
256Mb DDR-RAM
40Gb hard disk; CD-RW/DVD combo drive
GeForce3 Ti 200 graphics card
Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card
56Kbps modem
17in CRT monitor
Windows XP Home edition

Contact

Dell: 0870 152 4850 www.dell.com/uk

PC World Advent 3974SP

Andy Gordon — 2002-05-09T15:51:00.000Z

Andy Gordon, What PC?, Thursday 9 May 2002 at 15:51:00

A great graphics card gives this PC the edge.

With so many available, PCs have to try and stand out from the crowd. Whether it's sheer power, components or value, something has to turn heads.

The Advent 3974SP's key attraction is its GeForce4 graphics card. The GeForce 4 is the latest in nVidia's rapidly expanding family of graphics chips. Confusingly, GeForce4 products aren't necessarily better than those using GeForce3. To understand why, it's important to be familiar with nVidia's current line-up.

Sitting at the top of the GeForce4 range are the Ti 4400 and 4600 chips, with the MX 460, 440 and 420 models bringing up the rear. These MX-prefixed GeForce4 chips are, at least on a technical level, successors to nVidia's GeForce2 MX models. The upshot is that 'old' GeForce3 cards can outperform brand-new GeForce4 MX models. Don't blame us.

The Advent 3974SP features an MX 440, which is some way down the pecking order. Nevertheless, it scored 5447 in our Labs 3DMark 2001 test, placing it within touching distance of a low-end GeForce3.

It gains a lot of performance from the Athlon XP 2000+ processor (which runs at 1.67GHz) and makes an excellent team with the 512MB of RAM. The system as a whole clocked a commendable 185 in our SYSmark 2001 test.

The rest of the PC has enough bells and whistles to keep most people happy. The enormous 80Gb hard drive is backed up by a high-speed CD-RW and a DVD-ROM drive, which can make the most of the graphics card's TV-out connector.

Inside, everything is neat and tidy, and outside the usual ports are joined by a FireWire connection.

As you would expect with a top processor and so much other gubbins, the price is high, and that is what lets this PC down. The graphics card may be new, but it is not the best, and for this price you can expect the best.

Specifications

AMD Athlon XP 2000+ processor
GeForce4 MX 440 graphics card
512Mb of RAM
80Gb hard drive; 16x DVD-ROM drive; 24x10x40x CD-RW drive
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy sound card
19in Samsung Syncmaster 957DF monitor
Cambridge Audio DTT2200 speaker set
Windows XP and Works Suite 2001

Contact

PC World: 0800 056 5732 www.pcworld.co.uk

Mesh Matrix XP 2000+ NV25

Ben Lewis — 2002-04-10T16:16:26.000Z

Ben Lewis, What PC?, Wednesday 10 April 2002 at 16:16:26

A top-flight gaming and multimedia package.

Six months have passed since the launch of the last graphics processing unit from nVidia. Back then it was the GeForce3 series and now - surprise, surprise - the GeForce4 has arrived.

This month What PC? managed to get its hands on the first two PCs to feature nVidia's latest creation, which is now the latest word in 3D graphics. But first, a bit of background about the new hardware.

This latest series of graphics chips features three 'MX' versions, aimed at the entry-level and upgrade market, and two high-end 'Ti' versions. Usually, graphics chipmakers will launch high-end parts first and attract hardcore gamers willing to spend money on the latest top-performance boards.

This time, nVidia has made its mainstream entry-level versions immediately available and more affordable in order to try and capture some of the budget PC market share, presently taken by its main competitor, ATI.

These two companies are the market leaders in graphics technology and both release new cards on a regular basis in order to keep ahead of the competition. But why release a new range every six months?

The 3D graphics market behaves differently when compared to the latest trends in the microprocessor arena. Nowadays, it is more difficult to justify buying a new chip, because processors from one or even two years ago are still very much up to the job. Hardly anyone really needs, or properly makes use of, the extra performance of the latest 2GHz monsters from AMD and Intel.

