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Rating: 
Summary: A fine-tuned media powerhouse.
Review: Finally a piece of gear that looks like it belongs in an AV rack. I've been Very pleased with the appearance and usability of the system. Be aware that although it looks and performs like a component, it's also a PC. It comes with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004. That means music- and photo-playback features are excellent, and the PVR functions are a close match for a dedicated TV recorder. Since it's a computer and not a TV it takes a couple of minutes to boot-up. To power the media center, you need the remote control unit and the wireless keyboard and mouse. I've taken to leaving the system on all the time. The mouse uses a new motion-sensing technology that lets you control it with natural hand movements. Unlike most wireless mice, this one actually has range. I can still operate from outside the house through the window, 25 feet away, as long as I stay in the line of sight. The AV-component look of the FMC-901X is helped by the flip-down panel on the front, which hides many of the myriad of controls and ports: FireWire port, two USB 2.0 jacks, and slots for Compact Flash, SD, Memory Stick, and Smart Media memory cards, making it easy to move digital photos & MP3's into the system. Bottom-line: this system is perfect for any true media enthusiast
Rating:
Summary: A fine-tuned media powerhouse.
Review: Finally a piece of gear that looks like it belongs in an AV rack. I've been Very pleased with the appearance and usability of the system. Be aware that although it looks and performs like a component, it's also a PC. It comes with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004. That means music- and photo-playback features are excellent, and the PVR functions are a close match for a dedicated TV recorder. Since it's a computer and not a TV it takes a couple of minutes to boot-up. To power the media center, you need the remote control unit and the wireless keyboard and mouse. I've taken to leaving the system on all the time. The mouse uses a new motion-sensing technology that lets you control it with natural hand movements. Unlike most wireless mice, this one actually has range. I can still operate from outside the house through the window, 25 feet away, as long as I stay in the line of sight. The AV-component look of the FMC-901X is helped by the flip-down panel on the front, which hides many of the myriad of controls and ports: FireWire port, two USB 2.0 jacks, and slots for Compact Flash, SD, Memory Stick, and Smart Media memory cards, making it easy to move digital photos & MP3's into the system. Bottom-line: this system is perfect for any true media enthusiast
Rating:
Summary: Convergence is a reality
Review: I got one as an all-in-one center for images, video, TV, music, etc. It does the job well. TV image quality is excellent, and so is TV recording. Burning your favorite shows to DVD with a few button clicks is incredibly easy.
If you want something for your den, this is a machine that should definitely be on your list for consideration.
Rating:
Summary: A nearly perfect living room PC.
Review: The Gateway FMC-901X blends an innovative case design with high performance components. The first thing that strikes you about the Gateway Media Center is that it looks more like a piece of stereo equipment than a computer. In fact the stackable design computer is fits perfectly on top of a VCR or stereo. This was a big selling point with my wife. The next best feature is that it comes a super-sized 250GB hard drive with a personal video recorder that lets you record TV shows and watch them on your schedule. The advantage over Tivo is there's no monthly fee or any way for some corporation to keep track of what you watch and when. Now from the comfort of your couch, you can watch video, TV, play digital music, watch digital video, surf the Internet, play games, arrange digital photos and play or record DVDs.
Rating: 
Summary: Noticeably better than the Dell unit
Review: TV quality using the Hauppauge TV tuner card is substantially better than in other Media Center Edition PCs. It does do Tivo-like functionality, which is highly addictive once you have it. The system is still a little louder than I would like due to the cooling fans, but no louder than my Tivo box. The sleek design is what really makes it stand out from the competition. The 901 looks like an A/V component and not a clunky PC.
Now if only there was support for multiple HDTV tuners or multichannel SACD, it would be nearly perfect.
Rating:
Summary: Noticeably better than the Dell unit
Review: TV quality using the Hauppauge TV tuner card is substantially better than in other Media Center Edition PCs. It does do Tivo-like functionality, which is highly addictive once you have it. The system is still a little louder than I would like due to the cooling fans, but no louder than my Tivo box. The sleek design is what really makes it stand out from the competition. The 901 looks like an A/V component and not a clunky PC.
Now if only there was support for multiple HDTV tuners or multichannel SACD, it would be nearly perfect.
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