Description:
As the junior member of HP's new Media Center series of personal computers, the Pavilion m260n Media Center Desktop PC offers multimedia friendliness and substantial speed but lacks some of the perks and high-end components of its pricier siblings, the Pavilion m270n and m280n. If you spend a good deal of your computing time playing rather than working, but must adhere to a budget, the m260n is worth a look. Driving the Pavilion m260n is a fast 2.6 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor with Hyper-Threading technology (Intel's new process whereby single CPU systems partially mimic dual-CPU systems -- thus boosting performance during high-drain procedures such as multitasking). HP has added 512 MB DDR SDRAM (expandable to 1 GB) and a 64 MB nVidia GeForce4 MX graphics card with TV-interface and 64 MB dedicated video memory. Though gamers and serious 3-D artists will want to upgrade the graphics card, everyone else should find the stock system quite satisfactory for any application or environment. The Pavilion m260n delivers an impressive array of data handling options, including a massive 120 GB hard disk and two optical drives – a 48-speed CD-ROM drive for playing CDs, and a DVD+RW/CD-RW combo drive through which you can listen to and burn audio CDs, create home movie DVDs, backup your files and enjoy the latest Hollywood movies. To upload and download information from external devices such as digital camcorders, digital cameras and scanners, the system also features six fast USB 2.0 ports (two on the front), two FireWire interfaces (one front, one rear), and a 6-in-1 media card reader. Other amenities include a top of the line Media Center keyboard with multimedia hotkeys, a hassle-free USB optical scroller mouse (no moving mechanical parts), a 5.1 surround sound audio chipset, and Personal Video Recording functionality for direct capture of television broadcasts. To keep you in touch, the unit also features a low-speed 56K modem and high-speed 10/100Base-T networking. HP has not enclosed speakers or a monitor, thus allowing customers to select their favorites from the many models available today.
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