http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/ Engadget Comments for eMachines' $300 EL1200 desktop: "the size of a dictionary" http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 5:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/
From eyeballing the picture alone, it looks to be using a mini-ITX board, which are starting to show up at the usual places. I've seen a couple of 780G ones for AMD, and Newegg has gotten some GeForce ones for Intel. The $300 price point is in line for a retail box like this, although you can probably do better DIY if you can find some good ITX case. Call it a cheap HTPC or call it a nettop, I think this will be the next hot category alongside netbooks--small size, low-power (hence low-noise), and cheap. But good enough for watching movies & browsing the web.

OK, this particular one won't do 1080p H.264. For that, we'd have to wait for a bit for the 780G/X4500HD chipsets to show up.]]>Oct 10th 2008 6:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 7:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 17th 2008 2:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 5:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 5:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 7:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 8:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/]]>Oct 10th 2008 10:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 12th 2008 1:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.willitblend.com/
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But seriously, this looks okay, I might buy one to use as a media server actually, nice specs and somewhat small.]]>Oct 15th 2008 4:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 5:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 5:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/512 MB should be enough for web browsing, in addition to many other simultaneous activities such as chatting and listening to music.]]>Oct 10th 2008 6:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 8:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/
This happened on BOTH the emachines (bought a year apart) I had. PSU dies, fries the motherboard, and (on one of them) kills the ram. eMachines is crap, it's that simple. Their "target audience" may be happy with it... Until it dies, and they don't know how to swap the HD into their new machine/assume that if the computer's dead the data is gone. Then they're not so happy. ]]>Oct 10th 2008 9:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/
Interestingly enough, the Dictionary sitting here on my desk (Webster's New American Unabridged 2nd Ed. 1966) is pretty big: 13" x 9" x 5". And they tell me that there are new words, added since the 60's! ]]>Oct 10th 2008 10:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 10:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/
However, any time I'm forced to use it I almost throw it out the window...doesn't quite compare to my quad-core.]]>Oct 11th 2008 1:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Runs mce 2005 like a champ!]]>Oct 10th 2008 6:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 7:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/There are actually people over 40 y.o. that can use Linux, know a CPU from a GPU etc.

See if you get to come to my house for cookies n' Crysis.
]]>Oct 10th 2008 10:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/
All I was getting at it it's NOT a good deal at $300. What they are selling you
is scrapings from the bottom of the old computer parts barrel. A 160GB HD?
Really... What are those like $25 now?



]]>Oct 10th 2008 10:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/
For $300 I definitely think it's a bargain. I would never buy one, but I would probably recommend it.]]>Oct 11th 2008 4:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/
For the price (I think that with the monitor which still works 8 years later, and an all-in-one X1150 Lexmark printer it was $479 with rebates), it was decent for what I needed- something for school work.

And since people apparently don't RTFA:

The $298 version has 1GB DDR2 RAM and XP SP3; the one that's more expensive has Vista SP1, 2GB of DDR2 RAM and a 320GB HDD instead of 160GB. Nothing else really to note that's a difference. For the price you would think it could pack a bit more processing power, but it should be an okay desktop for those kids that just need something to go online and do schoolwork (middle school age maybe?). ]]>Oct 10th 2008 6:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Well, Acer and Gateway are also associated low prices, and are part of the same company. I wouldn't consider three brands from the same company as real competition. It would probably lower prices if they mananged two brands rather than three. By the way, I was never suggesting that they should stop making cheap computers. ]]>Oct 10th 2008 6:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 7:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 6:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 7:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 7:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/10/emachines-300-el1200-desktop-the-size-of-a-dictionary/Oct 10th 2008 7:20PM