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| Product: FrontX Multimedia Port |
Company: Frontx CPX Sdn Bhd |
| Web: www.frontx.com |
Phone: 604-227-2962 |
| Platform: PC w/free drive bay and PCI slot |
SRP: US$26
Street Price: same |
Cred Rating: | Special Award: |
I don't know about you, but I hate rummaging around in the back of my PC to plug stuff in and out. Street Tech's main computer has the large Micron case and it's a monster. I'm filled with dread whenever I know that I'll need to fork lift it out from under my desk so I can plug in a game controller, a mic, etc. Why more computer makers don't move ports to the front is beyond me. Frontx has addressed this problem with their multimedia port kit.
The FrontX multimedia port fits into a free drive bay (if you have one). The port includes a game port, a microphone jack, a headphone jack and audio in. The unfortunate thing is that the FrontX sacrifices a PCI slot. To install, after you remove the drive bay plate, you snake all of the multimedia cables for the FrontX through your computer case and out of a PCI slot in the back, such that a PCI slot is rendered useless (unless you know of a PCI device that doesn't use the back plate). Once snaked through the PCI slit in the case, the multimedia cables are plugged into their respective jacks in the back of the computer. Voila. You have access to your multimedia ports from the front. The FrontX has a door that covers the ports when not in use and a back plate for the PCI slit so that dust won't get into your box.
I certainly like the concept and convenience of port access in the front (and I bet others do too), but wish that precious slots weren't sacrificed in the process. FrontX plans on releasing other port extenders for serial, parallel and USB ports, but you probably wouldn't want (have space for) more than one of these devices. I guess if you really wanted to, you could drill a large hole in the back of your case for the cables, but I can't imagine too many people wanting to do that.
If you're a big gamer or MP3 music fan and want to be able to plug in different multimedia peripherals with ease, or if you're like me and you'd rather do just about anything than wrestle your tower out from under the desk, the FrontX is a great innovation. For US$26, you certainly can't beat the price.
- Gareth Branwyn [8/19/00]
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