Filed under: Desktops

Shuttle’s Atom-based X27 mini-PC is definitely pretty intriguing if you’re looking to play around with getting a PC in the living room or even in your car, and it’s just gotten the modder-friendly price of $189. That’s almost impulse-purchase territory — we’re definitely looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble people get into with these when it hits next month.

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Filed under: Desktops

Shuttle has always been small, but now it’s hopping on the completely overcrowded green bandwagon with its latest mini PC. The X27, which sports an admittedly sleek shell, will suck down as little as 23-watts while idle and 36-watts while in use. Additionally, the unit will include one of Intel’s Atom chips, and as predicted, fan noise shouldn’t be an issue. The entire case measures just 10- x 7- x 2.75-inches, and while a price hasn’t been outed for the September-bound nettop, we’d expect to hear more as IFA gets going on the 29th.

[Thanks, Adam]

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Filed under: Desktops

Be honest here, you didn’t even remember that the $249 CherryPal cloud PC was expected to ship this month last month. Reportedly, you’ll be waiting a little longer for a PC you don’t even know about thanks to a software quirk that isn’t playing nice with a newer SSD. CherryPal is hoping to get the issue resolved and begin shipping the wee boxes within two weeks, though it does leave open the possibility for things to take “longer” as it slips into vaporware territory.

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Filed under: Desktops

We weren’t exactly hot on MSI’s Titan 700 mini-PC when it first hit back in May, and now that TrustedReviews has had a chance to look one over, it looks like our initial impression wasn’t that far off the mark. Although the diminutive case was stylish in an industrial way, the fit and finish left something to be desired, and the DVD door is apparently rather convoluted. The machine itself, powered by a ULV 2GHz VIA C7M, is “annoyingly audible” when running, and you’re not getting a ton of horsepower in return — a 720p AVI file barely played, and a .mov at the same res brought Windows Media Player to its knees. Like we said last time, unless space is at a premium, you’re probably better off investing $500 into a real PC — even if that means you have to forgo the Darth Vader looks.

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Filed under: Desktops

In typical ASUS style, it utterly failed in dishing out a nice gallery of press shots to go along with the official unveiling of the Atom-powered Eee Box. Nevertheless, those photographs you’ve been hankering for have finally appeared, with luscious high-resolution angles of the white, black and “red” Eee Box. For the whole gallery along with a few informational pages on how this miniature PC is guaranteed to revolutionize the way you compute, give the read link down there a little love.

[Thanks, Sascha]

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Filed under: Desktops

Well, what do you know? Those rumored specifications for ASUS’ not-secret-at-all Eee Box were spot on. The outfit has just now gotten around to getting official with said mini PC, which checks in with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, an 80GB hard drive, multicard reader, 802.11n WiFi and gigabit Ethernet. As predicted, you’ll find Windows XP Home running the show, and ASUS is spicing things up by tossing its newly unveiled Express Gate fast boot technology on here too. There’s nary a mention of a price or release date, but that’s pretty much par for the course with this company.

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Filed under: Desktops

Remember that tidy little bamboo-encased mini PC Dell showed off in April? Well apparently the company is at work on a variant of the diminutive system, dubbed the Studio Hybrid. In addition to forgoing the eco-friendly wood for what appears to be a sleek, orange Plexiglas shell, the system boasts an Intel chipset, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, WiFi, a DVD+R drive, five USB ports, an HDMI port, S/PDIF, DVI, and a memory card reader. We’re not sure exactly when Dell plans to unleash these on consumers or what the final cost will be, though previously the company had stated plans to offer it later this year for between $500 and $700. Check the gallery below for a few more (blurry) shots of the device.

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Filed under: Desktops

Okay, so this isn’t the finalized SKU or anything (it’s an “early sample,” if you must know), but it’s close enough to the real deal to warrant a dissection. The model shown here came sporting a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 160GB Seagate hard drive and built-in gigabit Ethernet / WiFi / Bluetooth. Best of all, you’ll see more than flashes of EBOX PCB when you step into the read link below — you’ll get a lengthy list of initial impressions too (hint: it’s rather impressive). Go on, get!

[Thanks, Charlie]

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Filed under: Desktops

Given the absurdity of the AlphaGrip Handheld Computer, we’re pretty stoked to see something fairly snazzy emerge from entries in Microsoft’s Next-Gen PC Design Competition. The Illusion PC is a 8.25-inch cube that hides a Mini-ITX motherboard, 200-watt power supply, slot-loading DVD burner and provides room for two internal hard drives. Theoretically, a 6-inch LCD and TV tuner card could also be thrown in, but we’re digging the minimalist feel, personally. Hit the read link for a gallery of shots — heck, the magician even reveals his secret to pulling the whole thing together. Like, that never happens.

[Via SlashGear]

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Filed under: Desktops

Granted, the Nova P22 is probably small enough for the vast majority of folks, but if you weren’t feeling the aforementioned machine for whatever reason, here’s another option. The NOVA LITE Mini 2L measures in at 9.09- x 7.24- x 2.00-inches and weighs just a few raisins more than the X300 (3.3-pounds for those taking notes). Apparently, this box was designed to simply “meet everyday computing needs” while keeping noise to a minimum, and ASUS has three lovely flavors for you to choose from. Packed within, you’ll find up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, an 80GB / 160GB hard drive, a DVD burner, Ethernet, WiFi (on select models), built-in speakers, four USB 2.0 ports, DVI / VGA and audio in / out connectors. No word on a price, release date or any of that pertinent information, unfortunately.

