The Shuttle XPC M1000 is an attempt to bridge
the divide between a PC and home entertainment system.
Shuttle is all set to shed the image of
home theater PC, which is usually an expensive, cumbersome machine.
By combining the super attractiveness of Windows Media Center Edition (2005)
with an entertainment PC machine, Shuttle has created a unit that elegantly
fits into a home theater rack or onto a desktop.
Shuttle (a Taiwanese company)
engineers worked closely with Windows Media Center developers to ensure a
seamless performance. You can set the PC running in less than five seconds with
its always on technology- says Shuttle.
In this article, we look at some
of the features of Shuttle XPC M1000 Home Theater PC.
CPU
and Memory
The Shuttle XPC M1000 comes with a Pentium M740
processor, which runs at a speed of 1.73-GHz. Its
heat levels are lower than a standard Pentium 4 desktop, thus reducing the noise of cooling
fan. The built-in 512 MB standard memory is enough if you are not the multitasking type.
Case
Elegantly designed, the M1000's
chassis fits well in a home theater rack. With a wireless
keyboard and remote control, coupled with a nice, shiny black case, the Shuttle
XPC M1000 is a beauty to look at. The components that make it a PC
are hidden behind flaps and covers and at times the M1000 even resembles a VHS
recorder/player. A multicolored LED panel at the center of the unit displays song titles, photo filenames, TV channels, etc.
Lovely stuff.
Graphics
With a nVidia GeForce 6600 LE graphics
card, the Shuttle XPC M1000 supports advanced gaming options with 256 MB of dedicated
graphics memory. This graphics
card gives excellent outputs at 1920 x 1080 (1080i). In addition, you can connect to a
HD screen with its DVI output.
Data Storage
The hard drive capacity on this
monster machine is a whopping 250 GB! You can also opt to use a 80GB removable
hard drive if you want additional storage.
Other
Components
There are many other components in
the Shuttle XPC M1000. These include an 8-in-1 card reader, DVD burner, as well
as a front expansion area for an external HDD. Dual tuners help you receive local digital channels.
And finally, you can also add an
optional 200-CD/DVD changer.
Shortcomings
One problem with the Shuttle XPC M1000
is that it accepts analog mode TV signals only. You will find that HDTV support is
missing. Some folks may also find the glossy black and silver top design a bit
dated.
Conclusion
The
Shuttle XPC M1000 meets the standards you expect from a media center PC. This
high performance machine will sit pretty in your living room - friends will have
no idea that it is a PC. If you can overlook slightly awkward design and forget
the HDTV support, this is the PC for you!
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