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1.0GHz P3 In A CD-ROM Drive Bay

Migraine Man writes "Similar to the PPC-based Briq, the folks at Stealth Computer have introduced an Intel-based PC that's built into a 5.25" CD-ROM-sized enclosure. It's got a 1.0GHz P3, 256M RAM, 20G HD, 10/100 eth, CD-ROM, USB, FireWire, video, and sound. At USD 995, it's reasonably priced too. You could put three of 'em on a 1U rackmount shelf, or stuff several into a mid-tower and build your own desktop cluster. A summary datasheet is here. Very cool."

307 comments

  1. Huh? by Trusty+Penfold · · Score: 1, Funny



    So where does the CD-ROM go?

    1. Re:Huh? by Toraz+Chryx · · Score: 1

      I'm guessing it has a slimline unit similar to those you'd get in a laptop (1/4th or so the height of a normal 5.25" bay) ?

    2. Re:Huh? by kyrre · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Its right where it should be. Read the article.

    3. Re:Huh? by Raven1 · · Score: 1

      Would trolling include not reading even the datasheet? Or looking at the pretty picture on the datasheet? Yeahs, CD/DVD or CD/RW options available.

    4. Re:Huh? by fredrikj · · Score: 1

      So where does the CD-ROM go?

      This new thing doesn't have one built-in?

    5. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When you replace your CD with one of these, then can the PC in the case use the CD in the plugin doodad?

    6. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fortunately it's not Athlon-based. Otherwise people might mistaken it with a toaster.

    7. Re:Huh? by Catbeller · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's the slim slot running along the top of the faceplate, methinks.

      This is truly cool. Car use? You can pop it out when you park and put it in your backpack. Take it home, network it to your main box and load up them MP3s and Divx files.

      It wouldn't take much to hook up a teensy LCD screen to this. Fold out a mini keyboard from the bottom of the unit, flip up the screen from the top, and you have a nano PC.

    8. Re:Huh? by Arnold_Crenshaw · · Score: 1

      You really know how to make a man drool.

    9. Re:Huh? by Wolfrider · · Score: 2

      --Actually, you should be able to if you install Linux on the plugin's 20gig HD, connect the plugin Ethernet to the larger PC, and mount the cdrom over NFS. If you get Samba working it should even be transparent.

      --Betcha didn't think you'd get a serious response to yer humor, did ya? :b

      --
      .
      == WolfriderV6 == I'm willing to admit that *I just might* be wrong... Are you??
    10. Re:Huh? by roseblood · · Score: 1

      That's nice. Do they make 5.25 inch floppy drives in this slim configuration as well?

      Why 5.25 inch drives? Backwards compatability of course.

      --
      There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
    11. Re:Huh? by roseblood · · Score: 1

      Hell, forget my drive question - where does this thin find the room for a fan+heat sync. P3 in a dive bay...that's all the thermal energy of my old Gateway packed into a package the size of my CD-RW drive. That baby is going to run HOT! So much for making a beowulf cluster inside a tower case.

      --
      There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
    12. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ok, maybe i'm just being dumb, but what advantage would this have over a laptop?

    13. Re:Huh? by TheCrazyFinn · · Score: 1

      Likely a Mobile P3, much cooler running.

      --
      "You've got an invalid haircut" -Warren Zevon - Life'll Kill Ya
    14. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      NONE!
      It's actually at a disadvantage, as it comes with no input devices or screen.

    15. Re:Huh? by microsost · · Score: 1

      Wow.. you should start mass producing those and selling them.. You could design them so they sit on your lap, and maybe even run off batteries.. And then think of a cool name.. I dunno.. laptop computer or something. You'd sell thousands!!

    16. Re:Huh? by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 1
      "So where does the CD-ROM go? This is not humour."

      That's what the USB and Firewire are for.

      Seriously, I think this was designed more for server and rackmount applications so the ethernet would be more important.

    17. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      B-52's: Taking the 'Fun' Out of 'Fundamentalism' since 1952

      Leaving you with "damn mentalism"?

    18. Re:Huh? by rEWDBOi · · Score: 1

      >B-52's: Taking the 'Fun' Out of 'Fundamentalism' since 1952

      You sure about that? Seems to me like it's been spreading the "Fun" in "Fundamentalism" recently.

  2. desktop? by The+J+Kid · · Score: 1, Funny

    your own desktop cluster

    I think 'Beowolf' is the word you're looking for...

    --
    Moderation: +4. Modded 70% Funny and 30% Overrated. 100% Saturated.
  3. one word by RobertTaylor · · Score: 2

    heat!

    1. Re:one word by sirtimbly · · Score: 1

      Fans!

      --
      Sir Timbly of Cannatuna, offical Knight of the Heptagonal Table
    2. Re:one word by Some+Dumbass... · · Score: 2

      heat!

      They mention having a "fanless" Celeron-based version, so I betcha that the heat isn't that bad.

      They probably use laptop parts for the most part (SODIMM memory, etc), and as far as I've seen, only laptops with very hot-running CPUs need fans. Even then, the fans are mainly to cool the CPU. So the amount of heat is probably related to the CPU only, and there are ways of dealing with that (e.g. heat pipes).

    3. Re:one word by DoraLives · · Score: 1

      It fits inside the ice maker (I removed the water hookups) in my freezer compartment.

      Who cares about heat?

      Adds a whole new angle of enjoyment to those late night refrigerator raids.

      --
      Is it fascism yet?
    4. Re:one word by RobertTaylor · · Score: 2

      Give this man a coconut! Classic :)

  4. Furnace by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    With four of them stacked up in my midi-tower
    i'm going to have a nice little furnace in my room to survive this winter.

  5. couldn't you do a via eden for $? by draziw · · Score: 5, Informative

    Something like a VIA EPIA EM 6000, for way way less $. (eg: under half the cost). And you would have a system that is Mini-ITX Form Factor, Micro ATX Chassis Compliant. - Not a custom hard to fix type system.

  6. Servers by MattCohn.com · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I totaly agree, I think those are very cool. Especialy for servers. Imagine having a stack of 10 dedicated servers you were leasing out in a neat little stack. Only question is... upgradeability? Are these going to be disposable computers, or will one be able to replace parts inside? (CPU/RAM/HD...)

    1. Re:Servers by Golias · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If you were worried about keeping up with hardware advancement via upgradability, you would not be buying a 1 GHz P-III computer right now, woudja?

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    2. Re:Servers by werschi · · Score: 2, Interesting

      If you like them you will love blade servers.
      But of course no self respecting server would use 2,5" harddisks, not even in RAID 1 configuration.

    3. Re:Servers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right. Servers use RAM. Lots of it. If the harddisk comes into play for anything but cold data, game's over anyway.

    4. Re:Servers by ulmanms · · Score: 1

      Not until they stop basing them on the Intel 81x chipsets. Maybe I'm lame, but try running a real mod_perl server w/ 256 megs of RAM.

      And before you mod me down for being a 'bad programmer', remember that you can load a buch of sh*t into memory & share it.

  7. Heat dissipation? by JessLeah · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What happens if you shove four of these in four consecutive (vertically) 5.25" drive bays? Would they overheat? That might limit the usefulness if you had to space them out... you'd have to buy twice as big a case as physically needed. Maybe if you alternated... P3, coolerunit, P3, coolerunit, P3.... ;)

    1. Re:Heat dissipation? by Toraz+Chryx · · Score: 2

      Perhaps the Drivebay fans in this case might be of use? :) Plus you can fit 6 of them :).. well, five I guess if you want a CD reader/writer or whatever for the host box

    2. Re:Heat dissipation? by SpIKeAKAThEONe · · Score: 0

      Lie them out on a desk and glue heatsinks to the top of them :).

    3. Re:Heat dissipation? by rocket97 · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I might be stupid here but please forgive me I am still buzzing from my party last night.... but anyway would it have been better to use P4's in this thing rather than P3's? From what I can remember the P4 runs much cooler than the P3, which in turn leads to less heat needing to be disbursed. Just a thought.

      --
      "The two most abundant elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity." -Harlan Ellison
    4. Re:Heat dissipation? by Hadlock · · Score: 3, Interesting

      yeah in theroy you could underclock a 2.4 ghz to maybe 1.4 ghz or so, at which point you could probably passively cool it. intel still makes p3's though, for applications such as this, and as a result the 1ghz p3's of today run alot cooer than they did a year ago.

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    5. Re:Heat dissipation? by Hadlock · · Score: 2

      i'd just like to apologize to anyone reading the parent post; i was just talking out of my ass, although i'm fairly sure it's true, there is in fact no basis for truth. i pity whoever gave me mod points for that. suckaz.

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
  8. Where's the heatsink? by grumpygrodyguy · · Score: 2

    Neat idea, but what about cooling?

    A 1Ghz P3 generates quite a lot of heat. Wouldn't stacking them vertically like CD drives overheat them?

    --
    The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
    1. Re:Where's the heatsink? by TheKey · · Score: 1

      Not really. Compared to today's processors, a 1GHz P3 is fairly cool. In fact, it can sometimes be cooled by just a heatsink.

      --
      My Journal - 1,337 fans and countin
    2. Re:Where's the heatsink? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As long as the heatsink has a clear path of air and an opening abive it, cooling will happen very efficiently without fans. The hhotter it runs, the more heat will cause more flow. quietly too!
      I don't understand why the new shuttle uses exotic heatpipes, why not use passive xoling with a novel case with lots of outlet slots along the top.
      But these heatpipes would be useful if you pack these P3 units real close together and natural flow is impeded.

  9. Wait.... by dirkdidit · · Score: 5, Funny

    So techincally I could put these in the open 5 1/4" bays in my desktop? And have a self contained beowulf cluster? And enough heat to make the sun seem insignificant? w00t Where do I sign up???

    1. Re:Wait.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

      If it were Athlon-based, you'd have a built-in toaster as well!

  10. Re:couldn't you do a via eden for $? by Toraz+Chryx · · Score: 1

    the idea is you have one of those, then these things in the drivebays :)

  11. So small, it's... by Ananamas+Coughrad · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's got a 1.0GHz P3, 256M RAM, 20G HD, 10/100 eth, CD-ROM, USB, FireWire, video, and sound. At USD 995, it's reasonably priced too.

    Kinda like a laptop?

    1. Re:So small, it's... by moonbender · · Score: 1

      It does feature the small form factor hardware of a laptop. But it's smaller, it's got no battery, no display, no nothing. So no, not really kinda like a laptop.

