Gateway appears to be the first manufacturer to break the $1,000 price barrier on Media Center PCs (not counting barebones and refurbs) with the 3250X (pictured) at only $800. Not a lot to complain about, either, despite the low price: the guts consist of a 3GHz P4 with 512MB DDR, and 160GB of storage. The only major downside is a lack of TV tuner, which probably explains the bargain-basement price; of course, you can add your own if you want PVR functionality, and Gateway will offer a tuner as an add-on next week. They’ve also launched the 7200S, a step up from the 3250X, subbing a slightly faster CPU and an AGP card instead of onboard video, for around $1200.
Gateway Launches Low and High End Media Center PCs [ChaitGear]