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Filed under: Desktops

Last September, Lenovo tooted its horn quite loudly with the introduction of the environmentally-friendly ThinkCentre A61e. Fast forward a few months, and it’s the same song and dance once more — with even more green this time, though. The ThinkCentre M57 / M57p machines won’t blow anyone away in terms of raw horsepower, but they are the first desktops from any PC maker to garner GREENGUARD certification. Additionally, these power-sipping rigs are EPEAT Gold rated, Energy Star 4.0 rated, and the first ThinkCentres with recycled material from consumer plastics. Internally, you’ll get to choose from a range of Intel Celeron / Core 2 Duo CPU options, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, integrated graphics, an 80GB / 160GB hard drive and not much else. ‘Course, with prices on the M57 starting at $699 and an understandable focus on energy-efficient components, we wouldn’t expect much different.

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Filed under: Desktops

If Stealth Computer’s LPC-450 was just a bit too diminutive for your tastes, you’ll be thrilled to know that the latest flavor has been opened up a bit to make room for a PCI card of your choosing. As was the case with the LPC-350PCI Little PC, this iteration includes PCI expansion slot capability along with a Core 2 Duo processor and an anodized aluminum chassis that could probably be dropped from the rear of a moving truck sans issue. Additionally, you’ll find Ethernet, USB (x3), FireWire, PS/2 mouse and keyboard connectors, a 160GB hard drive (or an SSD, if you choose) and an optional DVD burner to boot. Seems as if these are made to be customized, so feel free to give Stealth a ring if you’re interested in claiming one as your own.

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While one generally associates “Everex” with “bargain basement,” we can’t exactly see the incredible value in the gPC mini. Hinted at late last month, this minuscule desktop is now getting all official on us and comes loaded with a 1.83GHz T2130 processor, 120GB hard drive, 512MB DDR2 RAM, a DVD writer and Intel’s GMA950 graphics set. Furthermore, it’s packin’ gigabit Ethernet, DVI / S-Video outs, FireWire, four USB 2.0 ports, a 4-in-1 multicard reader and audio / in out. Granted, you’ll have to deal with the gOS that comes loaded in, but hey, maybe that’s not such a thorn in some folks’ sides, anyway. Don’t worry, you’ve got until March 1st to mull it over, after which you can (hopefully) place your order at NewEgg.

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Filed under: Desktops

Sure, manufacturers are stuffing all sorts of great components into inconceivably small cases these days, but all that cramming has still left plenty of room for ugly of late. TG has been honing its skinny desktop form factor for a few years now, and seems to have it down to a science with the latest TG LLUON Crystal. Specs are only so-so, running up to a Core 2 Duo T7200 processor at 2GHz, 2GB of RAM, a 500GB HDD, DVD burner, GeForce 8400 GS graphics and a bit of 802.11g, and the 1,399,000 won pricetag (about $1,490 US) is hardly a steal for this amount of power, but we’re just glad that ugly spell is over — and unsurprised it took a South Korean company to do the trick.

[Via Akihabara]

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Trust us, we’ve seen a smorgasbord of smallish PCs designed to reside in places humans aren’t fond of visiting, and ICI Controls is making no bones about the ruggedness of its latest alternative. The fanless SC240M is a relatively small, completely sealed PC designed for “embedded and industrial applications in wet and dirty environments.” Packed within the rough and tough exterior is a 1.2GHz VIA, 1.6GHz Pentium M or 1.6GHz / 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, up to 2GB of RAM, a 40GB hard drive, WiFi and a slew of ports including Ethernet, four USB 2.0 sockets, audio in / out, RS-232, FireWire and S-Video. Notably, users can customize the innards to their heart’s content, but the basic configurations start at $1,695, and you can even add in a backlit sealed keyboard for just $250 more. You know, for your upcoming stay in an underwater hotel, or whatever.

[Via LinuxDevices]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops

Manufactum, the same company who apparently produces a totally sensational espresso machine, is offering up something a bit different with the Manuscriptum. Not vastly unlike many of the diminutive alternatives already out there, this two-pound PC gets stuffed with a 500MHz AMD Geode LX800 processor, an 80GB hard drive, up to 1GB of RAM and a motherboard that handles four USB 2.0 ports, VGA / serial connectors, dual Ethernet jacks and audio out. Additionally, this little fella is passively cooled and sucks down just 12-watts of power when in operation. As for the OS, you’ll find Debian Linux loaded on, and it also ships with OpenOffice, Foxit PDF Reader and Firefox to keep you busy right from the get-go. In the aforementioned configuration, the Manuscriptum will run you €449 ($650), but it sounds like you can pony up even more if you’re craving a customized rig complete with a 32GB SSD.

[Via LinuxDevices]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Desktops

Unfortunately, the wee US110 isn’t a full-fledged PC, but it should perform quite nicely as a thin-client machine. Measuring in at just 5.9- x 3.7- x 1.2-inches and weighing 0.77-pounds, this device features a fanless design, 128MB of RAM, 128MB of NAND flash memory, five USB 2.0 ports, a VGA connector, resolution support up to 1,600 x 1,200, gigabit Ethernet, audio in / out and support for RDP5.5 / ICA10.0. Those interested can pick one up at the month’s end for around ¥49,000 ($417).

[Via AkihabaraNews]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!