      --
      Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.
    2. Re:So small, it's... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kind of like a pimped out iBook but cheaper, and no DVD, Wireless support, screen, or portability.

  12. Nice.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But I would like to see one that can fit in a 89mm bay, that would be cool. Or maybe one that is shaped like a cdrom .

  13. power source? by hfastedge · · Score: 1

    it says:

    Power Input
    + 12VDC (mini-jack input)


    does that mean its powered like from the same cables you put into a HD/CDrom? by the larger mobo sized one? or something else?

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    1. Re:power source? by dirkdidit · · Score: 2

      It means that it's powered by one of those lovely wall-warts with a barrel plug on the end. More than likely, a lot like a laptop power supply.

    2. Re:power source? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not only that, but the barrel plug for power on the back of this thing is right next to the audio output. That is @#$%ing awesome.

    3. Re:power source? by rice_web · · Score: 1

      ...which would all but defeat the purpose of having such a small form factor.

      Although, you can throw a power brick onto the floor and underneath the desk, almost ridding the unsightliness of a power brick.

      --
      The Political Programmer
    4. Re:power source? by narada · · Score: 2, Insightful

      using the power brick removes a major heat source from the case, which let's you get rid of at least one fan (usually the loudest fan) and let's you shrink the case by a lil bit.

    5. Re:power source? by Migraineman · · Score: 3, Informative

      The power input is a barrel jack, and you'd need an adapter if you wanted to put it inside a regular PC chassis. It's clearly not really intended for this application. They also spec the power requirement at 12V*5A=60W. That's not a ton of power, but you'd only be able to put two in a typical PC without overcurrenting the 12V rail. On the other hand, it'll run off the accessory plug in your car without blowing the fuse (or needing a pesky inverter.)

  14. Opportunity for Humor... by Quaoar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Someone needs to buy the biggest computer case they can find...fill it with half a dozen fans, neon lights, a see-through panel, colored wiring... ...and then just slap one of these bad boys in the 5.25" bay. Hilarious!

    --
    I'll form my OWN solar system! With blackjack! And hookers!
    1. Re:Opportunity for Humor... by GigsVT · · Score: 2, Informative

      These cases from CalPC could house something like 30 of these, for a massive beowulf cluster. :) They cost about $500 without power supply.

      --
      I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
    2. Re:Opportunity for Humor... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      30 self-supporting Ghz for $30,500. How does that to compare to mainframes?

    3. Re:Opportunity for Humor... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'd go for the "hamster powered" look - windowed case with hamster & wheel inside, plus all the neon etc, and maybe hook the hamster wheel to a front panel RRM display to let you know how fast it's going!

    4. Re:Opportunity for Humor... by mattdm · · Score: 1

      Badly. How are you networking all of these? And powering 'em, for that matter?

    5. Re:Opportunity for Humor... by erikdotla · · Score: 1

      What an excellent idea!

      Put a sticker on that says "Hamster Inside". People will laugh and you could say "no, really, there is." You remove the side casing to reveal a hamster turning a wheel! The rest of the parts conceal easily.

      Replace hamsters frequently. I doubt they'd live long due to heat without some serious cooling, but the noise would probably stress them to death anyway.

      --
      # Erik
    6. Re:Opportunity for Humor... by Phroggy · · Score: 5, Funny

      Get some cardboard, and cut out a piece in the shape of a standard ATX motherboard. Draw some chips on it. Cut out some cardboard PCI cards; attach them with duct or masking tape. Tape the whole thing inside the case. Draw tiny parallel lines on a long strip of paper; make it resemble an IDE ribbon. Get some string, run it around between things. And definitely, the transparent side panel is a must.

      --
      $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
      $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
    7. Re:Opportunity for Humor... by xenofalcon · · Score: 1

      Yes, but what operating system would the hamster be running? Could it crash?

    8. Re:Opportunity for Humor... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Es ist ja klar!
      Fenster 3,1.

  15. What niche by 1984 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This isn't a troll, but what exactly is the niche? For not a lot more size, but less money, you could have a shoebox PC like a Shuttle SS40. For not a lot more space you could buy a laptop of the same performance, and have screen and keyboard. And you still have to plug all the wires in the back and (by the looks of it) provide top and rear venting, so you can't just pack 'em in a rack like crazy.

    So, serious question: what's the niche? They're cool, yes, but beyond that?

    1. Re:What niche by Toraz+Chryx · · Score: 1

      think "cluster", think of the server farms companies like Google use...

      Get a bunch of 4u rackmounts intended to house RAID arrays or suchlike, fill it with these and you've got one hell of a power/space ratio.

    2. Re:What niche by 1984 · · Score: 2
      You could, but wouldn't it be much easier to use something like this? (And you can probably find even denser enclosures.)

      That way you avoid all those nasty cables, too.

    3. Re:What niche by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about throw it in your CAR in its stereo slot. I wonder if it'd fit?

    4. Re:What niche by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting
    5. Re:What niche by los+furtive · · Score: 2

      Well, the Blade from IBM takes 7 rack units, not trying to nitpic or anything, but in theory you could up 3 of those 5 1/4 PCs on a rack unit, giving you 21 total, while the Blade can only hold 14 in that space. Of course, the Blade ones can be Xeons, but you get the point.

      --

      I'm a writer, a poet, a genius, I know it. I don't buy software, I grow it.

    6. Re:What niche by werschi · · Score: 1

      Try to beat these. (you can even get Xeon SMP blades)

    7. Re:What niche by Roonster · · Score: 1

      This computer is perfect for an application I currently have in a piece of industrial equipment. I have very limited space and I want to tuck away a pc in a hidden location. Also I think the plain aluminum case will be easier to mount than more stylish mini pc's such as the Cappucino TX-3.

    8. Re:What niche by ChronosX · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Your arguments are sound. The folks at Stealth Computers Corporation appear to agree with you. They aren't going after those markets.

      The webpage the Little PC's outlines some targeted markets:
      Applications:
      Digital Signs & New Media Applications
      Kiosks & Public Access Displays
      Information Appliance
      Embedded Systems
      Process Control & Factory Automation
      Mobile Applications, trains planes & autos
      Ideal for any space constrained application

      If you're making a digital sign or a wall mounted kiosk in a mall, you could literally screw this little beast to the back of the unit (or inside) and no one would ever know it's there.

      The size does make all the difference in the world when you want the computer out of sight/out of mind and space is a luxury you don't have.

      It doesn't appear this device was ever meant for home use or a replacement for blade servers.
    9. Re:What niche by Judg3 · · Score: 2

      That's true, but it would be close to impossible to get enough power to those machines in a rack. Where I was, just using 1u Proliants it was real tough to get them all to fit in one rack. We had to rewire everything.
      And, AFAIK, the blade servers have a big box that supplies power to the entire rack, so you don't have to have 1 circuit for each blade, whereas you would need to do that if you tried to cluster these guys.

      --
      Looking for hardware (Currently need: Large Etch-a-Sketch) Have one? See my journal!
    10. Re:What niche by LinuxHam · · Score: 2

      As soon as I saw it, I immediately thought "that's what I need for in-car MP3". It seems like this thing could fit behind a 5" LCD screen a-la dashpc.com.

      Most importantly, it's powered by 12V. That makes a huge difference when considering in-car PCs.

      --
      Intelligent Life on Earth
    11. Re:What niche by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 2
      "This isn't a troll, but what exactly is the niche?"

      The niche is CPU Power per space area. If you go read the NVidia and ATI interviews that were linked to from slashdot a while back, (I think they were fron AnandTech) you will read a part where they talk about how NVidia loves those U2 racks because they provide amazing horsepower per space numbers.

      Aha, here's the link! Look at the bottom of the page to read about performance density.

      When you are doing huge computational feats, the cost of renting an extra warehouse or two to hold the computers is a cost that should ideally be avoided.

    12. Re:What niche by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OK then, imagine a Paradyn cluster of these...

    13. Re:What niche by Cloud+9 · · Score: 2
      Most importantly, it's powered by 12V. That makes a huge difference when considering in-car PCs

      My thoughts exactly. However, as another poster mentioned previously, a VIA Epia M-based system would end up a lot cheaper, and a lot more customizable, even considering the need for a power inverter.

      Hell, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to build one of these in an external cd-rom drive case or something, with the exception of power handling, and for a fraction of the price.

      --
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  16. Why the CD ROM? by melonman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wouldn't it be about 3 times smaller if it didn't have the CD ROM? Then you could plug in a USB one when you need it, or share one CD between half a dozen units, or whatever.

    --
    Virtually serving coffee
    1. Re:Why the CD ROM? by Alethes · · Score: 3, Interesting

      According to the datasheet, the "Slim CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, CD-RW" is optional. I don't know if that means you have to pick one of those, however.

    2. Re:Why the CD ROM? by rootofevil · · Score: 1

      read again - the unit comes with a CDROM, you can upgrade to an optional DVD or CDRW drive for 50 or 100$ respectively.

      --
      turn up the jukebox and tell me a lie
    3. Re:Why the CD ROM? by bobsledbob · · Score: 1

      Not that it would be impossible to boot, but without the CD-ROM, it makes it more difficult. Can a USB CD-ROM be used to boot the machine? You'd have to have a boot prom on the ethernet card or attach a floppy/CD-ROM similar to a laptop.

      --
      Beware of geeks bearing formulas.
  17. Does by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it run linux?

  18. reasonably priced? by DarkHelmet · · Score: 2, Interesting
    At USD 995, it's reasonably priced too.

    1.0ghz for $1000? Where do you do your computer shopping? Macy's?

    Maybe it's me, but MORE POWERFUL, not smaller should dictate the expense of computer parts.

    You can put a 286 inside a wristwatch, it doesn't make it worth 5000 USD.

    Just my $.02

    --
    /^[A-Z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$/i
    1. Re:reasonably priced? by Toraz+Chryx · · Score: 1

      Pentium 1 level performance from a wristwatch would easily sell for $500 though, like an ubermicro PDA or something..

      playing DIVX movies on your wrist watch?.. it'll happen.. eventually!

    2. Re:reasonably priced? by YahoKa · · Score: 1

      You're right, but look what we pay for smaller and smaller laptops...

    3. Re:reasonably priced? by ThogScully · · Score: 5, Funny
      You can put a 286 inside a wristwatch, it doesn't make it worth 5000 USD.

