Typical price: £1,800
What is it: Near-silent Media Center PC with dual tuners
What we think: The VGX-XL302 is the best Media Center PC on the market, but the high price will make it unaffordable to most
Compare the Sony Vaio VGX-XL302
Sony Vaio VGX-XL302 compared to other Media Center PCs
 Sony Vaio VGX-XL302 |
 Acer Aspire iDea 500 |
 Eee Top |
 Dell XPS 420 |
|
| Review date | 27 Jul 07 | 13 Jul 06 | 7 Nov 08 | 17 Dec 07 |
| Editor's rating |
8.0
|
9.1
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
| Price range | £1,800 | |||
| Review summary | The Sony Vaio XL302 is a hugely impressive Media Center PC. It packs everything you could want into its large frame, including dual TV tuners and a Blu-ray drive. But for £700 less you can get the very similar, Blu-ray-less Sony Vaio VGX-XL301 Read full review |
The Acer Aspire iDea 500 is the best Media Center PC we've seen. Aesthetically it's inspired by traditional AV equipment, so it'll sit alongside or replace your existing DVD player without looking out of place. It's not very upgradeable, but it's packed with just the right multimedia components to make the most of the Intel Viiv platform Read full review |
It's gorgeous to look at, easy and fun to use, and is also affordable. If you're looking for a second PC for multimedia, Web surfing or general tinkering, we'd definitely recommend it. Keep in mind that it slows down when multitasking, but that's rarely a problem Read full review |
The XPS 420 is fast, well-equipped and looks gorgeous. It's also the first desktop we've seen with a SideShow display. Don't be fooled though -- many of its features are ultimately just gimmicks Read full review |
| User rating | ||||
| Full specification | Full specification | Full specification | Full specification |
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