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Gift guide:Bring Home Your Own Digital Hub
By Staff, posted 12/3/2003 10:16:00 AM

Bring home your own digital hub
Despite the spread of digital technology into cameras, camcorders, and audio and multimedia players, the personal computer remains central to sharing, creating, and organizing the content. Here are a few systems we've looked at recently that are fit for a family -- whatever their digital work and play needs -- and some peripherals that can add a little zip to an existing system.

Windows XP Media Centre PCs
If you want to pick up a nice tech toy for the whole family this Christmas, but you're deadlocked between a new computer and a media centre, here's your chance to get both in one box. Microsoft's Windows XP Media Centre operating system starts with Windows XP, then adds multimedia functionality, including DVD movie playback, cable TV input, the ability to record your favourite television programs to the hard disk, digital audio playback, and special digital photography slots and software. Throw in a remote control so you can play music or DVD movies from across the room, and it adds up to a nice all-in-one package. Hewlett-Packard was the first company out of the gate with a Windows XP Media Centre, but a number of other companies are now onboard, including Dell, Seanix, and Sony.

HP Media Centre PC m270n http://www.hubcanada.com/HP
Estimated price: $2,499
Right out of the box, you can tell that the m270n isn't your typical Windows box: its silver and black finish looks more like a home audio or video component than a PC. The system makes it easy to switch between TV, DVD, photos, and PC functions with the remote and on-screen menu or using the buttons on the front of the PC itself. It has USB 2.0 and FireWire ports on the front and rear of the machine, and slots for digital camera memory along the front. The computer has a top-notch graphics component and a speedy CPU, which means it'll handle whatever you throw at it, from DVDs to photo editing to games. It also has a 160 GB hard drive inside, which means a lot of room for your music, photos, recorded TV programs, and videos. Because it also has a DVD+RW burner, you can burn your media files to CD or DVD, too. The monitor is sold separately, but the Media Centre PC comes with its own high-quality speaker set. --Sean Carruthers

Sony VAIO PCVRZ44G http://www.hubcanada.com/Sonystyle
Estimated price: $2,499
Previously reliant on its own proprietary media management software, Sony has also joined forces with Microsoft for the new VAIO, which makes use of the Windows XP Media Centre Edition 2004 operating system. The machine comes with a CD drive and a DVD±RW burner, plus slots on the front for Type II CompactFlash, SmartMedia, and Memory Stick Pro cards. The system features a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 processor, 512 MB of memory, and a 160 GB hard drive. It has a total of seven USB 2.0 ports and two FireWire (called i.LINK by Sony) ports onboard. As with other Sony multimedia systems, this one comes with Giga Pocket onboard, allowing you to view TV on your PC and share it with other Giga Pocket accessories. --SC

Sony VAIO PCV-W500GN1 http://www.hubcanada.com/Sonystyle
Estimated price: $3,000
If space is at a premium, Sony's new VAIO W-series has come to the rescue. Though it's not a Windows XP Media Centre machine, this Windows XP-based system is nonetheless a pretty compelling multimedia PC, featuring a built-in cable TV antenna, DVD burner, integrated speakers, and a 17.5-inch widescreen LCD. Even better, it's integrated into one compact unit, featuring a keyboard that folds up if you're not using the machine or folds in if you're using it as a television. The machine changes modes depending on which way you flip the keyboard. The VAIO comes with Giga Pocket onboard, which manages your multimedia content, from recording TV programs to streaming data to other Giga Pocket-enabled Sony devices like the RoomLink Receiver ($350, sold separately). A remote control is included so you can put up your feet and control the machine from across the room. --SC