      Imagine a Bluetooth beowulf cluster of these watches from the combined people walking around Times Square at any given moment.
      -N

      --
      I've nothing to say here...
    4. Re:reasonably priced? by caino59 · · Score: 1

      actually, im pretty sure that size, not only performance does indeed dictate price....

      take laptops, pda's, etc....

      although i do agree..this is a tad pricey, considering you can get machines that are only slightly bigger, yet more powerfull..

      caino

    5. Re:reasonably priced? by beckett · · Score: 5, Interesting

      miniaturization does carry a price, and people do pay more for small computers. This article illustrates the differences between the market that asks for speed, compared to the market that asks for good design.

      this computer is not powerful at all, but how much power would someone need for office chores? this is perfect for the office environment. good for anything that can't have a large bulky computer case lying around.

      I think it's laudable that mfgs. build different designs, especially smaller designs. i think that computers would be way more useful if they were designed for the purpose in mind, rather than simply cramming a hot running processor into the cheapest, ugliest box and calling it a "gaming machine". once people start thinking of computers like appliances rather than "OMG 3ghz box!" then we'll see a dramatic change in the way people use computers.

      Gradually, we'll see people become less concerned about raw speed and more at making computers actually fit your lifestyle, rather than the other way around.

    6. Re:reasonably priced? by Migraineman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Please take that "reasonably priced" comment in-context. You're paying a premium for something that's small. Yes, you can assemble a Flex-ATX system for about half the price, but it's also going to be six times the size. You wouldn't consider a $1500 laptop to be unreasonable, would you? You're paying for portability there, and willing to fork over the extra bucks because it has value to you.

    7. Re:reasonably priced? by Proc6 · · Score: 2, Informative
      http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/timessquare/

      If that is accurate at all, you're talking about 200 people or so. The 80286 ran at 25Mhz at the fastest, and did far less per clock cycle than any modern CPU, but giving both the benefit of the doubt. That would be what looks to be about 200 people times 20 Mhz, so 4 Ghz. Impressive. I think a dual Athlon 2000+ is $450 on Pricewatch. :P Sorry, I know you were making a point, but I couldn't help myself.

      --

      I'm Rick James with mod points biatch!

    8. Re:reasonably priced? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your two cents is an idiot.

    9. Re:reasonably priced? by Ryan+Amos · · Score: 2

      For some people, smaller is worth more than more powerful. You are obviously not one of them, so you're not part of their intended market. These things could be used in car stereos easily, for example. Try cramming your $500 commodity-part athlon system in a car dash. Besides, this is actually a very feature-rich offering. Hell, it has firewire, which is more than 90% of PCs out there.

    10. Re:reasonably priced? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      You've just described what we call an Apple. Sounds like it's time for you to buy one?

    11. Re:reasonably priced? by len_harms · · Score: 1

      Maybe for your gamming machine it is. BUT look at what else that company makes. Mostly rackmount things. A 10 bay case would be a HELL of a lot cheaper than a rack that can hold 10 1U computers. Also they see their market willing to PAY 1000. For what would be a 400 dollar computer, if it was a tad bigger. Also they are probably using fairly off the shelf things. About the only kind of parts that would fit in that form factor would be laptop parts. Last I looked those are fairly expensive.

      Also If more powerful was the only precluding factor in this we would all still be using computers that are ACRES in size. Miniaturization is the one thing that has helped drive down cost, increased margins, and brought us the desktop we have today. Why do you think price drops whenever a CPU manufacture does a die shrink? You think they do it because they feel like it? No they can get closer to marginal revinue equals marginal cost. For the same price they can produce N more chips. To them they make about the same amount. There is such a thing as to much profit. You actually fight yourself when making more money.

      If the only thing you look at is the CPU for what you do your looking at the wrong thing. Think if memory ran at the same speed as the CPU. A 3ghz cpu with memory able to feed at that rate. You would see a computer that BLEW away anything on the market currently. What if your bus was just 10mhz faster? Or even better ran at the same speed as your CPU? The computer is a system of parts. Not just a CPU. We are not going to get that sort of thing with the size of computers we have today. The memory will need to be MUCH closer to the CPU. The bus will need to be MUCH shorter. Devices will need to have higher tolarances. Miniaturization helps with alot of these types of things. It also brings in its own set of problems. But overall making it smaller has helped. That little speed of light thing is such a drag isnt it!

    12. Re:reasonably priced? by beckett · · Score: 2

      i did. i'm typing this from a 700mhz ibook (:

    13. Re:reasonably priced? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would he have to justify it? It's a great machine. Just because you can't afford one on your Taco Bell salary doesn't mean he should have to deny himself the pleasure of owning a nice computer.

    14. Re:reasonably priced? by styles_mcgruff · · Score: 1
      Imagine a Bluetooth beowulf cluster of these watches from the combined people walking around Times Square at any given moment.
      In Soviet Russia, you don't imagine the beowulf cluster. It imagines you.
    15. Re:reasonably priced? by mab · · Score: 1

      No but I'm also buying a LCD monitor, Keyboard and a battery or two.

    16. Re:reasonably priced? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fuck Apple. Proprietary hardware can suck a dick. Why is it bad when microsofts software is proprietary but Apple is all cool and lovable with their proprietary hardware?

    17. Re:reasonably priced? by ThogScully · · Score: 2

      +5 Funny? I was at least half serious. I think that kind of cluster could be very cool one day.
      -N

      --
      I've nothing to say here...
    18. Re:reasonably priced? by Cloud+9 · · Score: 2

      Relating that to fitting your lifestyle, does that make you a woman, or gay?

      --
      Karma: Dyn-o-mite!(mostly affected by Jimmy Walker reading your comments)
    19. Re:reasonably priced? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, shit eats you and dies!

  19. Re:but? by MattCohn.com · · Score: 0

    Read the PDF...

    Base Unit Price $995.00 USD
    Intel Pentium III, 1.0Ghz CPU, 256KB second level cache
    256MB SDRAM, PC133 onboard
    20GB IDE Hard Disk Drive, 2.5" Internal, High Shock
    24X CD-Rom, IDE, Slim style installed
    Chipset Intel® 815EG North, I/O: Intel® Hub 2 (South)
    Video On Board (DB15) SVGA, 2D/3D
    1x -Serial RS-232,
    2x -PS/2 for Keyboard and Mouse
    3x -USB Ports, 1-front, 2-rear
    1x -Firewire, IEEE-1394, Lucent FW323 Chipset, 400Mb transfer rate
    1x -Ethernet Port, Intel 82562ET 10/ 100 LAN controller, RJ-45 connector
    1x -Parallel Port
    Power on, reset buttons with power On and HDD LED's
    Audio Software AC 97 Audio CODEC, 1-line-in, 1-Mic-out, 1-Earphone
    +12VDC input, c/w AC Adapter 100~240 Volts AC Input, 12VDC @5A output
    Weight: 3.0 lbs. (Depending on configuration)
    Dimensions: 10" x 5.7 " x 1.6" (254mm x 145mm x 41mm ) L x W x H
    Chassis Design: Ultra light extruded Aluminum
    Power management ACPI and OS direct Wake-on event: RTC/USBKeyboard/Modem/LAN/Keyboard/Mouse
    Optional , O/S, DVD/CDRW, Mounting Bracket
    1 Year Warranty

  20. This isn't too new of an idea =) by nekdut · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Cappucino TX-3 has had similar or even better specs for quite a while now, and its pretty similar in size:

    -Intel 815 motherboard
    -1.2 Ghz Intel Pentium III processor
    -512MB 144-pin PC133 RAM
    -30 GB internal hard drive
    -Your choice of 24x CD-ROM, 8x DVD-ROM, or 8x/8x/24x/8x DVD/CD-RW combo drive
    -Built-in 10/100 base-T ethernet (RJ45)
    -Internal 56K V.90 modem
    -Four USB ports (USB 1.1)
    -Two FireWire ports (IEEE 1394)
    -No operating system installed.
    -All standard I/O ports built-in
    -Dimensions: 6" x 5.75" x 2.25"
    -Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year

    Also, CappucinoPC have the Mocha P4 machine which is slightly bigger and has specs rivaling current fully loaded computers.

    Check out these links:

    Cappucino TX-3 at Thinkgeek
    Mocha P4 at Cappucinopc.com
    A review of what appears to be the Mocha at Tomshardware

    1. Re:This isn't too new of an idea =) by zaqattack911 · · Score: 3, Funny

      They better watch it with the coffee analogys or Sun might sue :)

    2. Re:This isn't too new of an idea =) by CableModemSniper · · Score: 2, Funny

      Thats ok they can just switch to a food analogy, they could call them...I dunno pizza boxes? Hmm...why does that sound familiar? :)

      --
      Why not fork?
    3. Re:This isn't too new of an idea =) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A company called
      <A HREF="http://www.advantech.com">Advantech</A&gt ; has been doing this same sort of thing for some time.

    4. Re:This isn't too new of an idea =) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I suppose the biggest concern with these tiny computers is heat. Processors also are progressively getting smaller... this is supposedly reducing the heat production on the chips (relative to if they were larger and running at the same speed)...

      Cases, unfortunately, aren't as forgiving... I'd like to see the smaller, quieter, and more efficient heat controlling system. CPU water cooler systems are nice, but they require significant real-estate. Heatsink / Fan combos are also nice, but they require a good air-flow pattern (and spit out a nice amount of heat from an exhaust of the machine)...

      My CPU fan makes my computer sound like a mack truck. The water cooling system sounds like a good alternative but currently costs way too much... My CPU only cost a couple of hundred dollars... C'mon! How much am I supposed to pay to cool it?!?

      Heck, I'd be happier if someone actually DID make an "ultra-quiet" CPU fan... not talking about slowing down the speed of the fan with technology, but actually making it more of a muffled sound without killing it's specs and making it useless.

      Most fans for modern processors run at like 30 db at over 6000 RPM! That's a lot of noise... most case fans, by comparison, run at a relative whisper (and prolly much lower RPM). All this thing does is push air! Why all the noise?

    5. Re:This isn't too new of an idea =) by Jasin+Natael · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but the CappucinoPC isn't designed for ubergeeks to build into the dashboards of their cars!!! I think putting one of these in, and covering it with a flip-down 7" widescreen LCD would be the coolest in-car mod ever!

      I wonder if they make "Intel Inside" bumperstickers... Maybe I could even find an electroluminescent hood ornament like I've seen on those little Hondas and Toyotas...

