While DIY market shrinks, barebones and portable notebook computers gain popularity these days. As we always tell you in our reviews of these kinds of products, people started to regard personal computers as home appliances, but not as something luxurious even if their PCs are the most high-end ones. It is definitely a big obstacle for manufacturers of expensive mainboards, graphics cards and other computer hardware components, but the trend opens the door to this market for large PC vendors, such as Dell, HP and IBM, as well as manufacturers of less expensive, but not less exciting personal computers and barebones from less well-known companies, such as Shuttle, ECS, ASUS and FIC. Even VIA Technologies benefits from this with its EPIA and mini-ITX initiative. MSI, who has been performing excellently for the last couple of years, could not pass through another great opportunity to expand its market presence and also jumped on the bandwagon in 2002. This week the company announced another barebone PC, branded as MSI Entertainment Gaming Appliance or simply MEGA, that offers a lot more capabilities compared to competing solutions.

MSI could not offer something usual, as there are loads of barebone PCs on the market (even among its own product line), but decided to launch a full-function multimedia PC that combines information and entertainment to offer hi-fi stereo, DVD/VCD, MP3, TV and high-performing computer functions in an infortaining component with novel appearance.

Like all barebone systems, MEGA PC comes with no CPU, RAM, CD/DVD-ROM and HDD. There are two versions of MEGA PCs from MSI: one for AMD processors is based on VIA KM400, another is for Intel CPUs is based on SiS651:

• MSI MEGA 400 supports 2800+ AMD Athlon XP processors and above, up to 2GB of PC2100, PC2700 or PC3200 memory, integrated graphics core, 5.1 integrated audio-solution, 10/100Mbit/s Ethernet, 6 USB 2.0 ports, 1 PCI, an AGP 8x slot and is equipped with 200W power supply.
• MSI MEGA 651 supports 2.40GHz AMD Athlon XP processors and above, up to 2GB of PC2100 or PC2700 memory, integrated graphics core, 5.1 integrated audio-solution, 10/100Mbit/s Ethernet, 6 USB 2.0 ports, 1 PCI, an AGP 4x slot and is equipped with 200W power supply.

Both computers have a lot of expandability options, such as streamlined wireless remote controller, a pair of 5.1 channel hi-fi speakers, wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, and AM/FM antenna. Built-in card reader provides a lot of connectivity opportunities (only for MEGA 400 Plus). The cache control panel at the bottom of MEGA PC offers a wide range of I/O interfaces, including USB2.0, IEEE 1394, MIC, phones, and fiber SPDIF

Instead of the conventional LCM panel, MEGA PC offers the revolutionary cold light panel to display the mode (MP3, CD and AM/FM), status (time and track information) and EQ mode (classical, jazz, pop, etc.) of the hi-fi stereo, in order to blend MEGA PC in our daily routine.

MSI MEGA PC comes either in the brilliant orange case or the stylish old green case. The former is based on SiS651 chipset, the latter is based on VIA KM400 core-logic. MEGA 400 also will be available in Plus version with onboard TV and 6-in-1 card reader functions.

Pricing and availability details were not touched upon. It will be interesting to learn if such feature-rich barebones are expensive or not really. Although I have no idea if we need TV in personal computer, the presence of a feature is definitely better than its absence.