Great for the Media Enthusiast
Written: May 24 '05 (Updated Aug 17 '05)
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Pros: Powerful hardware, Tivo functionality
Cons: Options for upgrading hardware are very limited
The Bottom Line: Those interested in making the computer the center of home entertainment should consider the m7060n. Otherwise, spend less for the same core hardware w/o media center features.
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| wsmunch's Full Review: Hewlett Packard m7060n (PS580AAR#ABA) PC Desktop |
HP media center computers are always displayed, often browsed, sometimes purchased, and rarely used to their full extent. I don't think that the novelty and the features have quite caught on with the general public, at least as much as Hewlett Packard has been pushing it. For the most part, the ones that do sell are due to the core hardware (RAM, processor, chip, etc) and not because of the media-center features. I find it somewhat of a waste since one can spend less for comparable, core hardware. Those that do purchase media center computers will find that they'll be equipped with a powerful unit that can accomplish just about anything most users will want to do, and then some. Those that will get the best use from a media center PC are ones who desire to have their computer be the main terminal of their entire home entertainment. While the HP m7060n has only minor hardware increases from previous models, it still packs a pretty decent punch for the price that is paid.
* Packin' Punch *
The m7060n offers a lot more than what would be utilized by basic users. The 3Ghz Pentium 4 chip with HT technology, the 1GB of PC3200 DDR memory, and the 800Mhz front side bus all combined make for a core system that is designed to handle all of today's most demanding applications. Throw on 2MB of level 2 cache for some extra kick with fast-access memory. Pentium 4 chips with HT process information more effectively than chips without the HT technology. HT, or Hyper Threading, allows multiple programs to run simultaneously for efficient multitasking, much like lanes of a freeway. Processor chips without this type of technology will have to process multiple programs like traffic at a stop-light. The system comes standard with 1GB of memory, but it has two more memory bank slots that can be filled to expand the system up to 4GB maximum. This system is designed to handle large video projects with ease, so less-demanding applications are just a drop in it's power bucket. Programs install fast and 3D games run well on this computer (even though it's integrated video memory). The components used in the computer are from brand-name companies, so it's good to see non-oem parts in a machine that's meant for quality.
All HP computers come standard with a 9-in-1 memory card reader, but the latest media centers also come equipped with an internal bay to house an external (HP brand only) hard drive, front side audio & video inputs (daughter card), front-side USB and Firewire ports, and a primary video capture card (accessible from the rear). You can transfer any information that you have available on to this computer with ease: printers, iPods, digital cameras, digital camcorders, DVD players, VCRs, etc. That's pretty much the entire purpose of this computer. You can store and archive all of your precious moments and memories with it's large 200GB SATA hard drive. You can also backup the data or create video projects to burn & share with friends/family with it's dual-layer, dual-format 16x Lightscribe DVD/CD burner. HP's Lightscribe drives are a new type of burner that allows you to effectively create your own disc labels without any actual labels. Lightscribe discs have a goldenrod coating on the top which is sensitive to the optical laser that's used in the DVD/CD burning process. With the software included in the system, users can design their own labels with available templates or they can create them from scratch using text and pictures. Once the design is set, the Lightscribe is flipped upsidedown so the drive will etch it to the top of the disc. The finished product will lose all initial colors that may have been, since it can only burn the contrast onto the top of the disc, but it will keep the original goldenrod background color. The highest quality of burning will take 30 minutes (you can choose low, medium, or high quality) and leaves you with pretty impressive results. Granted that labels can have colors and can look much sharper, you don't have to deal with the hassles of additional equipment or messy printing. With HP, you can burn-flip-burn, and have completely finished discs to store or share. Unfortunately this will only work with Lightscribe enabled media and it seems that the media is only available through HP at the moment. The Lightscribe media is a bit more expensive than regular DVD/CD media that you can purchase off the shelf, but keep in mind that you're eliminating the need to buy additional supplies to label all of your discs.
All the software is preloaded, works great, and is intended to give the user control over all of their media projects. HP Image Zone photo software lets you edit, organize, and share all of your pictures. One of the things that I like the most about their photo software is the ability to print full album page pictures from their variety of templates. There are over 100 album page templates to choose from, and it's as easy as: loading the pictures onto the computer, picking the template you want to use, drag & drop the pictures you want into the template frames where you want it, print. You can do photo editing with the software as well, though it's more for organizing & printing since you can find better editing software on-shelf. WinDVD player is on the system so you can watch your DVD movies and Sonic RecordNow is the CD/DVD burning program. Compared to software that can be bought off the shelf, the included programs aren't as powerful but easily suffice for most users out there. One thing that links all the software with each other is that everything is easy to use and packed with help files for those who have questions. There are trial versions of Norton Internet Security and also SpySubtract Pro (new). They're good for 60 days and work quite well, though there have been some issues with upgrading/registering the NIS 2005 on HP systems.
* Media Center *
This is what separates this computer from any other regular computer; the media center 2005 edition (which is much better than the 2004 which had small plague of problems). Media centers come with a remote control & infrared receiver, so just like most other electronics that come equipped with remote controls the users are expected to sit back, change channels, and watch. The HP m7060n has a video capture card which allows you hook your cable/satellite TV connection into the back of the computer so you can watch TV on your PC. It comes with A/V and S-Video input connections as well. Since it's a video capture card, this means that you can pause, rewind, and record live television. People who subscribe to Tivo would be interested in this computer since they can program the m7060n to record all of their TV shows to watch for later, but you don't have to pay any subscription fees. Tivo units have a finite amount of disc space, but this media center PC gives you multiple options to store additional data. The front-side bay can house one of HP's high-capacity, media hard drives for quick and easy data storage. Even though the computer comes with a 200GB hard drive, purchasing one can double the amount of drive space on your system and can be a portable USB drive at the same time. There is available space made for an iPod dock or HP Photosmart camera dock that's built into the chassis of the computer. You can slide the top lid back and set the dock down in the inset and run the cable through to the back to plug into one of the rear USB ports (and the cables are hidden!). The m7060n comes with an external antenna so it can pick up local TV stations (for those without any cable/satellite TV) and local radio stations. You can expect similar reception from the computer like you would get with a standard radio or television; bad reception on the TV means bad reception on the computer (or maybe a tad worse in some cases).