      --
      True science means that when you re-evaluate the evidence, you re-evaluate your faith.
    6. Re:This isn't too new of an idea =) by Yottabyte84 · · Score: 2

      http://www.zalmanusa.com

      I have a CNPS6000-Cu, it's very quiet, and cools great. I highly reccomend it.

  21. Impressive by shoemakc · · Score: 2


    Honestly, this is really, really impressive. I can't even visualize how one would fit the cdrom tray, cpu, chipset and hard drive in a box that small, even using mobile componants on custom boards. And don't forget the heatsinks needed for a fanless sealed design like this.

    Yes, very impressive indeed.

    -Chris

    --
    --an unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys--
    1. Re:Impressive by sonny317 · · Score: 2

      Look carefully at the dimensions listed on the website (10" x 5.7" x 1.6") -- This thing is compact, but its not *that* small.

      The Cappuccino TX-3 mentioned in an earlier post is (6" x 5.75" x 2.25") by comparisson, which, while only .65" taller, is a whopping 4" shorter (ie. more parts are stacked vertically in the Cappuccino versus laid out horizontally in the LittlePC).

      I've been looking for a small PC for an automotive application, and since it doesn't specifically have to fit inside a PC drive slot, I would buy a TX-3 over the LittlePC anyday.


  22. RTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You clot!

  23. This would be good for by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Stuff like distrubuted.net. Im assuming that a 1ghz will do 3million keys/sec (based on my experiences). so I can shove in 4 in my case and have 12 million keys per sec! Combined with my other pcs, I could do 20 million keys a sec. ;)

    1. Re:This would be good for by Toraz+Chryx · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Or you could just buy a Powermac and get that level of performance ;)

      (seriously, RC5 LOVES Altivec... or vice versa)

    2. Re:This would be good for by Toraz+Chryx · · Score: 1

      oh comeon mods, RC5 _does_ do incredibly well on RC5......

      ffs.

    3. Re:This would be good for by Toraz+Chryx · · Score: 1

      That post should of course have said "the G4 does do incredibly well on RC5"

      Why buy like five machines to run RC5 on when you can buy _one_ and have a nice desktop machine at the same time?.. really...

    4. Re:This would be good for by TheOnlyCoolTim · · Score: 2

      Wow! Totally waste your time FOUR TIMES AS FAST!

      Tim

      --
      Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
  24. Slashvertisment? by I+Am+The+Owl · · Score: 5, Funny

    All you're missing are links to this product as seen on ThinkGeek.

    --

    --sdem
    1. Re:Slashvertisment? by Migraineman · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, I stumbled across this product while looking for a 1U rack-mountable chassis. I checked the date on the PDF file, and searched /. looking for previous posts. Finding none, I wrote the story. My company has an application for something like this, and we're probably going to purchase a few. I hadn't heard of this product until today. We'd seen the Briq a while ago, liked it, but couldn't use the PPC architecture.

    2. Re:Slashvertisment? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i think this is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Stop whining.

  25. Who's going to be buying these? by rice_web · · Score: 1

    I guess the one question that hit me first, was who is going to buy these? Well, there are a few key markets, including: /. users, corporations looking to save desk space, and upper-class Joe Schmoe. The key for this computer is going to be the corporate market, as companies go for space saving, energy saving designs to increase desk space for their employees as well as take a chunk out of their power bill. The extra cost for this machine to be compressed into such a small form factor is nothing in comparison to the total savings that would be possible with low-power-consumption computing.

    --
    The Political Programmer
    1. Re:Who's going to be buying these? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      RTFA, the idea is that we can shove these in our pcs and use them as coprocessing devices, eg i can run a server on the brick while being able to use the main pc as a gaming machine!

    2. Re:Who's going to be buying these? by rice_web · · Score: 1

      I took a look at their site, and I can't see how well that'd work. I'm sure it could be done, but any idea as to how feasible that would be? What about extra cooling measures?

      --
      The Political Programmer
    3. Re:Who's going to be buying these? by Maditude · · Score: 2

      I guess the one question that hit me first, was who is going to buy these?

      Well, I might... My wife's folks have just retired (and become Wisconsin/Florida snowbirds), and have finally expressed an interest in getting a computer. Something nice and small like this would be a snap to carry back and forth. Although, at this $1000 price, I think a laptop would make more sense.

    4. Re:Who's going to be buying these? by shepd · · Score: 2, Insightful

      There's another reason this will be popular.

      Security. I can't see locking this thing down being very hard at all...

      --
      If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
    5. Re:Who's going to be buying these? by Atzanteol · · Score: 2

      Not all computers are used for desktop applications. This probably fills some niche for small hardware, adequate speed (kiosks come to mind).

      --
      "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"

      - Charles Darwin
    6. Re:Who's going to be buying these? by The-Perl-CD-Bookshel · · Score: 1

      Easier to lock down, yes, but once it is unlocked it is VERY easy to steal. If you saw someone walking out of your office with a desktop you would probably ask questions. However, if you saw someone walking around with what looks like a cd-rom, you would let it slide.

      --
      I don't keep a lid on my coffee so when I walk around I look busy -me
  26. These would go great.. by Space+Coyote · · Score: 1, Troll

    .. inside my powermac ;)

    --
    ___
    Cogito cogito, ergo cogito sum.
    1. Re:These would go great.. by Toraz+Chryx · · Score: 1

      Run linux (or FreeBSD) on the P3 and OSX on the mac, and remotely login to the X server (not to be confused with an Xserve) on the P3 from OSX?..

      that could be kinda groovy actually...

    2. Re:These would go great.. by rice_web · · Score: 1

      Actually, that would be great if you could somehow fit it inside of there. It might prove fairly difficult, especially on the new MDD PowerMacs. But, I would consider installing one if I needed a PC for some applications and a Mac for others.

      --
      The Political Programmer
    3. Re:These would go great.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't the Mac just have one 5 1/4? If so, wouldn't that be kind of a bitch?

    4. Re:These would go great.. by Hadlock · · Score: 1

      or run winxp, or your x86 OS of choice, and then VNC into it from OS X.

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
    5. Re:These would go great.. by jcenters · · Score: 1

      Actually, this could mean the best of both worlds for a Mac user. Mac OS X goodness without losing Windows compatibility.

      Just network the two together and access the windows box with VNC.

      --

      vi ~/.emacs

    6. Re:These would go great.. by nelsonal · · Score: 1

      Sounds a lot like Sun's PCI systems, they are a PCI card that you can plug into your sun workstation, so run Windows on it without emulation. They always seemed like a pretty cool idea to me.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
    7. Re:These would go great.. by SpaceJunkie · · Score: 1

      I used to use one at work once- a K6-3 based one(things have moved on)... I wonder if you can get them to work with a standard PC's PCI bus? That would rock...

      --
      OrionRobots.co.uk - Robots From sol
  27. Why this is useless by 403Forbidden · · Score: 2

    Everybody is saying how a nice "beowulf" cluster of these could be made in say... a full tower, but what you're missing is that all the IO ports are on the back, this may be more practical as a standalone system...

    You would need another open bay just to run all the I/O wires! That, coupled with the fact that a vent seems to be places on the top makes this seem to be a "PC the size of a cd-rom drive bay" rather than a "PC that goes into a cd-rom drive bay"

    Also there seems to be no place for mounting rails, but that can be solved with a little krazy glue or duck tape :)

    1. Re:Why this is useless by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Duck tape? Is that what you use when hardware goes afoul?

    2. Re:Why this is useless by 403Forbidden · · Score: 2

      "duck tape" is a brand name form of "duct tape" made by Manco and is the most used kind.

  28. Anything with two interfaces by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are there any small systems like this that have two network interfaces. Basically I am thinking small self contained firewall. Preferably with no hard drive. Either boot from cd or be network bootable.
    An ideal configuration would be a PDA with two network interfaces and could be used with Linux.

    Any suggestions.

    1. Re:Anything with two interfaces by swg101 · · Score: 1

      This may be something like what you are looking for. It has 3 10/100 ports, runs linux from HD or Compact flash, and is completely self contained. The site also caries other small systems.

      --
      Like pi? Try 10,000 digits.
  29. Compare the Xserve to this thing by atari2600 · · Score: 0, Troll


    Dual 1 GHz PowerPC G4

    256K L2 cache & 2MB L3 cache
    per processor

    512MB DDR SDRAM @ 266MHz

    60GB Apple Drive Module

    CD-ROM drive

    ATI Graphics Card

    Dual Gigabit Ethernet

    Two USB ports

    Three FireWire ports

    A quote from the Apple Datasheet for the Xserve:

    The new Xserve offers phenomenal value, packing robust server features and exceptional
    storage scalability into a high-density 1U enclosure. With dual 1GHz PowerPC G4 processors3
    and Double Data Rate (DDR) memory, it's equipped for the most demanding computing environments.
    Xserve also delivers up to 533MB/s throughput for high-performance networking and storage systems thanks to a 64-bit, 66MHz PCI bus. And dual Gigabit Ethernet ensures tremendous networking bandwidth and deployment flexibility. While the competition is still using Pentium III processors in 1U enclosures, Xserve crunches data at up to 15 billion floating point
    operations per second.

    Sure it costs 4x more but then it looks better doesn't it?

    1. Re:Compare the Xserve to this thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://www.dvformat.com/2002/11_nov/reviews/cw_mac vspciii.htm

    2. Re:Compare the Xserve to this thing by Nemith · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Great comparison. While we're at it lets compare my gremilin with a ferrari.

      Sure it costs 10x more but then it looks better doesn't it?

      This post should be modded down as troll. While the post above this one ("I'd love one of these... in my power mac") was modded down as a troll athough it would be a great idea. Put a pc in mac, and have the best of both worlds in the same form factor.

    3. Re:Compare the Xserve to this thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're right, you are a troll. Not only in here but also in #slackware. =P

    4. Re:Compare the Xserve to this thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      suck your dick you motherfucker. Apples rule your wife's tits you retarded mofo

  30. Pocket PC by DrMetallica · · Score: 0

    They need to make it have a colour LCD screen on top and have some buttons like "A, B, START, SELECT" and maybe "R1, L1" so we can play our game boy games. Its almost as small as a gameboy, and darn near as fast.

  31. One for my car, please by whterbt · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This would be a great thing to install in your dashboard. You could have a self-contained computer that works as a GPS moving map (connect the GPS antenna to the USB port), CD/DVD player, MP3 player, game system, wireless internet, and so forth. You'd just need to pick up an LCD screen to go with it.