The 3D visuals sector is different because there is still plenty of room for improvement. Despite increased frame rates and improved anti-aliasing, we could never mistake current high-resolution 3D graphics for real life.

But at the recent launch of the GeForce4 in Brussels, an nVidia spokesman said that such convincing 'virtual reality' is a realistic target.

The downside is that no matter how good your graphics processing unit is, there will soon be a better one. When you've paid around £350 for a top-of-the-range GeForce3 Ti 500, it is unfortunate that, six months later, the GeForce3 line is discontinued and the new GeForce4 cards released are considerably better in quality and value.

An nVidia insider at the recent GeForce4 launch admitted that the frequency of release for new cards is just as much a marketing tactic as a pursuit of quality. With companies like Mesh and Evesham always ready to include the latest graphics card, nVidia has an almost guaranteed market rise every six months.

That's some of the background to the 3D graphics market, but what about the actual performance of this latest chip and the systems using it? Well, both the Mesh Matrix reviewed here are designed specifically for gaming.

Built around the powerful AMD Athlon XP 2000+ processor, they come with the new top-of-the-line GeForce4 Ti 4600. The system also include a giant 19in monitor, making games look fantastic.

Similarities continue with each machine equipped with 512Mb DDR memory which, combined with the excellent AMD processor, gave two of the best overall performance scores we've seen so far in our Labs tests. The Matrix clocked up 194 in the SYSmark 2001 benchmark and the Axis scored 197.

The system has enough power to deal with any application with plenty left over. As we mentioned before, this power is rarely employed, but it does mean that both systems will cope with all tasks and applications, for many years to come.

In terms of storage, both systems are also well equipped. The Matrix has an 80Gb hard drive and a 24x10x40 Teac CD-RW for backup and data transfers.

The system has a separate DVDRom drive, which combines with the sound facilities and sizeable monitor to make watching films a real treat. The Audigy card also has a FireWire port included for linking up digital camcorders and transferring data at high speed, complementing the large storage capabilities.

It has four free USB ports and the full complement of 'legacy' ports for connecting up your older peripherals, as well as a network card and a modem. If you do want to upgrade - which is unlikely given the quality of the cards and drives - there are two PCI slots available and an external 5.25in drive bay spare.

Where these systems really shine is in their graphics performance. The GeForce4 Ti 4600 has been tuned and tweaked to deliver even better performance than the former GeForce3 Ti 500, and it doesn't disappoint. In our 3DMark 2001 test, the Matrix notched up 9,856 which is a phenomenal score.

This is a vast improvement over the previous high-end GeForce3, and shows just how far nVidia's technology has progressed.

The actual improvements have been made in a few different areas. The bump-mapping (which controls how one surface behaves when in contact with another, like water lapping against rocks) is much improved on this card, making scenery and lighting look even more realistic.

The AccuView Anti-Aliasing is also an important progression. This gets rid of jagged edges on characters and backgrounds and delivers up to five times the anti-aliased performance of previous cards.

In the past, enabling anti-aliasing would adversely affect the performance of a game, but on the new 4600, there is no perceptible decrease in performance. This really helps to give a more 'lifelike' appearance and smoothness to objects.

The Quake III test, which measures how many frames per second the card runs, gave a score of 193 for the Axis. This speed allows games to run extremely smoothly without any shudder or flicker.

Obviously, six months from now it'll be old news but, until that time, it's likely to be the best you can get.

Specifications:

AMD Athlon XP 2000+ (1.7GHz) processor
512Mb DDR Ram
80Gb hard drive
19in Mitsubishi CRT DPRO 920 monitor
64Mb nVidia GeForce4 Ti 4600
24x10x40x CD-RW
16x DVDRom
56Kbps modem
SB Audigy sound card
Soundworks DTT2200 5.1 speakers
Windows XP Home, Lotus SmartSuite 9.7, Nero CD-RW software, Power DVD.

