1. Introduction

Home Theater PCs are all the rage these days, but is it possible to find a model that can fit into your living room without looking horribly out of place? While most geeks can easily build one from a small-form factor PC, it might look strange sitting next to your TV and VCR.

The Datago DE3 from Datago.com hopes to change all that. This home theater PC is distributed in the USA by ECost, and it promises to combine computer capabilities with VCR-level ease of use.

Contents And Price

The DE3 comes in two models, which differ in CPU speed, memory size and storage space. The model that we tested was the DGO-DE3P001, which has a Pentium 4 530 HT 3.0 GHz processor, 512 MB Dual-Channel DDR400 memory, and a 160 GB hard drive. It retails for approximately $1,600.

Included with the main unit are the following items:

IR blaster FM radio antenna Six AA batteries for the remote control and wireless keyboard/mouse combo Remote control Power cable Modem cord

The BenQ x730 Wireless Desktop Companion Pro is also included, which consists of a mouse, keyboard and wireless adapter. You don't have to use this particular mouse/keyboard combination; any USB keyboard and mouse will do. In fact, you can purchase a version of the DE3 without the BenQ Wireless Companion Pro for about $100 less.

Closer Look

Here are the technical specs of the unit.

Synnex Datago DE3 Model DGO-DE3P001
CPU	Intel Pentium 4 530 HT 3.0 GHz
Memory	512 MB (2x256) Dual-Channel DDR400 SDRAM
Graphics	ATI Radeon X300LE 128 MB PCI Express
Audio	Intel 8-channel 24bit High-Definition Audio
Tuners	Dual NTSC STD definition w/HW encode
Radio	FM Radio Tuner
Hard Drive	160 GB 7200 RPM SATA
Optical Drive	16x Dual Layer DVD +/- RW Burner
Networking	Intel Pro 10/100 Ethernet Intel Wireless 2200BG 56K Modem V.92
Media Reader	8 in 1 card reader SM MMC/SD CF I/II MS/MS Pro
Ports	4 X USB 2.0 3 X IEEE 1394
OS	Microsoft Media Center 2005
Remote	Media Center 2005 IR Remote
Input Devices	BenQ X730 Wireless Keyboard/Mouse Combo