    Not that I'm advocating people typing email messages or playing UT while driving -- they're distracted enough as it is. But this would be great for the passengers, especially on road trips!

    --
    Too late to be known as Bush the First, he's sure to be known as Bush the Worst.
    1. Re:One for my car, please by ThogScully · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I agree - my car is definitely a place I'd see a great deal of usage from a computer. Certainly, there are going to be stupid people who can't drive well enough to begin with browsing the web while driving if this becomes popular, but you can never avoid stupid people doing the stupidest things.

      While browsing the web while driving may be a bad idea, the multimedia possibilities for this are great.
      -N

      --
      I've nothing to say here...
    2. Re:One for my car, please by Ralph+Wiggam · · Score: 2

      A good friend of mine wasn't 'leet enough to have a full PC, but he did have an LCD screen, DVD Player and Gamecube in his front seat. We used to play Smash Brothers and Monkey Ball in drive thrus and in Chicago traffic. Being able to do something fun while the employees at Steak & Shake take their sweet time is so damn great. He used to watch movies on the interstate, but I can't recommend that.

      -B

    3. Re:One for my car, please by HoneyBunchesOfGoats · · Score: 1

      I can picture someone modding the dash of their car to fit one of these, plus a small LCD panel (and maybe a fold-out keyboard where the glovebox used to be?). Then route your A/C to its cooling vent and overclock!

      Seriously, that's not actually a bad idea, especially if it had some sort of dock that would allow you to swap it in and out of your car easily. Maybe take some pictures/dv video, walk over to the car, download it all, go take some more.

      I agree, not for everyone, but not without a use. If only I had the money/reason to justify a third computer...

    4. Re:One for my car, please by nolife · · Score: 1

      Back in the mid 80's I had a 5in Sony color TV mounted under the dash in my car (it fit perfectly and was angled correctly also). No VCR but I did have an Atari in it. Used to play it before school in the parking lot. Local channel 6 was NBC and you could pick up the audio part way down the lower end of the FM dial on the car stereo. Wasn't actually in stereo but it added a slight wow factor.

      --
      Bad boys rape our young girls but Violet gives willingly.
    5. Re:One for my car, please by innerlimit · · Score: 1

      browsing the web while driving isn't that dangerous i guess if you're stuck in traffic.

      if more people browsed webpages on the go, that whole css & speak stylesheet would become more popular.

    6. Re:One for my car, please by merlin_jim · · Score: 3, Interesting

      When the Eden first came out, that's EXACTLY what I did.

      EPIA 800 MHz. 5.6" LCD screen (TV resolution, but who cares?) 4GB IBM Travelstar. DVD Drive. GPS. MP3. Wireless/Wired network. 7" acrylic cube case. Built in mouse, infrared remote, flexible/indestructible keyboard.

      Then I drove to Peoria Illinois on July 17, and back on July 22. Anyone else who was in Peoria that weekend give me a shout cause I got MCL. It's about a 16 hour drive for me. The passengers loved it, I loved it. Never bored.

      The only thing I've used it for since is to show some friends some music videos I downloaded off the net at concerts.

      Now, I don't consider it exactly wasted because the computer itself is portable, and very convenient as a portable DVD player as well as computing device. And the LCD is mostly portable. One bolt and it's out of the car. And I've got a tripod I can screw it onto, and a 12V power supply. Since I do digital mixing live for parties, it's been a great help. No more dragging around a huge monitor everywhere.

      Point being, it hasn't been used in my car except on a roadtrip. The week after I built it when I was still all excited about it. There are two primary issues:

      1. It's not permanently wired. It takes some work to wire it in. And I don't always have the time to wire it in when I bring it out from my house or a gig or a friend's house or whatever. I plan on fixing that with a cradle. I only use about 20 wires when it's in the car (mouse+keyboard+gps = 5-wire USB port, video = 2-wire RCA, audio out = 3-wire stereo headphone jack, infrared = 9-wire RS232, power = 2-wire DC), and I'm basically just gonna hook all those up to a centronics connector and that should solve that problem.

      2. Usability. It's not incredibly useable. First off, it's not instant on which is a problem. I can mostly fix that, but not all the way. The user input isn't unified. You use a combination of mouse and IR remote commands to control everything. The main problem there is I have a few different pieces of software. Hopefully Windows Media Player 9 will get slightly better support for DVD and I can use that. Then all I gotta do is get a better remote. My IR software is learning, so it works with any remote. I just gotta get one with all the buttons I need. Easier said than done, and if you're a computer or remote control manufacturer and you want my advice, feel free to contact me with regard to this. The short is I'm gonna ditch the Windows Explorer interface and use Windows Media Player as the primary interface to interact with the computer, and wire that up to be controlled in toto by a remote control.

      So, if you're planning on building a car computer make sure that those two issues are covered. BTW, a keyboard on the dash doesn't work so don't even think about it. My only other advice is install a seperate lighter socket for it if you're gonna power it off that and not permanently wire it in. Whether you wire it in or not, put in a relay. You want that power off when the car is off. Even in standby mode (computer Instant-Off, LCD in standby) it sucks down a battery in a couple hours without the alternator on. Hard drives are cheap. Car batteries/electrical systems are not. Plus, your car will run without a hard drive. It won't run without a battery.

      --
      I am disrespectful to dirt! Can you see that I am serious?!
  32. barebones version by narada · · Score: 5, Informative

    You can get the barebones version of this computer from caseoutlet (http://www.caseoutlet.com/NWPc/Sumi/Sumi.html) for significantly less (about $330 to be specific). it you put a via c3, which can be passively cooled, you have a ultra small, super silent puter. of course, you'd probably be better off getting one of the new via epia m mother boards and putting it in a custom case; it end up being about the same size, cost less, and offer more (usb 2.0, tv out, etc).

    1. Re:barebones version by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The real feat here is that it's powered by a 12V-only external power supply. Those things don't need active cooling. An Epia motherboard and a case with the required DC-DC board is larger and not much cheaper than this.

    2. Re:barebones version by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can also buy a Shuttle and gut it for parts. More performance for less money.

  33. DO NOT CLICK PARENTS URL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And mod accordingly.

    1. Re:DO NOT CLICK PARENTS URL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why not?

  34. How about we repeat the original post yet again... by Catskul · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Similar to the PPC-based Briq, the folks at Stealth Computer have introduced an Intel-based PC that's built into a 5.25" CD-ROM-sized enclosure. It's got a 1.0GHz P3, 256M RAM, 20G HD, 10/100 eth, CD-ROM, USB, FireWire, video, and sound. At USD 995, it's reasonably priced too. You could put three of 'em on a 1U rackmount shelf, or stuff several into a mid-tower and build your own desktop cluster. A summary datasheet is here. Very cool.

    --

    Im not here now... Im out KILLING pepperoni
  35. Imagine. by halftrack · · Score: 2, Funny

    Try imagining _not_ imagining a beowolf cluster of these.

    --
    Look a monkey!
  36. Better not rack-mount it by phr2 · · Score: 2

    Looking at the picture there's a big cooling vent on the top. Putting it on a 1U rackmount shelf with another shelf directly above it would kill the airflow and probably melt the thing down. Other than that, cute idea. They really should have put the fan in the back, using a cooler-running (slower) CPU if need be. Oh well.

    1. Re:Better not rack-mount it by Wiseazz · · Score: 1

      The site did mention that a fanless version using a celeron chip was available. I would expect them to cool it much like a laptop.

      --
      My sig sucks.
  37. A computer within a computer... by Cyno01 · · Score: 2, Funny

    so when will i be able to put this inside my case, and then a smaller pc inside it and... ow, my brain.

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  38. Humour imparied.... by jonr · · Score: 1

    Not the CD rom on that computer but on your computer... hardy har har...

    1. Re:Humour imparied.... by coryboehne · · Score: 5, Funny

      So, let me guess, this is made by a company in

      SOVIET RUSSIA

      In Soviet Russia the computer goes into the CD-ROM....

    2. Re:Humour imparied.... by Zemran · · Score: 2

      That's right... and there CD ROM drives take up the tower case.

      --
      I love stacking my barbecues in the shed at the end of summer - you can't beat a bit of grill on grill action.
  39. USD 995 by Caractacus+Potts · · Score: 2

    Oh, I get it. That means $995, doesn't it? Maybe I'm behind the times, but I glazed over the "USD 995" part of the article as if it had no meaning other than maybe a part number or something. I'm not trying to flame here, but I would have saved several minutes of my life if the article had said $995 or US $995 or $995 (US). Instead, I sat there going "This is cool, but I wonder what it costs."

    1. Re:USD 995 by KieranElby · · Score: 2, Informative

      Tsk. Haven't you heard? We're all using ISO 4217 nowadays.

      Seriously though, the article makes no mention of where Stealth Computers are based, so that $995 could (with varying degrees of credulity) have been Australian, Canadian or Tuvalu Dollars.

    2. Re:USD 995 by keldog728 · · Score: 1

      you're not the only one...

    3. Re:USD 995 by Migraineman · · Score: 1

      My apologies. I've dealt with enough business outside of the US that I've gotten in the habit of not using "$", because I got tired of explaining that I meant US "$" and not Canadian, Australian, etc, etc.

    4. Re:USD 995 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      that's pretty funny, considering that probably everyone outside of the US new what was meant :)

    5. Re:USD 995 by the+grace+of+R'hllor · · Score: 2

      Being a furriner to the US myself (Dutch), I am quite used to seeing USD, CAD and AUD, mainly because CAD and AUD is what I buy my DVDs in.

      Though for the US I tend to use $, or US$ if the type of dollar could be in doubt. Can't we just settle on US$, CA$ and AU$?

    6. Re:USD 995 by ari_j · · Score: 3, Funny

      How about the following:

      US Dollars --> $
      Canadian Dollars --> 2/3$
      Australian Dollars --> 1/$

    7. Re:USD 995 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      that's pretty funny, considering that probably everyone outside of the US new what was meant :)
      That's pretty funny, considering that probably everyone outside of the US knows how to speak better English than you do.
      "new" is not the same as "knew"
      Proofread, or stay awake in your high school classes. They'll help you get into college.

    8. Re:USD 995 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about not.

      Come on the joke is old. Sadly US currency used to be in the crapper too and the only jokes made about it were that it was inexpensive.

