pcmagnetwork logo
Subscribe!

Desktops

  FIND PRODUCTS
Narrow your search for
Desktops:


Price
 
Company
Hewlett-Packard Company (92)
Dell, Inc. (68)
Gateway Inc (50)
Velocity Micro Inc (34)
eMachines Inc (33)
Show more...
 
Type
 
Processor Family
 
RAM
1 GB (186)
512 MB (137)
2 GB (84)
256 MB (51)
128 MB (35)
Show more...
 
Storage Capacity
 
Primary Optical Drive
 

New Search

PC Magazine Desktops Product Guide Add PC Magazine Desktops Product Guide RSS feed to your feed reader so that you don't miss another headline!

  • Add to My Yahoo!
  • Add to Google
  • Add to My MSN

HP Pavilion Media Center a1640n PC

review DATE:12.19.06

HP Pavilion Media Center a1640n PC
Full Set Tower Angle Keyboard and Mouse

review

By Joel Santo Domingo

The HP Pavilion Media Center a1640n PC ($860 direct, $1,130 with 17-inch LCD monitor) sits in that sub-$1,000 price range reserved for serious buyers who don't want to spend an arm and a leg for a PC. It fits right into HP's model line, below the more photo-oriented m7600 series and above the more value-oriented a1400 series. The a1640n is ideal for an art-oriented student at the junior high/high school level, or for a budding media hobbyist who hasn't quite figured out yet how "into this digital life thing" he or she is.

red arrow Read the HP Pavilion Media Center a1640n PC full review

Company

Hewlett-Packard Company

http://www.hp.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $870.00 - $1,130.00 Direct
  • Type: General Purpose, Media
  • Processor Family: Intel Core 2 Duo
  • RAM: 2 GB
  • Storage Capacity: 250 GB
  • RAID: No
  • Graphics Card: Integrated Intel GMA 3000
  • Primary Optical Drive: Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW
  • Monitor Type: LCD
  • Screen Size: 17 inches
  • Notes: $870 direct, $1,130 with 17 inch LCD monitor

Bottom Line

If you're looking for a media enthusiast's PC but don't want to spend the $1,500 they seem to go for these days, take a look at the latest HP Pavilion a1640n. It has many of its big brothers' features, yet costs significantly less.

Pros

Core 2 Duo power. Pocket Media Drive for unlimited storage. 2GB of system memory. Vista compatible.

Cons

Intel integrated graphics are still weak at 3D. Pocket Media Drive uses a new (and somewhat pricey) cartridge format. No TV tuner. Internet Security subscription lasts only 60 days.

Lenovo ThinkPad T400
Lenovo ThinkPad X200
Click Here Click Here
Info Centers
 
Special Offers
Free White Papers
View all White Papers >
Click here to list your White Papers >
 
Buy It Here
StoreStore RaingBase PricePrice
Check Prices From All Stores
Enter your zip for prices with tax and shipping.
Your zipcode will only be used to calculate applicable state tax and ground shipping charges.		Enter your ZIP code:
 
newsletters

Get PCMag.com's FREE email newsletters delivered to your inbox.

It's easy, just follow the steps.

Want more? Check out our other newsletters here.

Manage your newsletter subscriptions here.

1. Make your selections:

Daily News Alert
Inside PCMag.com
PCMag.com Small Business Update
PCMagCast Update
Productwire: First Looks Update
Security Watch
Tech Saver
Tip of the Day
Utility Library Update
What's New Now
PCMag Announcements

2. Select email format:

3. Enter email address:

Subscribe to PC Mag
Subscription Help | Renew | Give a Gift
Featured Offers
FREE UTILITY:

Free utility finds the fragmentation that's crippling your network!

New Disk Performance Analyzer for Networks 2.0 takes the guesswork out of tracking networked system performance. This revolutionary utility scans networked systems' performance from one single access point. It equips administrators with an arsenal of performance data, so they can zero in on systems' fragmentation and slows.

Don't let low-functioning systems go unnoticed. Get Disk Performance Analyzer for Networks 2.0 free now!

>> brought to you by Diskeeper
MUST READ WHITE PAPERS:

Check out the latest briefs and white papers from PC Magazine's Partners.


NoteWhen 3: Clear the Clutter. Version 3




NoteWhen 3: Clear the Clutter. Version 3 adds many features that you, our subscribers, have been asking for. You can now:

• Send notes by e-mail, including Gmail or secure servers
• Synchronize notes with notes from other machines
• Lock notes to prevent further editing
• Archive notes, taking them out of the list without deleting them
• View scheduled events on a bigger calendar showing note titles
• Make NoteWhen portable for flash drives
• Export notes to HTML, RTF, Text, or CSV
• Print a list of notes

Download Now: NoteWhen3Setup.zip
PCMagCast
PC Magazine's live, online events make you more productive at work, home, and on the go. Best of all, they're FREE!

Featured Event:

5 Strategies for Providing Superior Tech Support While Cutting Costs
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at 1pm ET - Sponsored by Citrix Online
How do technical support organizations keep customers satisfied and stay competitive while cutting costs? Attend this webcast to find out. Register today.

See all PCMagCasts >>
 
More Free PCMagCasts: