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Even though the last Time computer we looked at was monitor-less, it won a Buy It award for its sensible price tag and generous specification.
For those looking to replace their ageing PC, the Time Jupiter was a pretty safe bet.
Three months on and Time's most powerful PC to date - the Jupiter XP2200+ DDR333 - has hit the factory line, this time with an accompanying LG Studioworks E700B flat 17in CRT monitor. (We did, however, notice a slight curvature while using the monitor, contradicting the 'flatscreen' statement somewhat.)
For new computer users, setting up the PC will be a doddle. The Starter Pack contains all necessary documentation, a Logitech mouse, Samsung keyboard and Sun Star Office software. Underneath the Starter Pack in the box lies the PC.
It was with some disappointment that we discovered a plain old beige box, nothing like the space-age models that Leonard Nimoy used to sing about in Time's ads.
Nevertheless, inside the Jupiter is AMD's latest and fastest Athlon processor - the XP 2200+. A gargantuan 120GB hard disk will take care of all your multimedia files and will be especially useful for fans of video editing.
You don't get any video-editing software with the PC, even though a couple of FireWire and four USB 2 ports are integrated into the system.
A healthy 512MB of DDR memory ensures quick application loading times.
Judging by the name of the machine, you'd expect its memory to be the new, faster DDR333 type. However, the DDR333 title refers only to the PC's chipset and the Time system actually sports the older DDR266 memory.
It's a shame, as spending the extra £30 to £40 on the newer memory to complement the motherboard would have increased performance.
One area in which the Time falls short is its choice of graphics card.
The 64MB nVidia GeForce 4 MX420 is by no means a slouch but it performs considerably worse that its MX440 and Ti brothers.
You will be able to play most of the latest games reasonably well but don't expect it to cope with games in years to come. Nevertheless, a built-in S-Video port and cable will allow you to watch DVD movies on your television.
The Jupiter comes with both a DVD-Rom and a 32-speed CD-RW drive so you can churn out your own CDs in less than three minutes.
A 5.25in drive bay is left free for any future hardware upgrades. A 5.1 speaker system from Cyber Acoustics is part of the bundle but the Jupiter doesn't come with a 5.1 sound card, only one that provides 4.1 surround sound.
The Time is an average system for its £940 price tag. The fast processor, huge memory and spacious hard disk are its main selling points, while an average monitor and graphics card are areas in which Time has cut costs.
The Time Jupiter XP2200+ DDR333 is a decent PC for first-time buyers. With improved graphics and monitor, it would have been a five-star machine.
DETAILS
Price: £940
Contact: Time Computers 01282 770044
See also:
Advent shows that the AMD Athlon can be the basis of an extremely capable system. 19 Nov 2002
A little PC with a lot of features and a DVD+RW drive thrown in. 01 Nov 2002
If you're in the market for a new PC, look no further than this. 13 Aug 2002
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