Four more vendors release Windows Media Center PCs

Four more vendors have released PCs based on the Windows XP Media Center

Edition operating system. Gateway, Alienware, ABS, and Cyberpower join HP in

offering systems that act like combination of TV, stereo, and home theater. The

Media Center systems are designed to capture, organize, and play back TV shows,

DVD movies, music, photos, and other types of digital content.

Alienware will offer two flavors of its Windows XP Media Center system. The

$1,699 Navigator includes a 2.53-GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM,

NVidia GeForce 4 TI 4200 graphics, an 80GB hard drive, and a CD-RW/DVD drive.

The Navigator Pro version sells for $1,999 and includes a 2.6-GHz Intel Pentium

4 processor, a 120 GB hard drive, and a Pioneer DVR AO4 drive.

Gateway

offer includes a top-of-the-line model starting at $3,999. It includes the

Gateway 42-inch plasma TV, a 2-GHz P4, 256 MB of PC2700 memory, a CDRW/DVD combo

drive, NVidia GeForce4 MX440G graphics, and a 60 GB hard drive. For $4,399 you

get a faster 2.4-GHz chip, a larger 120 GB hard drive, a DVD-R/CD-RW drive, and

a wireless keyboard and mouse. For those on a tighter budget, Gateway offers a

package that starts at $1,599, including a 17-inch LCD.

ABS’s product starts at $1,699 without monitor, or $2,299 with an 18-inch

LCD. It includes a 2.53-GHz P4, 512 MB of PC2700 DDR, a 120 GB hard drive, a

Pioneer A04 DVD-R drive, and Nvidia Geforce4 MX440 graphics, all wrapped in a

silver tower.

Cyberpower offers its device with a 19-inch LCD and a range of processors,

from the 1.8-GHz P4 for $1,499 to the 3.06-GHz chip for $2,059 (you can also

replace the LCD with a 42-inch plasma TV for an extra $2,999). A silver box that

looks like it could be a part of a high-end audio setup, the CyberPower’s

basic specifications include 512 MB of PC2700 DDR memory, an 80 GB hard drive,

Nvidia Geforce-4 Ti4200 graphics and a DVD/CD-RW drive.

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