Smaller Than The Mini PC, The P4/2400 Micro PC

fist_187 writes "Tom's Hardware Guide has a story on the smallest PC since the Mini-PC: The MicroPC. It's a Pentium 4/2400 MHz machine, but you'd probably mistake it for a cable modem. I'm sure this trend will continue on to the Nano-PC, Pico-PC, and the Dick Tracy Watch."

Comments

What would be nice...

[teamhasnoi]

A breakout box for all the cables to go into, rather than having them all stuck in the back. That would allow many more options for placement, and reduce cable pileup.

Just a thought.

Built-In SiS Graphics chip

[cioxx]

How many of you want to bet this will not even install UT2003, let alone run it.

Sort of defeats the purpose of a LAN party convinience. If only they could make it 1 inch wider to include a Radeon 9700pro...

But that's just wishful thinking.

It makes sense

[JanneM]

Since competing with speed is turning out to be non-productive, the focus will be on something else, and an obvious candidate is size. Another issue I would fervently hope gets on the table is noise and power consumption.

I am sick and tired of large beige boxes sounding like a jet taking off. Having a unit like that as the home-wide server would be a dream come true. In the same way, the 'maxi'-notebooks increasingly seem like an excellent alternative to a traditional desktop, and much for the same reasons. Maybe, hopefully, we are not too far away from another format switch, where the base hardware is smaller and quieter than the stuff we put up with today.

Re:It makes sense

[iankerickson]

If you think a laptop will be money well spent towards getting a quieter computer, I think you'll be disappointed. I do a lot of service on PCs and laptops, and I've been repeatedly surprised how loud the laptop's really are -- almost a bad as a PC, if not as bad.

I suspect the noise is from MTBF of fans and hard disks. It's true that some models of hard disks and fans really are quieter or louder than others. But take two PCs of the same model with exactly the same model parts and one will be louder. A fan can get dirt in the bearings, spin unevenly, or vibrate in place, all causing irritating noise. Everyone's experienced a hard disk that works just fine but has a piercing, tinitus-inducing whine, which usually gets worse over time. Just like when you a buy a PC, there's a certain chance that when you buy a laptop that you'll get a noisy one, and you'll either have to swap the guilty parts yourself, experiment with accoustic matting, or come up with a good excuse to exchange the noisy laptop for another of the same model and hope lightning doesn't strike twice.

Now if you want your laptop to get _noisier_, just move it around a lot while it's powered on with the drives spun up and be sure to place next to a pile of dust-ridden papers. Bump, move, or shove the desk the laptop sits on as much as possible. It won't take long...

If you want permanant lasting quiet, get a handheld PC, like a Psion or a PocketPC. They're certainly not as good as a "real" PC or laptop for the money, but they are _totally_ silent. The only sound mine makes is a slight hum from the backlight, but I have to put my ear near the screen to notice.

When you say you hope we're up for another format switch in PCs, I think you're right. DoC sockets are becoming common on motherboards. CompactFlash cards are getting bigger and cheaper. USB 2 is adequate for connecting external hard disks. I suspect PCs are going to become more and more solid-state, but not for good reasons. I think Microsoft is going to push for the core of their OS to live on a DRM-enabled, read-only flash that requires digital keys to modify. Sure it will be cracked in a week, but I think the current X-box vs. Linux charade is just a rehearsal. Their using it as free research to see if it would work for PCs. Eventually PCs are going to become so powerful and so cheap that the threat "Buy a new computer!" if you want to upgrade your version of Windows will be like ordering someone to spend $50 to double the gas mileage of their car.

Let the funny Microsoft/Automotive metaphors begin.

Toaster Mac

[yerricde]

If they make a computer that looks like [a stereotypical two-slice toaster], I'll buy it just for a good laugh.

They already did. It's called the Power Macintosh G4 Cube computer.

Why not just buy a laptop?

[dpbsmith]

I'm obviously missing something here (or missing something obvious here). What's the point? Why not just buy a laptop?

Re:Why not just buy a laptop?