Contact: Mesh

020 8208 4707

www.meshplc.com

Mesh Matrix XP 1900-R85

Ben Lewis — 2002-03-26T14:55:46.000Z

Ben Lewis, What PC?, Tuesday 26 March 2002 at 14:55:46

Performance and power in a bargain PC.

With AMD and Intel still slugging it out to produce the most attractive processor, the consumer is doing rather well out of some greatly reduced processor prices. The new Mesh Matrix XP 1900 features the latest Athlon XP chip, and much more.

The first notable feature is the generous 19in Mitsubishi monitor; its native 1600x1200 resolution looks fantastic. The machine also looks the part, with a solid tower case and easy-access flap for immediate entry to the innards, without having to unscrew anything.

The layout and design inside is roomy and very spacious. Unlike the normal flat, grey variety, the IDE cables in the Matrix are thin, circular and black, which supposedly improves the circulation of air and certainly looks much neater.

There are two free PCI slots and one shared, with the second game port currently taking up the third slot.

Part of the appeal of this system is the excellent audio and visual performance it offers. The graphics card is a powerful 64MB DDR ATI Radeon, with a DVI connection for linking up to a TFT monitor without losing picture quality. With DVI looking set to become a standard in the future this is a good extra, even if the monitor included is far too nice to think about replacing with a TFT just yet.

The Radeon also has a TV-out, for hooking the Matrix up to your video and television. The card put in a blinding performance in our 3D Mark tests, coming out with 8288 - the highest score we've ever seen.

It is good to see ATI providing the nVidia camp with some serious competition, and even better to see such good graphics on a machine at this price.

Sounds good

To balance out the great visuals, the Creative SoundBlaster Audigy audio card is also a top-drawer piece of kit. The sound quality is superb for both games and DVDs, and with the Creative 5.1 DTT2200 surround speakers included, this system really does sound great.

The Audigy even has separate processing for different sounds in films and games, so the footsteps in a corridor and the footsteps outside a window will have whole different reverbs and filters assigned. This makes PC sound effects even more authentic than ever before.

Interestingly, the sound card also has a FireWire port for super-fast transfer of bulky multimedia data, like audio and video. With the FireWire, two game ports, four USB ports and all the usual 'legacy' ports as well, the connectivity on the Matrix is all you could ask for.

For watching films you get a good-quality Pioneer DVD-ROM, and for recording and listening to tunes a zippy CD-RW from Teac. This is a really good system for film, music and gaming buffs.

Power packed

All these features are great and make the Matrix a great buy, but the main attraction is the amazing power and memory housed in this sub-£1,500 machine. There are two RIMM slots, each holding 512Mb of DDR RAM, giving you a total of 1Gb in memory. Add to this a huge 80Gb hard drive and you've got some real storage facilities.

Combine this memory with the 1.6GHz Athlon XP 1900 processor and you have a great performer; more than able to back up the high-quality multimedia features.

Our tests proved beyond all doubt that this is a grand machine. In SYSmark 2001 the Matrix clocked up a huge score of 188 - the fastest yet seen in our labs.

This Mesh Matrix is a fine example of the great-value systems now taking hold of the market. The three-year on-site warranty is the cherry on top.

Specifications

Athlon XP 1900+ processor
1Gb of RAM
80Gb hard disk drive
64Mb ATI Radeon 8500 DDR graphics card
Teac 24x10x40 CD-RW
Pioneer 16x DVD-ROM Creative Sound Blaster Audigy sound card
56Kbps modem
19in Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 920 Monitor
Cambridge DTT2200 5.1 speakers

Contact

Mesh: 020 8208 4707 www.meshplc.com

Apple iMac

Mark Heaton — 2002-03-25T12:18:56.000Z

Mark Heaton, What PC?, Monday 25 March 2002 at 12:18:56

Impressive multimedia performance for the home.

