Evesham £699 AMD-based e-box Media Center PC

[Bob Crabtree]

Evesham's latest Windows Media Center PC - the e-box3, due May - is based around an Athlon 64 CPU and designed to fit in among other standard-size boxes that live under a TV set. Prices start at £699, including VAT and Evesham's three-year Gold warranty.

The e-box3 is said to "combine PC, TV, DVD and hi-fi capabilities into one simple system" and be "ultra quiet". Its case is black, has a brushed aluminium fascia and measures 430(w) x 288(d) x98(h)mm - a similar size to standard hi-fi components.

Personal video recorder functionality is provided by a single hybrid digital/analogue TV tuner but there's a £100 option of choosing twin tuners - two digital or two analogue - that allow one channel to be recorded while watching another or the recording of two while watching a pre-recorded programme.

More in this HEXUS.headline.

[richi]

Just build one yourself it will be cheaper.

[Bob Crabtree]

Same is also true, of course, of:

* A house
* A boat
* Some types of sports car
* A rockery
* A hundred and one other things

But, not everyone, of course, has the time, inclination or skill-set to build for themselves everything they want or need.


Bob

[DR]

Indeed - my only concern is that it has the Audio and USB on the front thus making it still look like a PC Why can'tthey have a nice flap

[Bob Crabtree]

Me, I very often remove the flaps from gadgets that sit under the telly, such as VCRs, simply because I'm more concerned about convenience than looks (as anyone who's ever seen me in the person will immediately realise!).

Indeed, I also remove things like the smoke-glass doors on AV cabinets cos I'd rather see all the rubbish within than be messing round opening and closing doors.

Bob

[Iain]

I'm with Dave, the sort of person who's likely to buy a media center PC at the moment, is also likely to be of the brushed aluminium, blue LED, minimalist design brigade (with the exception of anomalies like Bob ) and will therefore be looking to hide those ports. For all the extra expense it would cost them they would be far better implementing a drop down panel

[Bob Crabtree]

Me, an anomaly?

Oh, no, come to think of it, you're right.

Though I'd prefer to think of myself as an anachronism!

[eek]

Aren't most current LCD and plasma tellys either silver or gloss black at the moment?

As such matt black is going to clash with virtually everything.