    9. Re:USD 995 by dermusikman · · Score: 1

      one advantage to the internet that so few people take advantage of is the "Small World" effect. read outside of your country, man. i don't mean that as a put-down, but it would be edifying. even if you're not multi-lingual, there's the whole British Commonwealth, India (English is an official language), and i find most of non-English Europe to offer English language options... get out there and experience the world! (including a world where USD is not de facto standard ;p)

  40. Cool ? by Catskul · · Score: 2
    1.0GHz P3....built into a 5.25" CD-ROM-sized enclosure....Very cool.
    I think not. Im guessing at that size its going to get quite warm very quickly

    --

    Im not here now... Im out KILLING pepperoni
  41. In the car? by Looke · · Score: 1

    I can easily imagine this in place of my car stereo. Not just for music, but also navigation etc. Just put on a specialized front panel and/or hook it up to a small touch screen on the dashboard. The CD/DVD player could be nice to keep, though. 12 V power should work quite well in cars.

  42. six words by dermusikman · · Score: 2, Funny

    Beowulf cluster in a server case!

  43. Obligatory Beowulf comment by jpt.d · · Score: 0, Redundant

    How about a Beowulf Cluster of these!!!

    --
    What we see depends on mainly what we look for. -- John Lubbock Now search for that bug slave!
  44. Perfect HTPC! by essell · · Score: 3, Interesting

    When I saw the pictures of this tiny little unit, I thought one thing: HTPC (That's Home Theater PC).

    It would be especially nice to fit these units with a DVD-Rom to make a compact home-brew DVD/PVR/Photo/Video Jukebox. Especially considering your video input options for the PVR portion: DV/Firewire, USB capture device... whatever.

    --
    i swear my userid used to be lower.
    1. Re:Perfect HTPC! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's what I thought when I first saw it. But is the video card up to it? Does the video output DVI?

  45. Re:In Soviet Russia.... by captainstupid · · Score: 2, Funny

    What brain dead retard modded this Troll?

    If you really really don't think it's funny, mod it overrated or something, not troll.

    In Soviet Russia, trolls moderate you!

    --
    "Anyway, long story short... is a phrase whose origins are complicated and rambling...." - Abraham Simpson
  46. Cool ideas... by BSOD+from+above · · Score: 1

    you could stack and overclock those babies if you were willing to store your rack in liquid nitrogen. Even better, you could make Superconducting Plutonium Pentium V chips and run the whole thing in a liquid helium bath. If space and performance are really such problems, this is the solution. Meantime...I will stick to maxitowers with huge power supplies and redundant cooling systems. If you really want small and expensive check out the wearable systems from Xybernaut

    --
    Karma: Censored (mostly affected by decency laws)
    1. Re:Cool ideas... by Artifex · · Score: 2
      Even better, you could make Superconducting Plutonium Pentium V [slashdot.org] chips and run the whole thing in a liquid helium bath


      Even better, Octium IVs!
      --
      Get off my launchpad!
  47. hmmmm by Vilim · · Score: 2, Funny

    so what is the melting point of siicon?

    --
    History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it - Sir Winston Churchill
    1. Re:hmmmm by Trusty+Penfold · · Score: 3, Informative

      1414 C

    2. Re:hmmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microchips use silicon oxide, though. SiO melts at 1702C. The problem is that the packaging melts first causing the whole thing to ignite! Ignition leads to magic smoke escape.

  48. ...record your mileage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Imagine it could also capture your gps info and mileage and various other car readings -- and could create pretty graphs for you while you drive. Better Mileage readouts... could rate your driving vs. other drivers, could rate your car's mileage vs. other people. Could do voice recognition and run the car's fm tuner by voice... you could dictate email to people while driving...

  49. How many computers can you fit in a computer case? by Webmonger · · Score: 2

    Let's see-- I've got 5 drive bays and 6 PCI slots. With PCI blade computers and these new puppies, I could theoretically have 12 (counting the normal one) computers in one case. Does this seem like overkill to anyone? Sure they're fun, but what are they for?

  50. TV inn/out? by PsychoKiller · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This doesn't have TV out, which would be nice for making a PVR box. Are there any USB TV in/out adapters (supported in Linux, natch) that could be used with this thing?

    1. Re:TV inn/out? by Hadlock · · Score: 1

      yes. i'm too lazy to google it for you though. sorry

      --
      moox. for a new generation.
  51. US995 is reasonable? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    for a PIII? What crack are you smoking? Will you buy my Celery-700 for $1000 please? www.pricewatch.com!

  52. Thanks by Migraineman · · Score: 1

    Thanks for the pointer to the barebones unit. I've been looking for a unit like this - consequently why I posted this article. The barebones unit may work better for my application, as I don't really need the CD-ROM drive. Hey looky! Slashdot is a technical resource, not just a place to bitch and flame and complain about spamming the spammers.

  53. And in case the parent post gets slashdotted... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    How about we repeat the original post yet again... (Score:2, Funny)
    by Catskul (323619) on Saturday December 07, @13:33 (#4833774)
    (http://www.personal.psu.edu/ajs372)

    Similar to the PPC-based Briq, the folks at Stealth Computer have introduced an Intel-based PC that's built into a 5.25" CD-ROM-sized enclosure. It's got a 1.0GHz P3, 256M RAM, 20G HD, 10/100 eth, CD-ROM, USB, FireWire, video, and sound. At USD 995, it's reasonably priced too. You could put three of 'em on a 1U rackmount shelf, or stuff several into a mid-tower and build your own desktop cluster. A summary datasheet is here. Very cool.
    --

    Im not here now... Im out KILLING pepperoni

  54. Re:Imagine.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Finally, I understand the Trinity! Thanks!

  55. Just one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    but the rest of the case is great for storing analog p0rn.

  56. This mini computer has done it for a while :^) by nesthigh · · Score: 2, Informative
    SUMICOM

    Super Mini computer barebone system . Features:

    * Super mini size 5.7" x 1.6" x 10"(WxHxD).
    * Accept PIII & Celeron Processor(Optional).
    * Ultra light extruded Aluminum body.
    * Two standard slim device space for Notebook
    CD-ROM & 2.5" 9MM HDD(Optional).
    * Heatsink/fan for CPU(included).

  57. imac wannabe by sickmtbnutcase · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Now all we need is a 15" or 17" flat-panel with a spot in its base for this little sucker to slide into and...tada...something like an imac. I could see some companies maybe wanting something like this: Low power consumption and if the monitor fails, you can just slap the pc into the base of a new monitor. Or easy monitor upgrades...harder to do that with an imac.

  58. Leet, leet, leet... by grub · · Score: 2


    If Moore's law keeps on going strong, I should be able to have rudimentary AI in my RealDoll by 2012 thanks to innovations like this!

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:Leet, leet, leet... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, you want to screw a retarded doll? wtf?

    2. Re:Leet, leet, leet... by Zeebs · · Score: 2, Funny

      You mean you want it to shoot you down like every other girl with half a brain :D

      --

      Happy Noodle Boy says "F###ing doughnut! Mock me? You fried cyclops!!"
    3. Re:Leet, leet, leet... by Artifex · · Score: 2
      If Moore's law keeps on going strong, I should be able to have rudimentary AI in my RealDoll [realdoll.com] by 2012 thanks to innovations like this!


      I'm not sure you want it able to go shopping on the internet while you're making use of its "peripherals."

      --
      Get off my launchpad!
    4. Re:Leet, leet, leet... by grub · · Score: 2, Funny


      So, you want to screw a retarded doll?

      When I want that I just put a blonde wig on the doll

      --
      Trolling is a art,
  59. yawwwwwwn.co.jp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    News for nerds that haven't been in Akihabara for a few months !

  60. where is this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    on the specs page it says Dimensions: 10" x 5.7" x 1.6"/i how's 5.7" going to fit into a 5.25" bay?

    unless i'm mistaken, this is either a pile of hooey or the link is wrong. i can't find anything else on that site that would make sense either.

    in any case, what's the point of making a tiny sized pc if you're going to put it into a bigger case anyway? why don't you just put little rubber feet on them and just stack them on top of each other? then you wouldn't have to worry about fitting it exactly into a 5.25" case.

  61. Nice but.. by grub · · Score: 5, Insightful


    As nice as these small units are, I'd like to see some wee machines built that stick in dual processors and a couple of 10/100/1000 NICs. No fancy 3D video, no firewire. Just beef to cluster together.

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:Nice but.. by prichardson · · Score: 1

      Try the X-Serve. Gigabit Ethernet, dual beefy G4's. 1U form factor. Pure genuine USDA approved Beef. Hey, when I first saw them I thought "Wow, Imagine a cluster of those!"

      --
      Help I'm a rock.
  62. Re:In Soviet Russia.... by josh+crawley · · Score: 1

    And how do the Soviets get you out?

    Doritos.

  63. Re:In Soviet Russia.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you look at the past comments for this user, I think you will agree that his posts and their subsequent moderation are proof that trolls own slashdot.

  64. Re:In Soviet Russia.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Probably the people who were actually alive when Yakov was doing his act.

    In Soviet Russia, KGB shoot you for posting such nonsense.

  65. INTEL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why intel? Seems like everyone using intel these days is just using the name as a marketing scheme. :-\

  66. *UPDATE* by nesthigh · · Score: 2, Informative

    I did a quick googling and came up with the manufacturer.

  67. Put it in your car by noitalever · · Score: 2, Insightful

    With the DVD option, and a some monitor creativity, you have a pretty cool car unit that is a full function computer, add a gps, play mp3's, dvd's, cd's, whatever... and it wouldn't take up a ton of space.

  68. I want a DVI connector by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Does anyone make something this portable that has a DVI connector in addition to VGA?

  69. Re:couldn't you do a via eden for $? by los+furtive · · Score: 1

    the idea is you have one of those, then these things in the drivebays :)

    Now you're talking!

    --

    I'm a writer, a poet, a genius, I know it. I don't buy software, I grow it.

  70. Re:In the COP car? by turtleshadow · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Ahem, apparently the company already has an idea of where these ought to go.
    "Stealth Computer Corporation is an ISO9001 Canadian owned and operated company with its headquarters in Woodbridge Ontario. Stealth continually develops innovative products designed to meet the exact needs of their clients. For over a decade Stealth products have been used in industrial, commercial, scientific, Government and military applications. Stealth enjoys an impressive customer list of Fortune 500's, Governments and Military's worldwide."
    Coming soon, to a law enforcment vehicle near you, the onboard highpower neato small computer which will make the time pass quickly as Officers of the Peace run your license plates, determine your horoscope sign and find out who was your Den Mother in cubscouts.

