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To clarify the matter, this is a joint response from PC Pro and Evesham Technology:

The graphics card

Evesham meant to send in the review machine with a Radeon 9500 graphics card, but accidentally sent a Radeon 9500 Pro instead. When PC Pro alerted Evesham to this fact, Evesham agreed to supply the Axis 2400+MK with a Radeon 9500 Pro card for £1,069 plus VAT rather than the £1,049 price it was originally meant to be.

Unfortunately, the build specification at Evesham wasn't updated. Consequently, when PC Pro readers rang to ask for the machine Evesham's sales staff told them that they could only get a Radeon 9500 card and the price would be £1,049 plus VAT.

PC Pro alerted Evesham to this problem, but due to a communication problem some of Evesham's sales staff continued to tell readers that the Pro version of the graphics card was no longer available.

This has now been rectified, but Evesham apologises to all those readers who were misinformed.

As a result of this confusion, a number of PCs were sent out with the wrong card in place. To check which version of the card is in your PC, we advise you to download 3DMark2001 SE from www.madonion.com and run the benchmark at the following settings: 1,024 x 768 resolution, 32-bit colour, no antialiasing, triple frame buffer, 32-bit texture format, 24-bit Z-buffer depth.

If you received a 9500 Pro, your PC should score over 12,000 3DMarks. With a Radeon 9500, expect a score closer to 10,500. Make sure no other applications are active when running the test.

The motherboard

Because of difficulties in getting Asus boards and the tight timetables to submit reviews, Evesham sent in an Asus A7N8X Deluxe board with the Axis 2400+ MK when it intended to sell it with the standard A7N8X. There was a sticker on the box explaining this, but unfortunately the PC Pro reviewer didn't notice it, and so the review was incorrectly printed showing that a Deluxe board was included.

Realising that there would be many disappointed Pro readers, Evesham compromised and supplied the Leadtek board (WinFast K7NCR18D-Pro), which was an upgrade on the Asus that should have been reviewed. This includes FireWire, but not the DualNet feature. Evesham unfortunately failed to let PC Pro know about this mistake, which is why no correction has been printed until this point.

Some PC Pro readers will have received the standard Asus motherboard. If this applies to you, please contact Carolyn Worth at Evesham (cworth@evesham.com).

As this was an honest mistake, PC Pro is happy with the compromise solution offered by Evesham. We apologise to readers who need the DualNet feature for the disappointment, as this will involve an upgrade of £45. However, it doesn't detract from

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our overall opinion of the PC.

Ordering confusion

Another problem surfaced when readers rang in asking for the Evesham Axis 2400+ MK, and were directed to a PC with an identical name from Evesham's standard offering. From now on, Evesham systems sent into PC Pro will have a unique name.

Evesham's review policy

Evesham is committed to providing readers with what is reviewed. Occasionally there are changes that are unavoidable due to circumstances beyond Evesham's control but customers and PC Pro will be notified of any changes.

PC Pro's review policy

All PC manufacturers who send systems to PC Pro sign our Labs and Reviews Agreement form. This means they agree to the following:

1. The machine submitted will exactly match in price and specification the one sold to the customers for a minimum of seven weeks from one week before our publication date.


2. You will include the machine on your company's Web site for the entire period during which the relevant issue of PC Pro is on sale. If there is a good reason for not doing this, we need to have this in writing attached to this document.


3. You agree to inform PC Pro of any alteration to the specification or price as soon as possible. Upon investigation, if PC Pro deems the change to be outside of your control, and indicative of the market as a whole, we'll ask to see evidence of suitably priced and specified alternatives being offered to customers. If, in PC Pro's opinion, the replacement components, system or deal equal, or surpass, the original in terms of speed, value or quality, we will print our satisfaction in Corrections and Amplifications within our letters page (if appropriate). If, in PC Pro's opinion, the replacement components or system do not equal, or outperform in terms of speed, value or quality, what appeared in the original review, your company risks being placed in PC Pro's Sharkfishing section in a future issue. If the change is severe enough, we will exclude your company from future Labs and/or Reviews for a fixed period.


4. You will deliver all products to the customer within 28 days.


5. You agree that your company can supply, and support (to a degree acceptable to PC Pro readers), all PC Pro readers who choose to buy your systems as a result of the printed review.


6. You will collect your product from PC Pro when informed it is ready.


7. If your system is not collected within three months of notification, we can dispose of the product. This condition supersedes any liability clauses contained in Loan Agreements we may sign prior or subsequent to this agreement.


8. You agree to PC Pro randomly spot-checking your systems after a review has been printed. Under these terms, PC Pro will pose as real customers and buy the systems undercover. If the system's specification or performance is different to that printed in the magazine, this will be discussed with you before a subsequent report is printed in the magazine.


9. You agree that PC Pro can purchase your products as a customer (and make reasonable use of your customer support facilities), unknown to you, and print our findings in undercover buying features. If your PCs are bought either as a spot check or as part of an undercover buying feature, you agree to reimburse PC Pro with the full price of the system (including any carriage charges) once the investigation has been completed.