All of the media center features are navigated through the use of the remote so users can sit back and control what they watch, listen to, and record. The menu system and remote are easy to navigate, use, and requires little intuition (for those who might feel overwhelmed by the options). The white text is large and shows up well against the blue background, and each option is accompanied by pictures to the side that represent the choice. The interface lets you scroll down and pick what you want to do, be it: watching live TV, recorded TV, listening to the radio, listening to your collection of music on the PC, listening to music with iTunes, browsing through your collection of pictures or video, watching available media on the internet, or changing basic settings. Anyone can take 5 minutes using the arrow keys and the back-button on the remote and explore all the menus and options that the media center software has to offer. The remote, which is sensitive and works well, has all the same numbers and channel/volume control buttons just like on your TV remote. Watching TV on your computer is just like doing it on your regular set, except now you can press a button to start recording a show. You can also program the PC to record shows while you're not at home too. The Intel motherboard has an integrated sound card that supports 7.1 speakers, so you can get the surround-sound experience from your movies and music.
One of the things that you can't do with the media center is hook up a gaming console and playing it using your monitor. The audio and video inputs on the m7060n are only for capturing data, meaning if you intend to hook up a camcorder or VCR and copy the data to the computer through a video editing program. The remote control doesn't have a function of switching through different inputs, like we're used to when we want to play our X-Box, Nintendo, or Playstation. It might be accomplished if you can path it through the RCA connection that goes into the back of the computer, though I'm not quite sure. Also, those with HDTV would need to acquire a monitor (and I believe a graphics card as well) that supports HDTV so you can get the best picture from your cable service. Also, this computer only has input connections. It doesn't have any output connections so you can't have any of the media on the computer play on your livingroom TV & surround sound speakers (at least without additional hardware).
* Limitations *
The major limitations of the HP m7060n are the options for expandability. Granted that this system offers powerful hardware, it doesn't offer everything and it makes it much tricker for those who want to push the limits a bit more. This is a media center and not a gaming machine, so those interesting in playing the latest and greatest games will be sadly disappointed with this computer. While many people might never really care about all the nuances of a machine, it's always good to know ahead of time just in case. Here are the potential issues with the HP m7060n:
• Only option for graphics card upgrade is PCI
• No available internal slots for additional hard drive(s) (which leaves little to do with the extra SATA connections inside)
• Cramped case (hard to perform hardware installations/replacements)
• 300W power supply is shorter than standard power supplies (case size makes it almost impossible to force-fit a standard power supply in if you needed to upgrade, and 300W is bare min for this system)
Also, one of the glaring problems that we've experienced happening with HP machines lately is the compatibility with upgrading Norton software. Those who try to upgrade the trial software that comes loaded with the machine quite often have errors that prevent a successful installation. We've tried to troubleshoot the problem with everything that we can think of with no success, including attempting to uninstall the current trial version. In the end, it took phone calls to HP's tech support and their answer was that they know of the issues with HP's pre-installed software that get in the way of trying to install new Norton software. They told us that there are no known fixes yet either. Sucks for Norton, since we've resorted to installing Etrust and Mcaffee for the customers that want full protection from viruses. Another problem that has been occurring (though it's probably moreso a problem with SBC) is that the SBC software used to install their DSL modems has been corrupting the operating system of HP's (Gateway is affected as well) computers. Users who plan to keep SBC as their high-speed internet service provider & use their software should keep this in mind, and may want to contact SBC ahead of time for instructions on how to prevent the OS corruption while installing their software (as of right now, we've heard rumor there is a fix for this).
SUMMARY
Overall, the HP m7060n is a great unit with powerful hard and awesome media features. Despite the lack of a graphics card, the Pentium 4 processor can handle 3D games well enough, though any game released lately that requires a more powerful graphics card is most likely going to need it. Integrated video memory just isn't good enough for some of the latest, graphics-intensive games, no matter the size of memory. Otherwise, I've run multiplayer Medal of Honor: Spearhead & Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War, at 800x600 screen resolution with medium settings on the graphics detail, perfectly. I don't think that there would be any problem with other games released around the same time as these titles (though it never hurts to check first due to limitations of upgrading). It's also a shame that this media center PC doesn't have dual-monitor support (like some Sony machines), since it's neat to have PC and TV on two separate screens. This computer is definitely much more than for a basic user, though it's not quite enough for a hardcore PC user or PC gamer. The advantages of this media center PC would be the ability to centralize all of one's entertainment in the least amount of space possible while being able to record, store, organize, and play video, audio and pictures. It comes fully loaded with software, is easy to use, and maintains a cool design. Those wanting more out of their computer, or the solid functionality of Tivo, might want to give the HP m7060n a second look.
My Recommended Software:
• Zonealarm Security Suite
• Webroot SpySweeper
Other Computer Reviews:
HP A1006N Desktop
Averatec AV6240 Laptop
HP DV1040 Laptop
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Recent PC Game Reviews:
World of Warcraft
Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 999.99
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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