Hello:
Have you had any experience with the NEC PowerMate eco? It certainly is a quiet unit (20dBA) and it looks pretty slick, too. Crusoe 900mHz CPU, (laptop?) 20GB HD with fluid bearings, no fans, 256MB RAM, 16MB ATi Mobility video, WinXP Pro -- Staples has 'em for only $700!
NEC PowerMate eco
Staples sales page
Is it fast enough for toddler gaming, email, and web browsing? Anything else I should know about it?
NEC PowerMate eco
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NeilBlanchard
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I really, really wanted the Eco to be a good PC, but the initial reviews I saw of the box were, to say the least, disappointing. Of cource, the price at the time was around twice what you're talking about (if I recall correctly), which made it impossible. I just couldn't scratch up $1500 for an underpowered PC.
For $700, though, it could be worth checking out. I hooked my wife up with a highly integrated system based on an Intel 810 chipset. Running a slow CPU and all, the box could have been VERY quiet, had I not ended up with the Power Supply of Doom.
A friend of mine dropped about $1600 on a tablet PC that is based on a 1 gHz Crusoe chip running XP tablet edition. The system is not for high-end gaming, but does fine for low-end stuff. The CPU is totally adequate for web browsing, et c. but seems a little sluggish for Office XP. I would expect that if you're running a lower-end office suite (like Works) or kept the user interface eye-candy down to a minimum, it'd be good.
Of course, another question is -- is it durable enough for your todder to use?
For $700, though, it could be worth checking out. I hooked my wife up with a highly integrated system based on an Intel 810 chipset. Running a slow CPU and all, the box could have been VERY quiet, had I not ended up with the Power Supply of Doom.
A friend of mine dropped about $1600 on a tablet PC that is based on a 1 gHz Crusoe chip running XP tablet edition. The system is not for high-end gaming, but does fine for low-end stuff. The CPU is totally adequate for web browsing, et c. but seems a little sluggish for Office XP. I would expect that if you're running a lower-end office suite (like Works) or kept the user interface eye-candy down to a minimum, it'd be good.
Of course, another question is -- is it durable enough for your todder to use?