Reviews / Meivo - Computer Active

Hardware that’s causing a stir……

Take a look at most HD-Ready TV’s and you’ll probably notice that for the same price, you could afford to buy a new computer instead. Well laptop manufacturer Rock must have been reading our minds, as it’s combining the two by offering an LCD TV with an integrated computer specifically designed for kitchens, studies or bedrooms.

The Meivo features the ability to record and pause live TV programs. Add to this a PC with a desktop-class processor running Windows Vista and it looks set to put your old portable to shame. Core specifications won’t blow you away, but make general computing duties a snap. It houses an Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 (1.86GHz) processor, 1GB (667MHz) RAM and 250GB hard drive, which certainly got our pulses racing when we were watching Neighbours at lunch. It has also got a DVD-RAM drive, Intel GMA 950 graphics and loads of options for transferring data, with Bluetooth, four USB ports and a 7-in-1 card reader to name a few.

The Meivo’s 22-inch screen makes for comfortable TV viewing at a distance. The only downside is that the display doesn’t natively support 1080 HD video due to its 1050 vertical line resolution. Nevertheless the Meivo is more than a match for similar looking systems from the likes of Sony – and even Apples iMac – and is tempting for anyone looking to lend a small room a touch of luxury.


AWARDS

Good Points: Appealing form factor with an excellent screen. Awesome media handling capabilities out of the box make it a luxury toy worth considering.
Bad Points: Form factor limits its use as a regular PC and we’re disappointed the display doesn’t support native HD. There’s no HDMI port either.

Overall *** (3 Star)