Micro Express MicroFlex 36A

We were pleased with the combination of the MicroFlex's integrated audio and Logitech Z5300 5.1 speaker set, but configuring the speakers was a bit tricky because the color coding on the speakers didn't match the color coding on the audio jacks. Once we sorted out the speakers, though, the MicroFlex 36A provided an impressive multimedia experience. Our test disc, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, with its fast-action racing scene, is a demanding test of any computer's display and sound system. DVD playback, via the ATI Radeon X600 XT graphics card, was bright and smooth, with no visible artifacts or stuttering. And the movie's surround sound was crisp and realistic (that is, as realistic as the sounds of antigravity racing pods can be).

Frame rates in most of our 3D gaming tests, however, were well below those of many competitors and unlikely to please serious gamers. Similarly, the somewhat muted colors in the display of our test photos on the LCD aren't likely to win the appreciation of visual artists. But details in photos looked fairly sharp, as did text.

Ports are plentiful--seven USB 2.0 ports and three FireWire ports in total. Two of the USB ports are conveniently located on the top of the case beneath a pop-up cover. Micro Express put a media card reader in one of the 3.5-inch drive bays on the front of the case; this card reader has a USB 2.0 port and a FireWire port. The remaining four USB slots are on the back.

The software package was minimal: just utilities such as Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator and the Asus InterVideo WinDVD Suite

The main manual covers the basics, though the tone of the introduction seemed dated, as though it was written in 1997 when the Internet was a new and novel thing to most consumers. More helpful was the welcome inclusion of the nearly 1000-page Windows XP Home Complete manual published by Sybex.

Upshot: The MicroFlex 36A is very fast and a good all-around bargain for multimedia, though it isn't likely to meet the more exacting demands of gamers and graphic artists.

Edward B. Driscoll, Jr.