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Using your PC as a home entertainment centre has become increasingly popular since the launch of Windows XP Media Center Edition and more manufacturers are designing computers with this in mind.
Although the RC900 is not a Windows Media Center PC, Acer has developed its own system for accessing five different modes - music, video, picture, TV and FM radio. Each mode is selected using a large dial on the front of the tower, with a small disply indicating which function you're using. These modes allow you to access your digital media files such as MP3s, digital images and video. But you can also record and watch TV and FM radio if an aerial is connected. You can also use the supplied remote control, which fits snugly into the top of the PC case when not in use.
Initially, this seems like a good idea but unfortunately, each time you switch modes, the PC goes into hibernation and reboots in the mode you've just selected. Not only is this annoying but it also meant we were unable to carry out any system performance tests as there was no way of overriding this.
The RC900 does have a good specification though and will run Windows applications very well. The hardware includes a Pentium 4 2.8GHz processor, 512Mb of memory and an ample 120Gb hard disk. There are four internal memory slots and only one contains the 512Mb module. Memory is the only thing you may want to consider upgrading with this system and this can be expanded to up to 4Gb, although you will have to get past the messy internal wiring first.
There are only three PCI slots, two of which are in use for the modem and TV tuner card, leaving one free. Although we were unable to test system performance, graphics were fine and the 128Mb nVidia GeForce FX 5200 card will run most games well. The graphics card also has a TV-out socket, which means you can connect the RC900 to a television to watch DVDs.
One noticeable aspect of the RC900 is how quiet it is. This is good, as the last thing you want is to hear the noise of the PC over music or films.
The rest of the case is not too bulky and has a smart black-and-silver finish that looks good. The front of the unit houses both DVD and DVD-RW drives. Having a recordable DVD drive at your disposal is great for creating your own movies, as well as your own CDs. NTI CD-Maker software is included to assist with this.
Although there are no free bays for hardware upgrades, a sliding panel reveals a floppy drive and memory card reader that supports seven types of card. This is a nice touch and will appeal to digital camera users. There are also two USB 2 ports, a FireWire port and sockets for a microphone and headphones. The panel is a little flimsy but hiding the ports away makes the case look neat. The back of the PC has a further FireWire and two USB 2 ports.
The RC900 comes with an Acer wireless keyboard and mouse and a set of 2.1 speakers. A monitor isn't included in the price, so you'll have to shell out a bit more if you haven't already got one. It comes pre-installed with Windows XP Home, Norton AntiVirus 2003 and Microsoft WorkSuite.
The Aspire is a nice idea that's been poorly executed. If switching multimedia modes wasn't so laborious, we'd be quite impressed. It looks good and will fit nicely into any living room but as it stands, we think the RC900 is in fact a fast PC with a poorly realised gimmick.
Contact: Acer 0870 900 2237
www.acer.co.uk
See also:
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Packard Bell unveils its Media Center PC and an innovative piece of computer hardware. 22 Dec 2003
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