    Really nice tech; if mixed with GPS and GIS and a few other things you could have realtime tracking of where all the squad cars are located.
  71. Re:In Soviet Russia.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Disregarding the technicality that the Soviet Union ceased to exist before the advent of the 1GHz P3, what is that meant to mean?!!!

    Computers and internet cafe's do exist in Russia, you know!

  72. heh heh by Calaf · · Score: 1

    I also fit my powerful solution into tight little spaces. ;-)

  73. Find a ruler by Migraineman · · Score: 1

    Have you ever actually measured the outside of your CD-ROM drive? (Hint: it's not 5.25". Derivation is left as an exercize to the student.)

  74. Additional Network Ports by Migraineman · · Score: 1

    The manufacturer's link - here - was provided in an earlier response to this post. It describes a PC-104+ expansion port, and an optional daughterboard to add 3 more LAN ports. What does that mean? I dunno, it doesn't provide more detail than that ... So maybe you can dump the CD-ROM drive and shove in 3 additional LAN connections.

    1. Re:Additional Network Ports by grub · · Score: 3, Informative

      Hm, that's interesting but as a node in a mosix or beowulf cluster one doesn't need audio, firewire, usb or 3d video (I'd go another step and say "drop all onboard video and use a console port") Once all that extra real estate is freed up, another CPU might fit in well without all the costs associated with the extraneous crud I mention above.
      Not that I don't think firewire etc is nice, I do, but on a cluster its just more circuits to potentially fail.

      --
      Trolling is a art,
  75. Firewall opportunity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Great firewall box that could be seperate from your workstation... connect it via firewire to your workstation and the ethernet goes to the outside world.

  76. Picture of the CD-ROM PC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    does it look like this one ?

    1. Re:Picture of the CD-ROM PC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Looks great! And when it's fried you can just hit the eject button and load another one!

    2. Re:Picture of the CD-ROM PC by spazoid12 · · Score: 1

      No, not at all. Your picture looks like a regular network hub stuffed into an old CDROM case. The thing mentioned in this article is a computer, and CDROM drive, in a CDROM case.

    3. Re:Picture of the CD-ROM PC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      a network hub with a usb port?

    4. Re:Picture of the CD-ROM PC by spazoid12 · · Score: 1

      poster said "does it look like this one

      I replied "it looks like ..."

      so you mention the USB ports. In the picture is also an eject button that would seem to do nothing, and a couple of holes in the case that seem to do nothing. This picture doesn't tell us anything. It doesn't suggest it's a computer stuffed into a CDROM case. It suggests that various spare parts and some working LEDs were. I'd find it more ineteresting if there were some words there...that's all I'm saying.

  77. Their motto (not joking) is: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "We fit powerful solutions in tight little spaces."

    Sigh...

  78. RTFA Dude by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Ideal for Digital Sign, Kiosk, Mobile & Control Apps

    In other words: Imagine that you are building a display for a trade show, that has interactive slide shows via flash, or Star Impress. Your slide show is pretty you want the hardware to be invisible. You could use a standard, cheap 17" tower case but that would lack pizzaz. Spending a extra few hundred dollars to get a nice looking could be money well spent if it leads to a better looking kiosk. (Part of the fun of going to trade shows is having a budget to spend lots of money and talk to people, all on the company's dime.)

  79. case mod by spazoid12 · · Score: 1

    So, how long until we see a mod at pimprig.com showing a mid-tower Lian Li with a window...showing that the mid-tower is empty except for a slightly strange looking CDROM drive.

  80. Why did I buy a laptop? by Pedrito · · Score: 2

    I could get one of these, a 15" flat panel screen, keyboard and mouse, and be more comfortable, and it could all fit in my laptop case. Don't get me wrong, I like my laptop, as laptops go. I haul a full-sized USB keyboard around sometimes since I type better with it. I just think this may be a better set-up.

    1. Re:Why did I buy a laptop? by yomegaman · · Score: 1

      Does your laptop case have room for a car battery to power all of that stuff? :-)

      --
      ...wearing a skin-tight topless leather jumpsuit, with cutaway buttocks and transparent crotch panel.
  81. Re:How many computers can you fit in a computer ca by jaaron · · Score: 2

    Hey, I've been trying to find some info on those PCI blade computers. I remember and ad in Linux Journal for them a couple of months ago. Anyone have a link or two about these things?

    --
    Who said Freedom was Fair?
  82. My dream machine. by jericho4.0 · · Score: 2
    I can see the usefulness of this device, but it's price performace ratio is not quite what I want.

    I would love to have something about this size, with USB, two 100mb ethernet ports, netboot in prom, 128 to 512 megs of RAM, a gig of hard drive and about the performance of a 300 MHz PIII. A G3 would be nice for the power requirements. That's it. It seems like you could do it cheaply.

    Anyone know of something like this??

    --
    "A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming, is not worth knowing" - Alan Perlis
    1. Re:My dream machine. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes something like that the size of a 3.5" hdd certainly exists...

      667mhz Via Eden ESP6000, Dual 10/100, compact flash socket (so you can go for turely fanless and no moving parts computer, together with a fanless powersupply 65watts is already alot more than it will ever need) your probably looking at around say USD270-300 without ram/hdd/case... in any case, what you are after does exist... if you want a NS Geode based processor (no idea why anyone would :D ) then the price is probably a bit lower :D

      yujen

    2. Re:My dream machine. by mousse-man · · Score: 1

      Hmmm...one GB ethernet port would be way enough...if we just had Citrix for Linux, or could make Solaris run on that - it would be my dream....get rid of Windoze Citrix boxen.

    3. Re:My dream machine. by jericho4.0 · · Score: 2

      I want two so I could use it as a firewall/router/NAT type thingy.

      --
      "A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming, is not worth knowing" - Alan Perlis
  83. The LPC-301 is better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ok so it's not black, and doesn't look as cool, but it's got a CD-ROM and LAN

    LPC-301

  84. Showing my age... by daVinci1980 · · Score: 2

    ...In my day, they were called drive bays, as in floppy drive bays. :-)

    --
    I currently have no clever signature witicism to add here.
    1. Re:Showing my age... by Migraineman · · Score: 1

      I'd thought about just using the term "drive bay," but I didn't want to incite a flame war with people thinking that it'd fit in the 3.5" floppy space. Calling it a CD-ROM bay seemed much less subject to interpretation. Now if the next generation device displaces a 3.5" floppy, I'll be really impressed.

    2. Re:Showing my age... by RevMike · · Score: 1

      Half Height or Full Height? And is there an expansion chasis available? (Still has an IBM PC XT somewhere in Mom's basement with 2 half height 360k floppies and a 20 Meg Seagate ST220 hard drive)

  85. Wow! by DarthWing · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now THAT'S what I call a cupholder! (ducks)

  86. Hmmm... by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 1, Funny

    I'd like to see a beowulf cluster of those; it would be easy to do!!!

  87. Re:How many computers can you fit in a computer ca by pseudochaotic · · Score: 0

    That sounds like a great way to set fire to your house.

    --
    And the l33t shall inherit the 34r7h.
  88. More important question by Guppy06 · · Score: 2

    Where will I put my 5.25" floppy drive?

  89. P4 is not what you want in small spaces. by Ayanami+Rei · · Score: 2, Informative

    They are pimping the fanless celeron version, which uses the Cu128 core. In fact THAT was Intel's greatest MIPS/Watt CPU line. Underclocking 766E MHz Celery is good for the environment, and it still 0wnZ at most FPS.
    The P4 puts out a lot more thermal energy and only gets marginally better performance. It may dissapate heat better (thus run "cooler") because it has a larger die area, but it puts out more thermal energy total.

    Remember, you can even cool an Athlon passively as well, it's not too difficult. But I wouldn't recommend doing that inside a space of a paper-back book!!! ^_^

    --
    THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
  90. Warning! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Link is goatsex! (or, close enough to it)

  91. Re:You can click my homepage... by saskboy · · Score: 1

    You won't find sex, but you'll find some inuendo.

    I'm selling 14.4 modems, and these guys are building CDROM computers! Sheesh, ain't my face red.

    --
    Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
  92. ahh yes by cr@ckwhore · · Score: 2

    ahh yes, the "CD-Rom drive bay" ... or sometimes known as a "5.25 inch expansion bay", or "5.25 inch floppy bay", or even better, a "half-height drive bay" ...

    --
    Skiers and Riders -- http://www.snowjournal.com
    1. Re:ahh yes by SpaceJunkie · · Score: 1

      You know, somewhere I have an old research machines RML 380z in peices. Unfortunately - quite a few. However it does have two functioning full height 5.25 inch floppy drives - man thats old tech....

      Half hieght drive bays... Hehe... Anyone here ever seen an 8 inch diskette? Me neither...
      What I find great is that I have solid state flash memory cards that I use in my camera, 4x smaller, a hell of a lot more reliable and almost 10,000 times the capacity of the old floppies. My two newest machines do not even have a floppy, not even a zip. Just NIC and CDRW.

      --
      OrionRobots.co.uk - Robots From sol
  93. Redundant server units / Evolving server by MarcQuadra · · Score: 2

    Alright, here's my nonexistent example:
    I have three units INSIDE one standard PC case at a client's site. One unit serves files, one syncs the server to the third unit every hour. If the first one fails I swap the third one into the first's shelf, and plug a new one into the third shelf. As they die every few years they get replaced with new ones with better specs. The server EVOLVES. This is just an example, it can be done with fewer machines or in different ways. You just have to write a few scripts to handle whether the machine is a slave, master, or cloner in the mix.

    --
    "Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Nine Inch Nails
  94. pricing question... by xombo · · Score: 1

    Why does it NT 4 Workstation cost more than Windows 2000 Professional?

  95. Re:Huh? What about the keyboard? by Presence2 · · Score: 1

    Check out their prices for keyboards on the site too. 795.00$ USD for an aluminum keyboard? Where do the mechanical arm and the hand lotion pop out from?

  96. Re:First Post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You are so cool.

  97. too wasteful for clustering by Artifex · · Score: 2

    I'm sorry, but the idea that you want to make a cluster with duplicate firewire and other ports, not to mention the waste of extra drives, is pretty silly from a cost basis.

