Review: Elonex Artisan VX PC

It may have an odd name, but the Elonex Artisan is one of the more neatly designed entertainment PCs in this group test.

Like the Fujitsu-Siemens Scaleo E , it looks more like a traditional consumer electronics device than a PC.

It’s housed in a slim, matte-black case that won’t look out of place next to your other A/V gear, and the simple row of buttons adorning its front panel make it look and feel just like a VCR.

However, there’s a lot more going on round the back of the unit, which is bristling with audio and video connectors that will allow you to use the Artisan as the centrepiece of your home entertainment system.

Like an ordinary PC, the Artisan has both VGA and DVI connectors that will allow you to connect it to a computer monitor. It also has an S-video output connector as well as adapters for Scart and composite video, so that you can connect it to most types of television set as well.

The twin TV tuners mean you can record one programme while watching another, and there’s even an FM tuner built in so that you can listen to the radio as well.

You can use the handheld remote control for simple tasks such as playing DVDs or listening to music, and a neat little wireless keyboard is included so that you can perform more complex tasks, such as browsing the web or sending emails, from the comfort of your sofa.

The Elonex Artisan isn’t the fastest performer in this group, though. Its 2.8GHz Pentium D processor provides very good performance for audio and video work, but the Radeon X300 graphics card is a little below average for 3D games performance.

Still, the attractive design and versatile audio and video features make it a good choice if you want to replace your existing music system or DVD recorder.

This is part of a group test on remote access software. Other articles are:
Media Center PCs introduction and Editor's Choice
Ambros Shuttle SD36G5M
Cube 247 Omega ST2
Dell Dimension 5150C
Elonex Artisan VX
Evesham Ebox V
Fujitsu-Siemens Scaleo E
Hi-Grade DMS II 3200
Mesh Cubex Media TV PCW
Panrix Mantis
Sony Vaio VGX-XL 100
Entertainment systems and Viiv