Add in Windows XP Media Center Edition, remote control and a copy of PowerDVD 6, and Shuttle has given you everything that you need to watch TV and movies, and there's certainly plenty of room on that 300GB hard drive for recording as many TV shows as you may fancy. We found that the Intel graphics handled TV and movie playback with aplomb, although CPU usage could spike up to 50 per cent. However, the graphics struggled to load some web pages smoothly. The payoff is that the X200M is incredibly cool and quiet even when it's working hard. Indeed, when the Shuttle has awoken from power-saving mode, the Samsung hard drive sounds positively raucous as it spins into action. By any standard the Samsung is a quiet drive, which just goes to show how the Shuttle is near-silent.
We have a couple of minor cosmetic issues with the implementation of the various bits and pieces. The main casing of the X200M is sleek, attractive, smart, stylish and small so you have to work quite hard to hide the power brick, network cable, TV antenna, monitor/TV cable and speaker connections from view, but that was also true of the X100HA.
The other point is specific to this model. With the X200M stood vertically in its holder the wireless aerial has to stick out to one side as the TV antenna connection is directly above the aerial. Other than that, we loved the X200M to bits. Granted the price has risen to an uncomfortable level, but Shuttle has built a media center PC that deserves a place in any well-heeled living room.
Verdict
The changes that Shuttle has made to the X200M over the machine's predecessor are subtle, yet significant. This is a specialised media centre PC that is hopeless for games, but fulfills its intended purpose as a DVR superbly, and it looks absolutely lovely.
Shuttle XPC X200M mini PC
COMMENTS
Shuttle's is high on Junk, again!!
Here's another highly overpriced Shuttle... They must figure at some point people will believe computers that cost more than Macs must be better. Unless you enjoy the pains of owning crapy tech products and using even worse tech support and customer service, stay away from Shuttle computers. Get a Mac, Dell or even HP for your small form factor systems. I'd even take a lenovo! They are better and you won't get ripped off nearly as much as you do buying one of these.
Where to buy?
Howdy,
Does anyone know where I could buy this pc? I'm trying to order one for delivery before the 17th of February.
Can't seem to find a supplier here in the UK. Does the manufacturer deal direct to the public?
Many thanks,
Garry
Looks pointless and decidedly lacklustre for high definition playback, to me...
That's a very expensive product for something that hasn't been tested with a high definition source. For that sort of money I'd expect something that can handle HD-DVD or Bluray in the future with ease.
I really question the emphasis of the review - the omission of firewire is far more serious than the addition of two PS/2 ports (cost of a USB to PS/2 adaptor : a tenner). Compared to the 100HA (which is itself expensive) it's terribly unattractive.
What, exactly, is the point of a product which can only watch TV/DVDs (as it is unusable for games and flawed at web browsing).? For 850 quid you can purchase Toshiba's bleeding edge 1080p HD-DVD player *and* an embedded DVR. The HD-DVD player will play CDs too, which XP Media Centre won't...
