Belkin is not normally a name you'd associate with leading edge networking products, but in the case of the Pre-N range they've really grabbed the bull by the horns and delivered some excellent gear. The Pre-N networking range is based on the 802.11g standard so it's backward compatible with 11b, but like some other 'turbo' networking gear the Pre-N stuff also offers well over the 802.11g 54Mbps data throughput with 108Mbps.

Another PCI device to come supplied with a detachable antenna, it can be adjusted into one of three locking positions: parallel to the backplane, 45 degrees away from the card, or perpendicular to the backplane.

3Coms AirConnect is one of the high-speed wireless LAN (WLAN) contenders, combining three PC Card network interface cards and a base station. The AirConnect cards dont inspire confidence, as the aerial assembly isnt securely fixed to the card body. 3Com looks to have remedied this with the release of the new XJACK cards (estimated at $400 each). These cards have a pop-up antenna and are less prone to breaking off the card.

Two TV tuners on a single PCIe board, without the usual headaches and hassle.

We attached the antenna and fired up the Netgear WG311 to see the tray-icon immediately announce a strong connection.

Ever since the mid-1990s, a variety of manufacturers have been attempting to find a reliable way to turn your PC into a television – without a huge amount of success.

The ProV is a product similar in nature to the Canopus ADVC-100 (page 44), but where the ADVC-100 is used for transcoding video streams with an eye on digital video work, the ProV is used to bring versatility to your computer monitor, or breathe life into any spare monitors youve got laying around.

The most fully-featured notebook we’ve seen, but price will determine just how desirable this stylish notebook really is.

When it comes to accessories, the Aspire has one of the best bundles supplied for this roundup: including an MCE remote and a radio/TV antenna! It also has a decent specification list: 3Ghz Pentium 4; 160GB HDD; and 512MB RAM. The only sticking point here, amongst all this multimedia goodness, is the inclusion of the Mobility X300 video card. It's like building a Ferrari and installing a two-stroke motor. It doesn't make much sense.

The ASUS is one tough little cookie. Its cover and palmrest are encased in brushed aluminium lending the unit a reassuring sense of rigidity and roadworthiness. The 15.4" screen is bright, and its default resolution of 1680x1050 makes text sharp but a little small to read unless up close. The unit also comes with a built in TV-tuner, and also sports a TV-antenna output.

From the rarefied heights of Dells Inspiron 8100 (reviewed October 2001, page 71) we take a step back with the Toshiba Tecra 9000. Like the Inspiron 8100 the Tecra is a Pentium III-M CPU, from the Tualatin family of processors, although this is the 933MHz version.

In the mid-1990s a debate raged over whether we would eventually end up watching television on our computers, or whether television would take over from the PC. In 1995 a PC called the MyGeNie went on sale boasting that you could watch TV while you worked...

Great design and comprehensive features make it a truly great Media Center PC. Only the price lets it down.

A good-looking, ergonomically excellent laptop with a wealth of multimedia capabilities for home users.

We reviewed the MegaPC180's predecessor, the Mega651, in September last year (Issue 70, page 46) and were fairly impressed with the way this unit handled for a first generation crossover Hi-Fi/PC. The key to digital convergence is seamless integration and MSI has gone a few extra steps in the right direction to help with this changeover.

Excellent speed, both wired and wireless, but this comes at a hefty price.

Slow speeds and a high price make this an underwhelming offering

A stylish and capable camera, further enhanced by wireless tech

The Pioneer DreamBook Power 900 is a locally built monster – this isn’t a desktop replacement, it’s a desk.

Similar in nature to the Zinwell ProV (June 2002, page 46) but with better execution, the X-Media DreamBox is a small set-top box for your desktop that lets you watch TV, video, console games and DVDs on your monitor without the need to power on your PC.