[carpe_noctem]

Because the most expensive part of the laptop is really the screen, and when you have a micro PC, you are free of that component. (Note: I'm not necessarily agreeing with the logic here, I'm just trying to explain why people might want them.) Oh, yeah, and plus, there's the geek factor in owning a really cool looking gadget that all your nerd friends don't have yet.

Obligatory Manufacturers Link

[Kaypro]

And please no jokes when the site get's /.'d that it must be running on one of these things ;)

http://www.jadetec.co.uk/products/micropc4/

Picocomputer?

[Citizen of Earth]

Tom's Hardware Guide has a story on the smallest PC since the Mini-PC: The MicroPC.

Given "microcomputer" as a synonym for a personal computer, would a micro-PC also be called a "picocomputer"?

Call me crazy, but...

[sssmashy]

I'm not going to spend an additional $1000+ or more just to save a cubic foot of space on my desk.

It's not the size that matters.

[docstrange]

The designers of this computer certainly aren't compensating for anything.

It's not the size, but the way you use it.

Legacy Ports

[spankalee]

I don't really understand including so many connectors in a mini computer. Why have two PS/2 ports, a serial port, a parallel, analog and digital audio in/out, 2 ethernet, and 2 non powered firewire ports?

USB should replace the PS/2, serial and parallel ports, and I'd rather have one powered firewire ports then two unpowered ones, and I don't need 2 ethernet ports, or even a modem port on htat kind of computer.

I wouldn't mind a PC Card slot though, and where's the DVI?

Any one have a good reccomendation for a super-mini that can boot with LinuxBIOS so it doesn't need a HD or CD drive, but does have ethernet and USB?

Shuttles are great though!

[T-Kir]

A friend of mine works in the Digital Video business, and I was telling him about the shuttle systems. A couple of days later he told me that his workplace were very interested in one (esp. when I updated him with the integrated monitor).

The reason they were so interested is that they have to take a laptop and docking bay with PCI adaptors so they can show customers any demos, yet with the Shuttle they're able to completely package the system and it works a charm. The bean counters were even more surprised at the cost of the system, they thought $2500, but it only cost £330 for the shuttle and the rest of the bits were already on site (although they are still sorting the Xenarc version).

Although with the size of the Jadetec, I doubt they'd be able to fit in the custom PCI cards, pity!

It's just a Mocha P4

[Wonko42]

This is just a rebranded (and uglified) Mocha P4, which was reported on previously right here.

Great for if your server is colocated!

[rnd()]

Step 1: Stack 5 or 6 of these into a tall ATX case.

Step 2: Put an ethernet switch inside the case and connect ethernet cables.

Step 3: Put a power-strip inside the case and plug in all hardware.

Step 4: Install one or two case fans in the ATX case.

Step 5: Bring the contraption to your local colocation provider and plug it in.

Step 6: Enjoy the fact that you have 5 or 6 colocated servers for the price of one!

No Fans

[dgp]

The main thing im looking for is a PC of this size that requires NO FANs. Go ahead, slow it down to 700mhz or less. Thats plenty of speed to run a head-less http, ssh, mail, ftp server. Ive got a Pentium class 166 that is doing everything I need without making a sound and I love it! Its getting a little old and Im looking for a no-fan PC (Including no cpu fan). By the way, the Seagate Barracuda IV IDE drives are extremely quiet. Its the only moving part in my system.

ENLARGE YOU PC!!!!!!

[wirelessbuzzers]

GAIN 3-4 INCHES GUARANTEED! OUR ONLINE PHARMACY IS OPEN 24-7!!!!

sigh, I need to get some sleep. Still, one wonders what women will think when you show off your micro PC to them...

Sooooo.......

[brad3378]

Is that a computer in your pocket
or are you just happy to see me?

Re:it lacks DVI,,,

[mentin]

Yeah, DVI is a must.

They would better remove the usual COM and parallel ports - who the hell needs them now? Sure not the people who would buy this thing. It would save them one third of the back panel space and sure lots of space inside.

I will also wait till this thing gets build-in Bluetooth and WiFi, so I don't have to connect zillions of cables that take more space than the box itself.