In 1998 Apple introduced the iMac, a cute all-in-one box that changed the way we look at computers. And while it went on to become one of the most popular computers ever, it has changed little in nearly four years.

Indeed, it was starting to look more like a museum piece than a useful bit of hardware. But now the iMac is back with a bang, rebuilt from the ground up.

Apple reckons the traditional CRT monitor, around which the old iMac was built, is a dead technology. Reflecting this, the new iMac uses a 15in TFT flatpanel display. Consequently, the entire design has changed.

Rather than build the rest of the computer's components into the back of the screen - as is the case with some other all-in-one designs - the iMac's hard disk, CD-RW drive and everything else form part of the base unit.

Quirky design

The design of the machine may take a little getting used to: its dome-shaped base looks not unlike a giant Christmas pudding.

The excellent-quality screen is attached to the base by a clever arm mechanism which allows it to effortlessly tilt, move up and down, and rotate through 180 degrees, so you can look at it from wherever feels comfortable.

The new iMac's had a major overhaul under the hood too. It now uses the PowerPC G4 chip, which was previously only available in Apple's professional Power Mac range.

Three and easy

There are three models in the line-up, all of which use the nVidia GeForce2 MX graphics chip with 32Mb of video RAM, making them decent gaming machines. They also all have three USB ports, two FireWire ports, a built-in 56K modem and Ethernet.

The cheapest model costs £1,149 and has a 700MHz processor, 128Mb RAM, a 40Gb hard disk and a CD-RW drive.

Granted, it's no bargain, but when you consider that the price includes the flat screen and an impressive set of features, it's good value.

The mid-range model, which costs £1,299, replaces the CD-RW drive with a combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive and comes with an impressive pair of Apple Pro speakers, as well as a more sensible 256Mb of RAM.

But, unsurprisingly, the most interesting of the three is the most expensive. At £1,599, it has an 800MHz processor, a 60Gb hard disk, and the SuperDrive, which is a combination DVD-R/CD-RW drive. Apple supplies a software package called iDVD, which, when used in conjunction with the SuperDrive, allows you to create professional-looking DVDs full of home-made movies or picture slide shows.

Multimedia marvel

The processor speeds may sound slow, but the G4 is a very capable chip, and is easily a match for a Pentium 4 rated twice as fast. When combined with Apple's latest operating system, Mac OS X 10.1, which is supplied with the iMac, the G4 chip provides impressive performance, particularly in multimedia applications.

And this is where Macs in general, and iMacs in particular, stand out. Apple sees the iMac as the ultimate 'digital hub' computer, forming the bridge between all your different types of digital data. To that end, it supplies a series of powerful but easy-to-use applications, including iMovie for video-editing, iTunes for managing your MP3 collection and burning audio CDs, the aforementioned iDVD, and a brand-new companion for your digital camera, called iPhoto.

The software bundle also includes productivity applications like AppleWorks, as well as games, reference packages and internet software.

Contact

Apple: 0800 039 1010 www.apple.com/uk/imac

Evesham Axis PVR

Ben Lewis — 2002-03-22T10:40:47.000Z

Ben Lewis, What PC?, Friday 22 March 2002 at 10:40:47

Watch and record TV programmes on this computer.

Evesham has targeted the home entertainment market with the Axis Personal Video Recorder (PVR) system, which can play and record music, play DVDs and screen and record television.

Based around a 1.4GHz Athlon processor and 256Mb of DDR memory, the Axis PVR provided adequate results in our Labs tests and would satisfy most buyers.

Similarly, the GeForce2 Ti video card performed very well in our 3D graphics test, proving itself easily able to cope with the demands of the latest games. Combine this with nifty CD-RW and DVD-RAM/R drives for burning DVDs and CDs, and you have all the audiovisual options you could wish for.

Connectivity is good, with four USB ports, but the system would benefit from a FireWire port for capturing camcorder footage.

