- Strong Software Bundle
- Supports LightScribe Media
- Doesn't Have Any Special Hardware To Really Be A Media Center PC
- Older Pentium D Processor
- Intel Pentium D 820 Dual Core Processor
- 1GB PC2-4200 DDR2 Memory
- 250GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 16x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner with LightScribe
- Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
- Intel HDA Audio
- v.92 56Kbps Modem and 10/100 Ethernet
- Seven USB 2.0, Two FireWire and 15-in-1 Card Reader
- Vista Home Premium, MS Works 8, Norton Internet Security and Roxio Creator
4/23/07 – HP includes Media Center in the official product name of the Presario SR2180NX and this is a bit of a misnomer. While the Microsoft Vista Home Premium certainly contains the features necessary for the PC to be used as a media center, it does not have hardware such as a TV card built into the system. So don't expect to be using this to watch or record TV on without putting some extra hardware into it.
In terms of performance, it is fairly standard for what one would expect in a low cost desktop computer system. HP installed an older Intel Pentium D 820 processor into the SR2180NX. This is a dual core processor, but it doesn't have quite the same features that can be found in the newer Core Duos and falls behind the Athlon 64 X2 processors from AMD. Still, it will work just well for most basic computing tasks that budget desktops are used for. A full gigabyte of memory comes with it and lets it run smoothly.
Storage capacities on the hard drives is growing thankfully. While 80GB and 160GB drives used to be the norm, now HP and other companies are putting 250GB drives in their budget systems, as the SR2180NX. DVD burners are also fairly standard now with only a few companies offer combo drives instead. One nice feature the Presario SR2180NX adds is support for LightScribe media that lets you burn the label directly onto the disc.
The area where the Compaq Presario shines is in the software bundle that comes with it. Most budget systems tend to limit the amount of software you get or is all trialware. HP packs in applications to cover pretty much all of the computing tasks that you might have with the SR2180NX unlike many other budget desktops.
