Mini PC in an Actual Lunchbox

schnell29 writes "I am looking for a small case and such to house my next computer, and I have seen many mini, micro, flex ATX cases, but mini-itx.com has caught my atention. I like the lunchbox pc. With all the talk about quiet, small pc's this might be the ticket. And hey, they even report that VIA is now Microsoft CE .NET 4.1 certified."

Comments

Re:Linux?

[Simon Lyngshede]

Of cause it run Linux, and *BSD. Via is even developing Linux drivers for the Eden platform. This enables you to use features like the TV-Out.

www.viaarena.com has a forum for Via Eden Linux users.

Ubiquity of serial and parallel

[chiark]

I've got one of these boards, bought it from Ewan at Mini-itx. Top guy, top service :-)

It's being used in-car. The easiest way of displaying info is still a VFD or LCD model interfaced to the serial or parallel port.

My car also has an OBDII connector, so I can play with the engine management computer. Which is nice. Serial at 1900-baud - very strange rate.

I have looked at building USB interfaces for the above, but it isn't worth the hassle. There's a PIC that'd do the job of looking after USB, but with low speed transmission, plus the hassle of writing a USB driver it's non-trivial. USB can't speak until it's spoken to, which is fun...

Also, forgive me for pointing out the bleedin' obvious, but there's 2 USB ports on there, plus 2 USB headers. :-D

FYI, the EPIA-M will have USB 2.0 too...

Re:Only problem with x86 architecture

[thunderbee]

I'll address the serial port issue only. Try configuring a Cisco (or about any worthy piece of network equipment, Suns included for that matter) without a serial port. *boo*
But hey, I work with my computer, I guess Josticks all come in USB now so you don't really mind.