The 17in monitor has a good display and, combined with the 5.1 sound card and surround speaker system, this is a nice system for watching DVDs. A bigger screen would be nice, though, considering this system is aimed at TV viewers.

This brings us to the main selling point of the Axis: the ability to watch and record TV programmes on the computer. Just stick an aerial connection into the graphics card's tuner connection and you are instantly hooked up.

The Showshifter software will automatically find the stations, and has a timer feature, like a normal VCR. You can also pause live broadcasts and then resume watching without missing a second, as the Axis can record straight onto its 60Gb hard drive.

The software interface is easy to use and gives instant access to all your channel, picture, audio and compression options.

SPECIFICATIONS

AMD Athlon 1.4GHz processor
256Mb DDR RAM
60Gb hard drive
64Mb nVidia GeForce2 Ti, TV tuner card
Samsung CD-RW, Matshita DVD-RAM/R
56Kbps modem
SoundBlaster 5.1 audio, Cambridge Soundworks DTT2200 5.1 speakers
Windows XP, Showshifter and Power DVD

Contact

Evesham.com: 0800 038 0800 www.evesham.com

HP EPC P5802A

Andy Gordon — 2002-03-18T14:41:57.000Z

Andy Gordon, What PC?, Monday 18 March 2002 at 14:41:57

Simplicity and ease of use for the office.

The big selling point of HP's newest machine is size: stood on end, the EPC could pass for a strange-looking book; and combined with the TFT screen in this configuration, it cuts a slim figure.

However, the EPC is not another designer PC, and HP has put some real thought into the practicalities of the design. Open the easy-to-access (but lockable) case and, initially, there seems little room to move: components are packed together like sardines in a tin. But first looks are often deceiving.

Marking a definite improvement over its predecessor, this EPC has a free DIMM slot for more memory - and this is immediately accessible. Deeper down, the motherboard sits under the hard disk, which slides out on demand.

The processor, meanwhile, is hidden behind an enormous but near-silent fan. Admittedly the EPC is not made for upgraders, but HP has really considered ease of maintenance.

A notebook-sized CD drive and external power adaptor contribute to the EPC's compact dimensions.

Externally, the EPC is similarly uncomplicated, with colour-coded ports.

External expansion is easiest through the four USB ports, two of which sit at the front.

Performance is not the EPC's strong point, as a SYSmark score of 83 demonstrates. However, the 1GHz Intel Celeron processor, 256Mb of RAM and 20Gb hard drive will handle everyday office tasks.

This system configuration includes a fine flat-screen monitor - the HP L1520 - with built-in speakers and an (optional) All-In-Three Integration Kit for attaching the EPC to the back.

The asking price of £1,166.51 is reasonable but you could buy the EPC on its own for £703.83 and get a cheaper monitor.

The EPC is primarily for business use so isn't ideal for home users. It has a built-in network interface, but no modem; it runs the Windows 2000 Professional operating system rather than XP; the graphics chip will flag with games, and there is no floppy disk drive.

SPECIFICATIONS

Intel Celeron 1GHz
256Mb of RAM
28Gb hard drive
24-speed CD-ROM drive
HP L1520 15.1in flat-screen monitor
Windows 2000 Professional

Contact

HP: 0870 241 1485 www.hp.co.uk

Evesham Axis 1900+ Ti500

Frank White — 2002-03-13T13:04:39.000Z

Frank White, What PC?, Wednesday 13 March 2002 at 13:04:39

A top-notch PC, but the price will make your eyes water.

There isn't much you can't do with Evesham's latest machine. It's a top-class model for video editing, music creation, gaming and a whole host of other power- and space-hungry tasks. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if you could screw wheels on it and drive it around town.

Gamers in particular are in for a treat, thanks mainly to the GeForce3 Ti500 graphics card, which scored an outstanding 7884 in our 3DMark test.

