eMachines recently introduced a few new compact EL1200 Mini Desktop PC Series, with the eMachines EL1200-05w starting at $298, and the EL 1210-01e at $298. These eMachines are said to be about the size of a dictionary, so they will obviously save space, and they each feature 64-bit AMD Athlon processors, 1GB or 2GB of memory and NVIDIA GeForce graphics. They also include a set of amplified stereo speakers, an HDMI port for connecting a HDTV, a 14-in-one media reader, and seven USB ports.

The eMachines EL1200-05w is desktop PC from Wal-Mart which is made of low-quality components that are fitted together in a slim-tower chassis. When you look at the desktop system for the first time, you get a feel of home theater PC at first glance. However, a glance at the interior of the box simply blows away the feel as the system offers almost no option for expansion or upgrading.

Priced at $298, the EL1200-05w is among the most inexpensive desktop systems offered by eMachines. At this price nobody will expect the system to offer latest features and stellar performance and you will not get any of the two.

eMachines, now part of the Acer computer family based mostly in Irvine, finally offers up a PC just $2 shy of $300. It’s a 25 percent price drop from its $399 price tag that eMachines slapped onto PCs 10 years ago, which changed the entire price scene of the PC market. Until now.

Its first small desktop computer, the EL1200 Desktop Series PC, is an interesting offering for the brand, which isn’t known for its pretty PCs. But this must be different. Even the press release calls it ’stylish.”

eMachines has come out with sub $399 PCs before but those usually had lesser hardware and weren’t that interesting. The brand started in Irvine, was later acquired by Gateway, which in turn was acquired by Acer last year. eMachines and Gateway are now brands of Acer.

All I can say is - About time! eMachines should have led the latest trend of budget-priced PCs (see “Netbooks everywhere. Do consumers really want them?“). The small form factor has already been done by everyone else, including Gateway. Dell has really nice-looking ones in the $599 range.

Getting back to the latest machine … The EL1200 is “one-third the size of a traditional PC,” according to the company. It’s 40 to 55 percent lighter than eMachines smallest desktop. Yet, as with traditional eMachines, the series “pack as much computing power as most mainstream full-size towers.”

The eMachines EL1200-05w looks pretty similar to the Acer Aspire x3200. The unit has almost same dimension as those of Acer Aspire. The case measures 10 inches tall, 4 inches wide and 15 inches deep. The front panel of the unit sports a vertical dual-layer DVD burner along with USB 2.0 ports, a multimedia card reader, and audio jacks. The rear houses four USB 2.0 ports along with an Ethernet port, audio jacks, and a modem. Looking at the price of the system, it is quite clear that the system does not house any FireWire port.

The closest competitor of the eMachines EL1200-05w is Compaq Presario SR5610 which is priced $100 more. With this small price difference, the Compaq will offer you lot more. Starting with the CPU, the eMachines is powered by single-core 1.6GHz AMD processor whereas the SR5610 runs on impressive 2.5GHz dual-core AMD Athlon CPU.

The eMachines sports 1GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM whereas the Compaq sports 3GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM. Moreover, the SR5610 offers storage space of 360GB which is double of the storage offered by eMAchines. The eMachines comes with Windows XP operating system whereas the SR5610 comes with pre-installed Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit) OS.

“The extreme value of the eMachines EL 1200 is undeniable,” said Glenn Jystad, senior manager, desktop products. “The ability to purchase a powerful, well-equipped PC for less than $300 is sure to be a welcome option for consumers tightening their budgets in today’s tough economic climate.”

Stylish, Space Saving Design

Today PCs are being integrated into main living areas such as kitchens and family rooms, so small form factor PCs are perfect for the family den, studio apartments, dorm rooms, smaller bedrooms and home offices.

Forty percent smaller and 55 percent lighter than eMachines’ smallest tower PC, the EL 1200 is right at home next to the phone on a kitchen counter, where it can serve as the family’s digital hub, providing easy and quick access to family photos, address books and calendars, online recipes, email and traffic and weather reports.

Parents buying a PC for a child will appreciate the EL 1200’s price and ability to fit into a small bedroom. Its powerful capabilities and rich graphics deliver fast frame rates and great image quality, easily tackling games and video applications with ease.

Students needing a PC will appreciate its blend of affordability, functionality and size. Stowed away on a bookshelf, it’s ideal for smaller apartments and cramped dorm rooms. Powerful technologies make it well equipped for email, Web access and preparing and saving graphic-rich homework assignments, while its multimedia and entertainment features allow it to double as a media center.

Sleek Multimedia and Entertainment Center

Top-notch performance combined with digital media features make the EL1200 a powerful little dynamo. Featuring 64-bit AMD Athlon processing power, 1GB or 2GB of memory and rich NVIDIA GeForce graphics, the EL1200 provides the performance to tackle everyday tasks and more.

Popular multimedia activities, such as creating digital photo albums, uploading videos, and burning personalized music or photo disks are handled with ease. Even connecting to an HDTV is easy via its standard HDMI port, and high-quality audio is delivered with the included set of amplified stereo speakers.

Its sleek design includes a flip down door that hides the optical disk drive, keeping it free from dust and debris. The 14-in-one media reader provides fast transfer of videos, photos, and music, and seven USB ports provide quick connections to printers and other consumer electronics.

Roomy hard drives provide ample space for storing digital photo, video and music libraries. And for quick backups or additional storage, a built-in eSATA port provides a fast connection to external drives.

Smaller Design is Environmentally Responsible

Available with an innovative low-power 15 watt CPU, the energy efficient EL1200 uses less energy than a standard desktop PC. Its low power consumption also helps prolong component life and service costs.

In addition, its smaller size means less metal and plastic will have to be recycled. Its cardboard box is about 60 percent smaller than the one used for eMachines’ smallest tower PC, further reducing landfill waste.

Really, eMachines? You’re honestly going to give your newest cheap-o PC this kind of tagline? Truth be told, we’re not exactly sure what a standard sized dictionary even looks like (there’s this thing called the internet…), but apparently, it’s exactly the same size as the EL1200 desktop.

Not sassy enough to be called a nettop, this here mini-tower is 40% smaller and 55% lighter than the company’s second tiniest rig, and while it won’t handle the likes of Crysis, it shouldn’t have too many issues surfing the web and opening Word documents. As for specs, we’ve got a 1.5GHz AMD Athlon 2650e 64-bit CPU, NVIDIA’s GeForce 6150SE integrated graphics, 1GB of DDR2, 160GB hard drive, a dual-layer DVD burner, 14-in-1 multicard reader, seven USB 2.0 ports and a $298 (MSRP) price tag. That system we just rattled off is available now at Wally World, while a slightly more stacked edition can be had at Best Buy for $349.

The system does not offer many options for upgradation. The interior of the system is pretty crowded as half of the space is taken up by optical drive. You can access the hard drive and memory slots after removing the optical drive bay. Out of the two memory slots only one is occupied. The EL1200-05w system offers slots for a half-height PCI Express video card and a half-height PCI Express x1 card. The expansion options include space provided for digital audio, eSATA, and HDMI on the back panel.

The advantages

It has a 64-bit AMD Athlon 1.5 GHz chip (OK), 1 to 2 GB of memory (can add more cheaply), NVIDIA GeForce graphics chip (not bad), 160 GB hard drive (the going rate) and a DVD SuperMulti drive with Labelflash technology (fun!). A nice touch: a low-power 15-watt CPU that uses less energy than a standard desktop (let’s hope so).

Share/Save/Bookmark