    This is cute, but way too expensive if you're serious about clustering. Unless you really really have space issues in your rack, you can buy stripped 1G P3 machines for cheap and use those instead.

    If you're clustering and you do have space issues, the optimal configuration for each unit would be to have only two connectors: power and a very high speed data bus. (One connector, if you can put power on the bus without there being surge issues for a stack :) ) Also, a processor with high internal cache makes more sense than one with less caching and more "system" memory, since pretty much all transactions should stay on the data bus.

    --
    Get off my launchpad!
  98. Slim CD ROMs are really small by billstewart · · Score: 2

    They really don't add much space. And if you look at the back of the case, it's pretty stacked with connectors - they can't really make it much shorter without getting rid of some of them. On the other hand, it's got an external power supply, which is annoying, though it's probably not very large, since it's only 60 watts.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  99. Not enough disk capacity or power by billstewart · · Score: 2
    First of all, this kind of machine is going to use a much wimpier video display than a PVR wants, because it doesn't need anything really fancy. It you're adding TV handling, you want a higher-end video card, so you probably should go with a small-form-factor box that's got an AGP slot (unless you can find what you want in PCI).

    Besides, if you're doing a PVR box, you want a much disk capacity as you can get away with, and you won't get that on laptop drives. Sure, you can probably get 40GB by now, but you'd be a lot better off with a box that's 3-4 times as large that can hold removable drives (e.g. the 3.5" 120-200GB drive in 5.25" form factor drawers, and you'll need enough power supply to drive the disks. If you really wanted to put one of these things in a 3-disk case, I suppose you could, but you should be able to find better form factors.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  100. Heating? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How does this little guy deal with heating issues?

    Also, how does passive cooling work?

  101. Stackability by cemysce · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's probably not a good idea to stack these. If you look at the pictures, the CPU fan's ventilation holes are on top, so stacking these would cover those holes. You may be able to stack the Celeron models, though.

  102. Space, power, and heat by phorm · · Score: 2

    For those who run servers in racks, and pay for space taken taken, etc - it's a cost effective solution. If you pay for the space taken by a single PC, but suddenly can fit 3-4 in a the space of a single then you are saving money.

    So they run on 12V DC? How many watts? Heating issues could also be a problem, if you start clustering these in a box... although you could use the extra space behind for a few fans.

    Personally, I looked at this and said "sweet, it would probably fit in the dash of my car."

    Running at 12V DC it makes sense, not to mention the fact that newer Mp3 decks can cost only about $100 less...

    Yes, I want one of these in my car... wish it had TV-out and/or a decent video card (doesn't say the chipset) and/or maybe PCMCIA slots, but you can't have everything.

  103. Re:In the COP car? by nervous_twitch · · Score: 2, Funny
    Really nice tech; if mixed with GPS and GIS and a few other things you could have realtime tracking of where all the squad cars are located.

    Yeah, but they'll have some explaining to do when the data shows they were all at the local donut shop for 2 hours :)

    --
    Trees everywhere, and not a forest in sight.
  104. Small homebuilt aircraft. by Nick+Driver · · Score: 2

    A friend of mine who built a Van's RV-4 airplane is wanting a small PC onboard with touchscreen for multi-uses (gps, engine monitoring, in-route weather, flight planning, mp3 player, etc) and one of these would be a perfect fit due to small size, light weight, 12V, and being a convenient, already built, nicely packaged computer for only about $200 more than the cheapest comparable-performing miniature pc we could build from individual pieces-parts... and we were planning to have to make its case from raw sheet aluminum ourselves.

  105. Nice And All, But.... by Naked+Chef · · Score: 1

    For 1K I can get a SunFire V100 server...

  106. Imagine! by Kaz+Riprock · · Score: 2


    Could you imagine a beowulf cluster of these things?...

    Oh, wait...yeah, I guess you did.

    --
    Mordor...a magical, mythical land where women are more rare than dragons--but where every man would rather find a dragon
  107. Perfect alternative.. by nolife · · Score: 2

    I think I found what your looking for. Check this out.
    Its about the same in specs (actually better) plus includes the following for the same price:
    a KB, built in mouse, 14.1 screen, ability to plug into the lighter socket, and get this, can run Linux and even comes with battery so you can take it out of the car! What are they going to think of next!

    --
    Bad boys rape our young girls but Violet gives willingly.
  108. Re:couldn't you do a via eden for $? by Nick+Driver · · Score: 2

    This one's got a real P3 1.0 or 1.2GHz processor with PC133 sdram memory... probably a *lot* more powerful than the VIA.

  109. Something like this ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Read in order for full effect:
    The beginning
    and
    the end...

    Indeed.

  110. All your.. by Bodhammer · · Score: 1

    All your pants belong to us....

    --
    "I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
  111. Accomplished...Can you imagine without pain? by AnonymousCowheard · · Score: 0
    386 on a DIMM stick. 8-)

    Now for the obligated troll plug for www.emjembedded.com:

    Can you imagine...a beowulf cluster of 386DIMM-computers within a beowulf cluster of 1GHzPentium3-CDROMcomputers within a beowulf cluster of dis-continued 64bit Alpha super-cluster??? Oh the insane in-breeding must stop!

    *goodbye, drooling my way to dreamland where my mal-formed dream will be hatched*

    (PS. EMJ DIMMPC catalog and division index)

    --

    But I'm sure you already Gnu that.
  112. Quiet cooling by rcw-home · · Score: 2
    Heck, I'd be happier if someone actually DID make an "ultra-quiet" CPU fan... not talking about slowing down the speed of the fan with technology, but actually making it more of a muffled sound without killing it's specs and making it useless.

    Noise is a function of air turbulence (and crappy bearings). Fan tip speed directly increases turbulence.

    Get a bigger fan, run it more slowly (like your case fan), and speed up the air with a venturi duct before it hits the CPU.

    Of course, this is difficult or impractical for 1U cases.

    One Duron 700mhz system I have is set up this way - air is admitted from the back of the case through a cardboard duct to a large fan which bolts to a balsawood frame which screws into the heatsink (this fan moves more air than is required by the CPU itself). This forces air out any other exit (mainly through the power supply, which has had its own fan removed). It's about the best I can do without depending on passive cooling or a heat pipe.

  113. Re:couldn't you do a via eden for $? by draziw · · Score: 1

    ++This one's got a real P3 1.0 or 1.2GHz processor with PC133 sdram memory... probably a *lot* more powerful than the VIA.

    It is way over twice as much money, and it is not twice as fast. It also has no extra PCI slots.
  114. Re:couldn't you do a via eden for $? by dildatron · · Score: 2

    what would it be like to have a beowulf cluster in the same, compact box? that would br crazy!

    --


    If you had nuts on your chin, would they be chin nuts?
  115. Re:How many computers can you fit in a computer ca by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We bought about 40 here at work. Since the Pentium II (and most of the following processors) have such a huge case for marketing purposes, they were nearly useless. You couldn't have a PCI video card and one of the Pentium IV cards in the computer at the same time. You also couldn't put more than one of these cards in a computer at a time. We ended-up having to use ISA video and network cards so one would fit. All this for only $2,100. What a da** waste. I looked, but I couldn't find any that used a Celeron FPGA 370. That would be a little better. The height of the heatsink would still block the use of one (or more) slots, but it would be better.

  116. You sir... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    are obviously an idiot.

  117. Nothing new there... by Ares+Halcyon · · Score: 1

    So, how's this smaller, better looking or more efficient than the cappuccinopc reviewed by Ars Technica almost 18 months ago?

  118. You mean like a SPARCplug from 1996? by Gldm · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Color me unimpressed.

    http://www.byte.com/art/9612/sec12/art4.htm

    Ok so the P3 one isn't $10,000. But it's not 1996 anymore. Is this really that impressive given things like VIA EPIA and the Tiquit and Jumptech machines?

    --

    Introducing the new Occam Fusion! Now with sqrt(-1) fewer blades!

  119. car mp3 by lposeidon · · Score: 0

    if it only had WiFi it would make a great car mp3 player. still a bit over priced... they should talk to gateway and get some pre loaded mp3s.

    --
    Lizard "Never let them set limits on your mind!"
  120. Robotics by SpaceJunkie · · Score: 1

    I want to build a robot with an entire embedded PC. I which case, the tiny size and the 12v supply make this ideal. Even the shuttle is too big. I have already started designing the OS, and this is just what I need. The OS is a stripped down Linux dist BTW. I could pack one(or more) of these in the case, one WI-FI card and have a client machine do the dirty work using SSH.
    My big concerns is the heat output, noise output(there may be some ultrasonic sensors) and actual power consumption. 12v does not sound much - but at how many amps(I do hope we are talking mA)?
    I am gonna have to read the artical again methinks...

    --
    OrionRobots.co.uk - Robots From sol
  121. NIghtrider by SpaceJunkie · · Score: 1

    Does this mean we are really not far off having a car KITT? THat would be some case mod- you know flashy led's and all- maybe a few more neons and stuff... Case window? Hah I got a sun roof! Hehe...;-)

    --
    OrionRobots.co.uk - Robots From sol
  122. Oi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My CPU heatsink/fan is bigger than this thing :)

  123. Re:An Intel PC within my Mac... by Saint+Fnordius · · Score: 2

    ...so that the trolls from the IT department would be happy. ("See? I got the spywa- er, monitoring software up and running!")

    Or so that I can do Windows/Linux native-testing of my websites.

    Why don't I use VirtualPC? Well, I don't really trust VirtualPC to accurately imitate thingies like Windows font sizes, and I like keeping the number of running programs to a minimum. A habit from my Classic Mac OS days that I still don't feel comfortable breaking.

    All without sacrificing room on my desktop. All I would need is a MoniSwitch attached to the case/monitor side, so that I can use the same monitor and USB input devices for both machines.

    Ths't the true advantage to this thingy. Having more than one OS environment running in one case. And since Apple isn't likely to do a quiet XServe, well, I'll go the other route.

    Ah, it's fun to dream...

  124. Last Post! by alpg · · Score: 1

    Except for Great Britain. According to ISO 9166 and Internet reality
    Great Britain's toplevel domain should be _gb_. Instead, Great Britain
    and Nortern Ireland (the United Kingdom) use the toplevel domain _uk_.
    They drive on the wrong side of the road, too.
    -- PERL book (or DNS and BIND book)

    - this post brought to you by the Automated Last Post Generator...