There is more to gaming than a graphics card, though. The sound card and speakers fully embellish the gaming atmosphere and the 'naturally flat' LG 19in monitor shows off the graphics to perfection.

With separate DVD-ROM and CD-RW drives built in you can indulge in movie-making and burn songs to CDs. It will take a while to fill the vast 100Gb hard disk, even if you attack these hobbies with vigour.

The excellent software bundle complements the hardware with the video-editing application Pinnacle Studio 7 and the Microsoft Works Suite 2001, for a start.

These features would be useless if the PC didn't have the power to back it up, but the Axis has this in spades. The Athlon 1900 processor and 512Mb of RAM powered the PC to a terrific SYSmark 2001 score of 184 - one of the finest we've seen.

One slightly sour note is that the processor is not quite what it seems. Although AMD has named the chip a '1900', it has a clock speed of 1.6GHz, which might disappoint some buyers.

However, a more pressing concern is the price, which is steep even allowing for the all-round high calibre of components.

Contact

Evesham: 0870 160 9500 www.evesham.com

NEC Powermate i-Select

Frank White, What PC? — 2002-03-01T14:35:34.000Z

Frank White, What PC?, What PC?, Friday 1 March 2002 at 14:35:34

It has revolutionary DVD-R capability and a GeForce3 graphics card. What more could you want?

Okay, so most of us are now comfortable with the idea of being able to create audio and data CDs using a PC kitted out with a suitable rewriter drive. But how about DVDs?

The format of current favour is purely for playback, right? Wrong. Recordable DVD technology is here, and NEC's Powermate is the first PC we've seen with DVD-R capability.

But while it is undoubtedly a welcome addition to the canon of tasks that can be completed by the humble PC, all is not rosy in the garden of DVD-R.

The key problem is that several recordable DVD standards are competing for dominance, and rewritable DVDs are not too far away; so the wise money will wait until the dust has settled a bit.

Even so, the key advantage of DVD-R is that it provides almost eight times more space than CDs, allowing masses of information to be stored on them. However, blank discs are expensive at present - expect to pay anything up to £40 per disc.

Prices are sure to fall as the standard becomes established, so it's back to that wait-and-see stance.

The DVD-R capability suggests NEC sees the Powermate as the ultimate home entertainment system and almost everything about the PC backs this up. The AMD Athlon 1.33Ghz processor and the 256Mb of memory crunch numbers at lightning speed, a fact reflected by the record results in our performance tests.

The fat 60Gb hard disk is practically begging to be filled with even the largest office and entertainment applications, while the huge 21in monitor will show off the latest Hollywood blockbuster to magnificent effect.

As it will the latest games, which are propelled with pace and precision by the GeForce3 graphics card.

What a pity the Labtec speakers, a fairly modest affair with two satellites and a subwoofer, don't continue the exceptionally high standards.

Perhaps of greater concern, if you're as keen on movie-making as movie-watching, is the lack of a FireWire port. Without it, transferring footage from camcorder to hard disk or DVD-R will be a laborious process, no matter how powerful the PC.

Of course, you could use one of the two free PCI slots and fit a FireWire card, but having spent this amount of money on a top-class PC, it must gall to suddenly realise it is missing such a useful feature.

The other upgrade options are a mixed bag: the free DIMM slot allows you to increase the already gargantuan memory. In terms of spare drive bays, though, the Powermate is a bit lacking, with only two 3.5in spaces free, one internal and one external.

It's worth bearing in mind that this is just about as close to the "PC-that-has-it-all" ideal as you will get. There is a separate DVD drive as well as the DVD-R drive, which also doubles up as a CD-RW.

There are a host of tasty extras such as an external TV tuner, Logitech Webcam and Ethernet card, which should distract you from any shortcomings. The USB TV tuner is sufficient, but not brilliant.

