Mid-range PCs Reviews
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AJP GE1

£619 inc VAT

Manufacturer: AJP

Our Rating: We rate this 4.5 out of 5

By | 02 November 05

Aimed squarely at Apple's Mac mini, this tiny Windows Media PC pushes all conceptions of living-room computers out of the window. We looked at a prototype model, decked out in a quite smart burgundy - AJP is promising a range of colours, including black, white and silver, to complement your decor. The GE1 is about the size of a large paperback book, as deep as two DVD cases, and very light. It could be unplugged and lugged around with ease.

The minimal, shiny front sports a dual-layer DVD-RW drive and a nifty 3-in-1 card reader. The GE1 can be positioned either flat or on its side. Out of the box, you also get a remote control for lazy access to Windows XP Media Center edition, plus a wireless keyboard and mouse - something the Mac mini lacks. We found setup and general use straightforward.

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A peek round the back showed a decent line-up of ports but the biggest boon is the built-in Wi-Fi card supporting 802.11a/b/g. We connected to the PC Advisor wireless LAN without a hitch. This could be hidden away and still be a media star.

For the price, the GE1 is fairly loaded, specs-wise. You won't get much joy with the likes of Doom3, but for all-purpose media use, it passes muster. It has an Intel Mobile Pentium M 740 processor running at 1.73GHz and an 80GB hard drive that's hampered by a slow 5400RPM spin speed. It uses a PCI Express chipset.

Our WorldBench test revealed a score of 81. Average, but considering the form factor, it's not bad.

The Mac mini is cheaper and better-styled but the GE1 has Windows Media Center and comes with a keyboard and mouse. Even more impressive is AJP's three-year warranty.

GE1 Expert Verdict »
Post Review
Intel Mobile Pentium M 740 processor
533MHz front-side bus
2MB Level 2 cache
integrated wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g card
Bluetooth
512MB DDR533 RAM
80GB hard drive
8X DVD-RW/CD-RW drive
built-in ethernet
2x USB 2.0 ports
TV-out
SP DIF output
DVI
Media Center XP
3-year return-to-base labour-only, 1-year parts-and-labour warranty
225x170x40xmm
  • Build Quality: We give this item 9 of 10 for build quality
  • Features: We give this item 9 of 10 for features
  • Value for Money: We give this item 8 of 10 for value for money
  • Overall: We give this item 9 of 10 overall

We really wanted to fault the GE1 as a Mac mini wannabe, yet we found it hard to do so. The GE1 is a stylish, almost invisible Windows Media Center Edition PC that shows Apple isn't going to have it all its own way in the small-is-cool stakes.

There are currently no price comparisons for this product.
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