The PC options
Here are the PCs we tested.
Apple iMac G4 700
Apple’s new iMac is probably the most impressive machine that we have seen since the original iMac. It offers a space-saving design, an excellent mix of features, and happens also to be a beautiful looking machine.
The Apple iMac features an exceptional 15in LCD display. It was brighter and sharper than all the other displays and it was mounted on an adjustable neck. The neck is impressive in itself. It allowed us to effortlessly adjust the display’s height, depth, and angle.
The neck is connected to the base of the iMac, which is round and makes the iMac resemble, in many reviewers’ descriptions, a desk lamp. Inside we found Apple’s new G4 processor running at 700MHz with 256MB RAM, and a GeForce2 MX graphics accelerator with 32MB of video memory. The iMac also features a DVD-ROM/CD-RW burner that we felt might not really be necessary in a corporate environment.
At the back of the iMac are three USB ports (plus two on the keyboard) as well as two FireWire ports, 10/100 baseT Ethernet, 56K modem, and a Mini VGA port.
Beneath the base is an access cover that will provide you access to the single memory slot and AirPort (wireless) Card slot. Apple has also re-modelled its standard USB keyboard and mouse to match the look of the new iMac. Apple was the only vendor to supply external speakers. They complement the rest of the machine quite well and are rated at 20 watts (10 watts per channel).
Unfortunately, we didn’t run any benchmarks on the iMac. With a Windows emulator running on the iMac we could have run all the same benchmarks that we ran on the Wintel machines. However the iMac would have been severely disadvantaged since it would have been running its native OS in the background as well as a second operating system in the foreground.
Dell OptiPlex GX260
The Dell was one of the four split systems that we tested. It uses a MicroATX motherboard and features an Intel Pentium 4 2.0GHz processor with 256MB of RAM, 20GB hard disk drive, and 32MB ATI Radeon 7500 AGP card. Like the Ipex Slim Office PC and Hallmark PC you can rest this PC either horizontally or vertically.
The Dell has a very impressive case which folds open like a bonnet and makes it easy for one to install and replace components. The Dell motherboard features a single PCI slot and AGP slot and can only accept half-size cards. This PC has no shortage of USB ports—there are four at the back and a further two on the front. It also has all the standard old legacy connectors as well as 1000 Ethernet and an S-video out connector.
Like the Ipex, the Dell display didn’t have a swivel base. However being a light display meant it doesn’t take much effort to shift the display to the left or right.
On the performance side of things the Dell was only faster than the AMD-based Emagen system. It was mainly let down by its processor, as it was fitted with a fast hard disk and graphics card.
Emagen Shuttle
The Emagen Shuttle uses a FlexATX motherboard and isn’t too far away from looking like a perfect cube in shape. Inside the compact case is an AMD XP 2000+ processor with 256MB of DDR-RAM, 40GB hard disk drive, and on-board graphics.
The Emagen system doesn’t offer much in the way of expandability; it only features two PCI slots and there wasn’t an AGP slot. The Emagen system is packed with connectors however. It featured four USB and three FireWire ports, 10/ 100 Ethernet as well as PS/2, S-video, serial and audio connectors including SPDIF. You could certainly get away with fewer connectors and do without the 40x12x48x CD-RW drive that was fitted to this PC.
The cooling mechanism is very impressive to say the least. The actual heat dissipation is handled by liquid filled heat pipes, which run from the aluminium heatsink up to a rear-mounted radiator. There iss also a large fan placed next to the radiator to keep it nice and cool.
The Samsung display was very good and the pick of all the external TFTs. On the performance side of things the Emagen system didn’t perform too badly. It was the slowest of all the machines but its score was still relatively high.
IPEX Slim Office
The Ipex Slim Office PC features a slimline case that can sit either horizontally or vertically. As we mentioned previously, the Ipex and Xenon machines make use of the same Intel D845GRG motherboard. Its slimline case and MicroATX motherboard means it can only accept half-size PCI and AGP cards.
At the heart of the machine is an Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz processor with 256MB of DDR-RAM and a 40GB hard disk drive. It also features a CD-ROM and floppy disk drive.
The Ipex display looks quite large because of its large bezel. The display has two speakers built in, which was nifty. It was also the only display besides the iMac display that you can swivel left or right. Picture quality on the other hand was pretty good.
The Ipex performed quite strongly in all our tests and ended up being second fastest overall behind the Xenon, which was equipped with a faster processor.
Viewmaster Svelte
The Viewmaster Svelte system occupied the most room out of all the machines, however it was one of the least expensive machines. This PC uses a FlexATX motherboard. Gigabyte, who is the manufacturer of this board say it’s a FlexATX board, since it has Flex mounting holes. However, in our opinion, it doesn’t actually conform to the Flex specification; the actual board was bigger than it should be. This may cause problems where you may not be able to fit this motherboard in some cases, which are specifically designed to fit FlexATX motherboards.
The Svelte system features a fast Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz processor with 256MB of DDR-RAM and a 40GB drive. Graphics is left up to the on-board Intel 82845G chip, which was a little on the slow side compared to the other offerings. We weren’t too concerned about this, however, since it managed to score what we felt was well above average. The Svelte was third fastest overall and slightly slower than the Ipex Slim Office PC, which was equipped with the same P4 2.4GHz processor.
The 15in TFT is made by Viewmaster, who makes good entry-level TFTs.
A pleasant surprise was the inclusion of a 22Mbps wireless LAN access point and card. A wireless set up is another good way of saving space.
The Svelte was the closest machine to what we asked for from all the vendors in terms of features. It didn’t come with a CD burner or any extra I/O ports or a 3D graphics card. This machine was a perfect example of a space saving corporate PC. The only thing we didn’t like was the actual case itself. It would have been nice if it was somewhat shorter in length.
Xenon Metro 500M
The Xenon Metro 500 was the only Wintel machine that offered an all-in-one solution. The Intel D845GRG MicroATX board sits on the back of the TFT and is the same motherboard that is also in the Ipex Slim Office PC.
The Intel motherboard features on-board graphics and at the heart of the machine was an Intel Pentium 4 2.53GHz processor. There are three PCI slots and an AGP slot available (which we feel is plenty); however, you have to remember this machine takes half-size cards. The base of the unit houses the power-supply, speakers, CD-ROM drive, floppy disk and hard disk drive. Most of the connectors are located underneath the display, which is a little difficult to get to. You can’t turn the display right or left without moving the whole machine, which we thought was a little annoying. The picture quality on the other hand was very good.
The Metro 500 removes many of the cables that you would find with other PCs and will give your office a much tidier look. Xenon also shipped a wireless keyboard and mouse with this system.
The Metro 500 was also the fastest PC. It was no surprise to us since it featured the fastest processor and a fast hard drive and a reasonably fast graphics accelerator.
The Emagen Shuttle may not be the best, but it has the greatest potential. The barebones case and motherboard are manufactured by the Shuttle company (www.shuttle.com). It has great potential because there are already better models out that include an AGP 8x slot and support the new Pentium 3.0. In fact, you can buy a better model than the Emagen one (and one with an AGP slot) in Australia, from here: (www.auscorp.com.au).