Rock Meivo review

Rock's Meivo all-in-one PC looks uncannily like Sony's Vaio VGC-LA1 computer (reviewed in What's New, January 2007), but has enough distinctive improvements to set it apart from the Vaio and other space-saving all-in-one computers such as Apple's 24in iMac (also reviewed in What's New, January 2007).

The Meivo takes up only a bit more space than a standalone 22in monitor, although it has a limited tilt and swivel. Its large, 22in widescreen monitor is bright and has wide viewing angles, making it well-suited for watching DVDs. It has the same 1,680x1,050 resolution as the Vaio's 19in screen, which isn't quite enough to show 1080p high-definition video as the 24in iMac's 1,920x1,200 display does. It still produces a good picture, however, which you can watch from across the room.

As our application benchmarks show, the Meivo can handle all but the most strenuous of tasks thanks to its plentiful 2GB of RAM and fast Core 2 Duo E6300 processor. It was a little faster than the Vaio in our image-editing and multiple applications benchmarks, but the 24in iMac was quicker than either the Meivo or the Vaio in our video-encoding benchmark.

Unfortunately, the Meivo isn't as capable for playing 3D games. It uses one of Intel's newest integrated graphics chips, the GMA 3000, but it's no better than its predecessor, the GMA 950, for playing the latest games, as our 3D benchmarks show. It couldn't even run our Call of Duty 2 test, although older titles should be playable.

Unlike the iMac, the Meivo has a built-in hybrid TV tuner so you can watch and record either analogue or digital TV broadcasts using Windows Vista's Media Center feature and the included remote control. If you want to record one programme while watching another, you'll have to add another tuner. The built-in speakers are surprisingly loud and can fill a small room, but they sound harsh. The included media centre keyboard isn't suited for prolonged typing due to its springy keys.

Many all-in-one computers tend to be difficult or impossible to upgrade, but many of the Meivo's internal components are easily accessible. A removable panel reveals the mini PCI slots holding the wireless networking adaptor and TV tuner. There's even an empty slot for adding another mini-PCI TV tuner as well as an ExpressCard/54 slot for adding expansion cards, a feature more commonly found on notebooks.

The 250GB 3.5in SATA hard disk can easily be replaced if it's not spacious enough for your needs. There's even enough space for another 3.5in SATA hard disk, but you'll need a proprietary screw-in bracket to fit one.

Alternatively, you could add external hard disks using the four USB2 ports as well as the eSATA and FireWire 400 sockets. If you regularly need to insert USB devices such as flash drives, however, the Meivo's design could quickly prove inconvenient as only one USB2 port is side-mounted, with the rest located in a recessed and hard-to-reach cavity.

You can't connect another monitor or TV to the Meivo as you can with the iMac, but you can record video from sources such as a VCR thanks to the Meivo's S-video and component inputs. You can also connect a surround-sound amplifier to the S/PDIF socket.

The Meivo isn't suitable for gamers and the 24in iMac has a larger, higher-resolution screen. But if you need a compact, fast and easily upgradable PC, the Meivo is an excellent choice.

Author: Alan Lu