DVD-R is the critical factor to consider, as this is the ace in NEC's already flush hand and pushes the price beyond the reach of most. If you can't wait to take the plunge into DVD recording and have the money, we have no qualms about recommending this PC.

But if you can't afford it yet, don't worry: we predict that in six months' time, better machines, perhaps with rewritable DVD capability, will be available, and probably at a much cheaper price.

If you have your heart set on the exciting world of DVD-R, you will be reassured to note that the Powermate is certainly one of the top PCs on the market. But even with its broad range of specifications, doubts remain.

Contact

NEC: 0870 010 6322 www.nec-online.co.uk

Apple iMac Flower Power

Chris Cain — 2002-02-15T17:19:00.000Z

Chris Cain, What PC?, Friday 15 February 2002 at 17:19:00

While we're still hoping for a G4 iMac, this latest machine is no slouch and, at £1199, it's reasonable value when everything is considered.

When it comes to creating computers that look as good as they perform, Apple is clearly ahead of its rivals. The tiny G4 Cube may not be selling as well as was hoped but there's no denying that it's gorgeous, and the latest G4 Powerbook really is a joy to behold.

Of course, the machine that kick-started the style trend was the iMac, and Apple has recently unveiled new versions of its all-in wonder.

As usual, the changes are in both the specifications and the colour schemes available, and it's the latter that strikes you at first glance. While keeping the popular Indigo and Graphite themes, Apple has introduced two new looks: Blue Dalmatian and Flower Power.

The former is a blurry blue and white spotted affair while the latter looks something like a prop from Austin Powers. At best, both could be described as 'different'.

We're pleased to see that Snow has melted away from the range but, come on - what was wrong with Ruby?

Thankfully, our top-of-the-line Flower Power review model looked much better on the inside. A powerful 600Mhz G3 processor is backed by 256Kb of level 2 cache running at the full speed, 128Mb of Ram and a whopping 40Gb hard disk.

There's a 56Kbps modem and, for the first time, a smart slot-loading CD-RW drive replaces the usual DVDRom unit. Apple has admitted missing the boat on recordable CD technology and it's good to finally see it installed.

However, a combination DVD/CD-RW unit would have made much more sense - if only with the high-end models. That said, CD-RW is generally a lot more useful than a DVDRom at the moment.

Other technical goodies include two USB and two FireWire sockets for peripherals, an Ethernet connector and a VGA output for mirroring the built-in 15in display on another monitor.

The display itself is crystal clear and works at resolutions up to 1024x768 pixels in 24-bit colour at 75Hz. It would have been nice to see a flatter tube but the curve isn't too distracting. The images displayed come courtesy of an ATI Rage 128 Ultra combined with 16Mb of dedicated video memory.

The iMac now comes bundled with the same 'professional' keyboard and mouse as bigger G4 systems. The keyboard has a decent-sized layout and full function keys but sadly lacks the trademark Power On button.

The mouse is the stylish 'no button no ball' optical device that allows you to click virtually anywhere along its body. It's very nice but what we really need is a second button and scroll wheel. "Apple, that's the sound of another boat sailing past."

All that said, the main selling point of the iMac is ease of use and here we cannot find fault. Setting the machine up is child's play and even the biggest technophobe could be up and surfing the internet in 20 minutes. More impressive are the bundled iMovie 2 and iTunes applications.

The former allows you to capture video footage using a digital camcorder connected to one of the FireWire ports. You can then edit it, add soundtracks, subtitles and effects, and send the results back to the camera or a VCR at full video quality.

For the musically inclined, iTunes provides easy MP3 encoding (CD ripping), playback and the ability to burn audio CDs. Version 6 of the AppleWorks integrated office suite provides word processing, spreadsheet, database and presentation facilities.

You can buy PCs with a 1Ghz processor, faster graphics and an additional DVD drive for the same price, but these need to be weighed against things like FireWire and Ethernet as standard.

Contact: Apple

0800 039 1010

www.apple.com/uk