Product Reviews

Toshiba's Equium range of desktop PCs has its focus firmly on management issues and as such is aimed at the bulk-purchasing corporate market. The new 7000 series sees the remote management features of earlier systems combined with improved access to make configuring systems to order easier, not to mention facilitating on-site maintenance and upgrading.

The system units and monitors are priced separately, so you're looking at £790 for the basic 233MHz Pentium II system reviewed here. This gets you a 2Gb hard disk and 32Mb of main memory but no CD-ROM drive; a 24-speed CD-ROM and an auto-sensing 10/100Mb Ethernet adaptor are, however, both offered as pay-for options.

There's also a choice of two case types: the compact, slimline 7000S version tested here or a larger model designated the 7000D which offers more in the way of card and drive expansion. The same basic configuration in the D-type case costs £855 exc VAT.

There's a choice of two FST monitors: either a 15in unit (£210) or a more elaborate 17in model that features integral stereo speakers. We were supplied with the latter, a multimedia-capable 17in model that adds £380 to the price.

The monitor is slightly unusual in that it doesn't have on-board digital controls. Instead, a Windows-based utility provides geometry and colour tuning functions, although in practice it's very similar to the usual on-screen setup menu. However, I had a problem in that the control software hadn't been installed, and as our review 7000S was bereft of a CD-ROM drive the supplied CD-ROM with the various utilities was pretty much useless.

The tube is capable of delivering 1,024 x 768 resolution at 85Hz and, with the control utility present, the image can be sized to fill

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the screen area for a diagonal of about 15.75in. However, although the picture was fairly bright, it lacked the typical FST clarity, and at XGA resolution small text looked slightly blurred.

The integrated speakers deliver a clear sound quality that isn't unpleasantly harsh at higher volumes, and they should suffice for general business multimedia applications. Sadly, though, the excellent well-made keyboard supplied with earlier Equium models has been replaced with a lightweight, cheap, narrow-border unit that has a slightly rattly action and little to distinguish it from the run of the mill.

A panel on the right-hand side of the case rotates 90 degrees to become a stand, giving you the choice of desktop or tower-type orientation. However, what really sets this case apart is the way its design allows easy access to the major components. Even if the monitor is standing on top of the PC, the left side of the case can be removed by simply releasing a catch at the edge. This exposes the two RAM sockets, and also the mount for adding more video memory. With the base 32Mb present, one slot is free for upgrades.

The case is bisected from front to back by a riser that holds the expansion slots and carries connectors for all the drives. The motherboard fits into the lowest slot on the riser and can be removed via the open side panel in one go without having to disconnect anything else first. This instant access/replacement system forms the basis of Intel's NLX design and will no doubt win over hard-pressed support staff everywhere.

To access the drive bays you simply take off the top of the case. However, all you can really do is add one extra drive using the single 5.25in front-opening bay above the floppy drive. CD-ROM-equipped models won't allow for any drive expansion.

The 3D Rage Pro AGP graphics accelerator and Crystal sound chip are both integrated onto the motherboard, leaving the two PCI and one ISA expansion slot free, although because the lower slot has a shared backplate a maximum of two cards can be used.

The Equium's benchmark performance was a little lower than we might prefer but not terribly so, and in its intended environment its speed should be perfectly adequate. It's the support-friendly design, not the speed, that will make the Equium an attractive buy for corporates.