Under Cabinet Lcd Tv

Mom is busy. She works, runs the kids all around town, cleans, cooks, and like all of us, she rarely has time for her favorite shows. (West Wing and Trading Spaces are at the top of her list.) This Mother's Day, show her how much you appreciate her with a Media Center PC. With one of these desktops or laptops, she can easily record her favorite shows and watch them whenever she wants. She can also look up her favorite recipes, store all her photos (of you), play her music, and even go grocery shopping, all from the comfort of home.

There are several different kinds of Media Center systems from which you can choose. Your choice will depend on your household and what, if any, type of system you may already have. First, decide whether you want a desktop or laptop. Mom's a busy lady, so in order for her to get the most out of her new system, you may want a laptop that's as mobile as she. Another advantage of a laptop is that it can sit proudly in the kitchen yet still be stowable in a drawer or cabinet when company arrives (Mom is a neat freak, after all). When choosing a laptop, opt for the larger hard drive, like the 100GB hard drive found on the Sony VAIO VGN-FS570, because recording TV and video take up room. Also, keep weight and size under consideration: A 17-inch, 10-pound laptop may not be ideal. And you don't want Mom to trip on all those cords, so consider purchasing a wireless router, so that she can move her laptop freely from room to room.

If a laptop doesn't suit her needs, check out a Media Center desktop. Desktops come in compact, aesthetically pleasing shapes and styles—no more beige towers and big, old CRT monitors. The HP Digital Entertainment Center z545, for example, lies flat and looks more like a DVD player than a PC. It can fit into any living room décor and is easy to use. The Sony VAIO PCV-V200G is more of an all-in-one system, and it looks more like a small 15-inch, flat-panel TV than a PC. It's great for a home office and can work in kitchen setups.

Mom does a lot for you. It's time to give back, and hey, a Media Center doesn't just have to be for Mom, you can benefit as well. Remember, though, she deserves first dibs: Her favorite food show should come before that big Yankees game.

If you're still not sure whether to get her a laptop or desktop, our at-a-glance comparison table may help.

Desktops Sony VAIO PCV-V200G It's an all-in-one desktop that looks and acts like a sleek 15-inch LCD TV. It lets you watch and record TV easily and doubles as a full-blown PC.

HP Digital Entertainment Center z545 It's been our Editors' Choice for months. It looks like a stereo component and can easily fit into any living room media cabinet.

Laptops Toshiba Qosmio E15 This is a great mobile entertainment center, with a gorgeous 15.1-inch Tru-Brite screen, good speakers, and built-in TV tuner to watch and record television.

Dell Inspiron 9300 Dell's first Media Center laptop is a high-end system that can record and broadcast TV, as well as handle other heavy-duty media tasks, like gaming. The family will be fighting over this one.

Sony VAIO VGN-FS570 With a 100GB hard drive, this laptop has a lot of hard drive space to store all your recorded TV shows.

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in PC Magazine.

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