
Acer R1600
I haven’t really done much in the way of tech posts lately, so today I discuss my newest addition to the HTPC front. I have been watching for some time with interest the Nvidia ION platform. It is essentially the graphics and processor on one board which promises a super-compact package which performs media operations extremely well. One of the applications so far is inclusion in the tiny Acer Aspire Nettop which is to date, one of the smallest full function desktop computers. I picked up the AR1600-U910H from Best Buy for the bargain price of just $199.99. I purchased this with hope I could finally have a Windows Media Center which had the advantage of the Apple TV’s tiny footprint. I am pleased to report I have achieved this very goal.

Cracking open the case
The Acer R1600 comes in the box with a USB keyboard and mouse, and a power brick you would typically expect for a laptop. The specs are very minimal, using the Intel Atom 1.6 ghz processor, Nvidia Ion video with HDMI Video / Audio out, VGA out, 1 gig 800 mhz, DDR2 DIMM, 160 Gig Hard drive. The packaged operating system is Windows XP, SP3 home. The software load includes all the normal junkware which I spent 3 hours removing in order to do a quick image backup. Once the backup was complete, it was time to get Windows 7 on this thing and start enjoying a Media Center PC.

Simple Layout
The first task was opening this unit up to put more RAM in. After a couple of days trying to find instructions on how to do this, I came up empty handed. I took my chances and removed the one small screw in the cavity where the stand goes. There is a white plastic band around the perimeter of the computer with a visible seam. As with most of these CE devices, it’s held together by a series of plastic clips (as seen in the photos). I carefully pried the case open, unsnapping the clips until the top cover came off. Inside, I was pleased to see a very simple main board with the hard drive, RAM expansion slots and mini PCIE slot in plain view. I pulled the 1GB DIMM and swapped in two matched 1GB DIMMS in it’s place from my old laptop. I had a wireless G mini PCI-E from my retired laptop, so placed that in the empty slot. After a few photos, replaced the top cover, replaced the screw and powered up to load Windows 7.

Size compared to Apple TV
The Windows 7 install went very easily (using external DVD drive, none included with this budget PC). Once Windows 7 came up for the first time after the install, I installed the Windows 7 drivers for chipset and video found on the Acer support site. This system is super snappy at this point. Another thing to note, it’s practically silent. No noise from the WD hard drive and the fan is running slowly and quietly. I continue my install by plugging in my Hauppauge 980 USB HDTV tuner and installing its driver. Without walking you through all the painful details on configuring the power management, scanning for channels, and all the other items, I finished the configuration. Now for my thoughts / impressions of this platform for a Media Center PC.

New HTPC in action
WOW! This thing is NICE! With the built in HDMI, connection to the TV was flawless. The new Acer with Windows 7 detected my 32″ LG Tv at its native resolution and looks beautiful. Turning on the Media Center software and tuning to an HDTV program rewarded me with smooth animation and flawless (no jitters, stutter) video. I have never had such an easy time getting such a knockout video stream with an HTPC. I think I can probably thank the ION platform for this, as it uses the Video Processor to offload all decompression tasks from the CPU for video playback. 12 mbps HD video at 720p and 1080p is perfect. This looks as good as any consumer set top box I have ever used. Netflix even worked flawlessly.
In conclusion, with all the features available in Windows 7 for the TV DVR functionality, my AppleTV 3.0 is now my device to watch Internet podcast video. The Acer unit drives my TV for day-to-day programming. Apple should consider allowing a TV tuner in the Apple TV, because with this new addition to the Windows market, Acer with Windows 7 is the perfect package. Size, function and price are just right. Sure, there are extra costs such as the purchase of Windows 7, USB tuner, memory, etc. I had the hardware components I was able to put to use from components I had sitting around. Still, this is a bargain price for what you receive in the way of the Media Center experience.
TJD