- The FMC-901 is built to reside comfortably in a standard entertainment center
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Product Description
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There's a brave new world in home entertainment that doesn't include the traditional stand-alone audio-video separates. Slowly but surely, VCRs, compact disc players, DVD players and all the other gadgets and wires that have made their way into living and entertainment rooms across America are being replaced. In their stead is a single unit -- a specialized computer that handles all of the above in addition to Internet surfing, CD burning, and much more. Gateway's new FMC-901 Family Media Center PC is one such device.
Designed in a horizontal rather than vertical format much like many of the units it replaces, the FMC-901 is built to reside comfortably in a standard entertainment center, conveniently receiving its user input via a wireless keyboard or wireless, handheld remote control and cordless mouse. The latter two are of particular interest in that they respond to mid-air gestures -- you can program the remote to increase system volume whenever you raise you arm, for example.
Compared to mainstream business and high-end gaming PCs, the FMC-901 isn't a true powerhouse. Driven by a 2.6 GHz Intel Celeron processor running at 2.6 GHz and 256 MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM memory, the system's "nerve center" is somewhat less than state-of-the-art. However, its graphics card is an nVidia FX5200 with 128 MB memory for solid 3-D gaming performance. Furthermore, the unit features a variety of high-end outputs designed to maximize the quality of your sound and video. With S-Video, VGA and DVI outs, you're assured of having the best connection for whatever monitor or television you're watching. And with four high-speed USB 2.0 ports, three IEEE1394 FireWire connections, a digital SPDIF optical audio out and S-Video and composite A/V ins, you'll have the ideal interfaces for virtually anything.
The FMC-901 features a fast 7200 RPM 80 GB hard drive for smooth television broadcast recording, a DVD/CD-RW drive through which you can burn and listen to audio CDs and watch the latest DVD movies, and an integrated TV tuner. Communication options include a built-in 56K dial-up modem and 10/100 Ethernet for high-speed networking and Internet access. DVD writing is not supported.
Pre-installed software includes Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center 2004 operating system, which offers such perks as integrated widescreen monitor support, an FM tuner, and one-month free access to the Napster music download site.
Gateway's new Media Center desktop computers are as unique as they are convenient and functional. Equipped with a big, wide LCD screen just perfect for multimedia buffs, each Media Center PC also features such welcome amenities as Intel Hyper-Threading processing, numerous high-end audio/video/data connections, and a visually distinctive, fully portable all-in-one tower-less design. This model, the Gateway 610X, is the midlevel member of the Media Center series, and as such offers a good balance between cost and power and far superior 3-D graphics capability than the base model Gateway 610S.
Outfitted with a reasonably fast 2.6 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor with Hyper-Threading technology (Hyper-Threading allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system -- thereby boosting performance during key high-drain procedures such as multitasking), the Gateway 610X features enough raw power for most any standard home, home office or business environment. Gateway has added a solid allotment of memory -- 512 MB DDR SDRAM -- and a top-level graphics card in the ATI Radeon 9200 AGP with 128 MB dedicated (not shared) video memory. Even serious gamers and 3-D artists should feel at home with this system.
To help you manage your data, the Gateway 610X features a potent 7200 RPM 120 GB hard disk, a DVD/CD-RW optical drive through which you can burn and record audio CDs and play the latest Hollywood DVD blockbusters, and a handy 7-in-1 card media card reader for reading memory cards from high-tech gadgets such as digital cameras, PDAs and the like. In its stock form, the system does not support DVD burning.
To ensure fast interaction with peripherals such as digital camcorders, scanners and external drives, the system features a total of five high-speed USB 2.0 ports (including one mounted on the front) and an IEEE 1394 FireWire connector. Gateway has also enclosed a 5.1 line-out jack for five-speaker surround sound, a high-quality S/PDIF digital audio output, a composite A/V in, S-Video ins and outs, and an Intel 10/100 Ethernet adapter for fast network and Internet access.
The system's unique design offers several distinct advantages, not the least of which is a noticeable lack of external wiring. In fact, its large 17-inch widescreen display screen sports no wires at all, sitting instead atop a stylish integrated pedestal. Gateway has also included a wireless optical mouse, wireless keyboard, convenient wireless remote control, and built-in stereo speakers with subwoofer. Pre-installed software includes Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center 2004 operating system, which offers such perks as integrated widescreen monitor support, an FM tuner, and one-month free access to the Napster music download site.
More About Microsoft Windows XP Media Center
What sets this PC apart is that it is powered by Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004, which offers the features, reliability, and power of Windows XP Professional, plus advanced digital entertainment capabilities. The Media Center interface offers you more types of entertainment to enjoy: TV, Personal Video Recording (PVR), Movies, Music, Photos, Videos, Radio, and DVD. Use the remote control to enjoy from anywhere in your room.
TV & Movies  |  |
| Watch TV when and how you want, and never miss a moment of your favorite programs. Pause and rewind live TV. Record a TV episode, series, or category. Automatically record a personalized selection of TV programs using Keyword Record. Media Center downloads the latest program listings for you and even wakes up from power-saving standby mode to record programs, so you can watch shows on your schedule. | |
 |  Photos & Video |
| Easily edit your digital pictures and digital videos, and then launch a dynamic slideshow complete with animated transitions and your favorite soundtrack. While viewing a picture, zoom in to see more detail. You can rotate, correct red-eye, and print your pictures using the remote. Play slide-shows straight from digital storage devices. | |
| Music & Radio |  |
| All your music is stored in one digital jukebox and using the remote, shuffle your entire music collection according to artist or genre or listen to your tunes through playlists that learn what you like. Tune in FM stations and pause live radio. Full-screen visualizations pulse to the beat of the music. Cool on-screen effects show music information, such as track title, track time, and artist. |
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Thing Ever,
By
This review is from: Gateway FMC-901 Family Room Media Center (2.6 GHz Celeron, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Combo) (Personal Computers)
This machine will change your life. No more rushing home to watch a show, picking up five remotes trying to figure out which ones which, shssing your spouse until the important part of the show passes, switching CDs in your player, hooking the video camera up to the VCR to watch it, having a stack of stereo components, pulling out photo albums, etc. I could go on and on. This new design is extraordinary. My wife is nuts for this for it's simplicity. Stop reading this and buy one immediately.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everything most people need,
By "digdug34" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Gateway FMC-901 Family Room Media Center (2.6 GHz Celeron, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Combo) (Personal Computers)
The sleek look and ease of use of the Gateway FMC-901 make it a great choice if you want the features of a Media Center Edition PC but don't want a clunky PC in the family room.I couldn't see paying the extra price tag on the 901X just to get the Radeon 9800 Pro graphics card and the DVD burner. So if playing games and recording to DVD media isn't important, the lower cost unit may be suitable for most needs.
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