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World's Smallest Desktop Pentium4?
Valour writes "The Jem Report has just published an in-depth review and installation guide for the new Iwill ZPC, a cool little Pentium4 ultra small formfactor PC. There have been similar designs in the past, but nothing with this kind of power."
If you look carefully, you'll note that they use inches and millimeters that are specifically optimized for the Iwill, thus making it appear smaller and lighter than it really is. When will the manufacturers learn that this kind of "cheating" in mass and volume benchmarks isn't really fooling anyone.
The small form factor Pentium 4 is a great idea, but think about: Are the really able to fit all the goods into it? It may make a nice portable system, but when it comes down to it, an Mini-ITX board will be just as function(mostly), and be MUCH cheaper.
Anyways, I'm an Athlon kind of guy.
They were obviously using them as webservers too...
The thing is the size of my hand and will do Quake3 twice as fast as my box that take up my whole desktop.
Shheeettt... I must be getting old to have let my box go this long without an overhaul.
Davak
First of all, heh heh, we broke the Access database web engine. Already
;)
Next order of business, since I can't see the damned article, since we broke it, how are they handling cooling? That's been the big limitation with full (read: AMD or INTEL) scale desktop platforms in a ultra small form factor. Also how will the power supply be rigged? Is this a no PCI low voltage your USB gear better have batteries type thing, or what?
And does anybody know of a mirror
I haven't posted in so long, my sig is out of date.
A cool Pentium 4?
I really doubt that.
Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me
The nice thing about a computer this size is that you can just place it in a small refrigator... and then overclock the heck of it.
Plus, you have a nice place to keep your sodas/beer chilled as well.
"Honey, can you take out those leftovers? They are making my computer smell like an italian restaurant!"
Davak
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Manufacturer Iwill USA
Model ZPC
Chipset Intel 845GV
Formfactor Mini ITX/proprietary
Market Portable workstation/fashionable desktop. This machine is primarily marketed to system integrators who will use it to create systems for targeted niche markets like those mentioned above.
CPU support 400mhz and 533mhz FSB Pentium4 processors up to 2.53ghz.
RAM PC2700 is recommended, but PC2100 and PC1600 will also work. ECC memory is not supported. Maximum RAM capacity is 512MB using one 512MB module.
Iwill ZPC
Graphics capabilities Onboard Intel Extreme Graphics
IDE ATA100 (through a conversion daughter board) supports one notebook 2.5" hard drive and one slimline notebook optical drive
Firewire Yes (2) (VIA chipset)
USB Hi-speed USB 2.0 (4)
LAN Realtek 8100B 10/100
Sound ALC650 stereo
Power External 90W DC19V power supply
Dimensions Height: 54mm (2.13 inches)
Width: 184mm (7.24 inches)
Depth: 263mm (10.35 inches)
Weight 1.95kg (4.3 pounds) net weight
3.75kg (8.27 pounds) with hard drive, RAM, CPU, optical drive and power supply
9-pin serial One
Available colors Silver (aluminum) and black
Warranty One year through Iwill
The Iwill ZPC is the world's smallest Pentium4 desktop computer supporting the 533FSB. The initial material that Iwill sent me months ago made it look really cool -- there were a variety of different colors and the design was quite attractive. Unfortunately Iwill scrapped all of the colors except black and silver, and those two represent two different models of the ZPC. The black model is designed for slot-loading optical drives and the silver model supports tray-loading optical drives, but other than that they are identical as far as technical specifications are concerned. For my testing I was given one of the silver models. Here's what the front looks like when fully assembled, and here is the rear of the unit.
The ZPC can be purchased with or without the CDRW/DVD combo drive but considering the fact that you can't buy a comparable optical drive for the difference in price, I would suggest getting the full package including the combo drive unless you're running totally from the network or otherwise have no need for a CD drive. The only extra software that it comes with is Nero Express (version 5.5.10.13)
Assembly was surprisingly easy -- almost too easy, and in fact I suspected it was a trap. I was expecting something at least as complex and delicate as a notebook computer but it was actually more like a mini-PC. I have compiled a complete installation guide (including photos!) which can be found here.
The ZPC is rather expensive; unless you're buying in quantity or directly from the manufacturer you won't find one of these under $450 (no hard drive, CPU, or RAM included) but considering what you're getting, that's not all that bad. As far as price for performance is concerned there are a few things to consider. First of all the ZPC is not versatile; it can never be a good gaming machine and since there is no TV-out or DVI connector you're limited to a VGA display, so there's no video editing possibilities. That means that the ZPC is not a replacement (or even competition) for a mini-PC like the Iwill XP4-G or for VIA's ultra-cheap and somewhat expandable Epia C3 integrated CPU solutions. If you're looking for a portable gaming machine, a low-cost, low-performance low-profile desktop system or a TiVo device, the ZPC cannot meet your needs.
So what is the ZPC good for? A lot of things: as an Internet device or appliance, as a stackable node for a cluster, as a small formfactor workstation for cramped or limited spaces (dorm rooms, RVs, yachts, or even cars and airplanes). Being as it does not have a screen with it, the ZPC is not exactly a laptop replacement although it is smaller, lighter, and more durable. If you need a portable machine to take on special jobs (engineers and technicians often need good
They could make it flatter and wider so that they could build the keyboard into it. They probably wouldn't want a mouse dangling so they could add a touch pad below the keyboard. A foldable LCD would be nice, but they could settle for an LCD that is attached to the computer by a hinge, that would fold over the case like a clamshell type thing. Then they could add a battery and really have a winner!
Slashdotter are stupid and biased.
I own a Shuttle. It is more expensive than the cheapest desktops and less portable than a notebook, but it has real desktop performance in a reasonably portable form factor. That makes sense to me.
For those who just want to see it, check out this pic among many others at the actual review, instead of the IWILL site. Also check out the installation guide
True believers seek redemption from the sin of death.
Reading from the review, (which hasnt yet been slashdotted) they did the same thing I did when I made a briefcase computer. That is, make a hole right above the CPU fan and have it blow out. The powersupply looks incredibly wimpy so it is doubtful that it would generate that much heat. Also, from the looks of it, the AC to DC conversion doesnt take place on the actual powersupply. There's probably a separated power brick for it. Thus, the only heat-producing component in there of any relevance would be the CPU.
this thing is super-sweet. in case of slashdotting, here are the two coolest pics. anyone know what these things cost? I didn't see it mentioned in the review and iwillusa.com is also down.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
Actually both serial and paralell ports are easily available as USB adapters. I support a printer, and have supported a palm Vx with appropriate adapters.
The price of the adapters, when compared to the added space on the motherboard that the interface would take up, may very well be worth it.
-Rusty
You never know...
The reason they carry it on is that people want it and need it. Serial is hardly useless, it is needed for older (but not that old) devices like Palms and HP Calculators. Also, the best modems generally are external that use serial ports.
Older printers (and some new ones) still use parallel ports.
PS/2 is hardly dead either. PS/2 keyboards just work. They have ironed out most of the bugs with USB keyboards, but you still have minor issues with Linux, old dos stuff, etc. Besides, all the good keyboards are either PS/2 or even the old AT style plug. USB keyboards are crap. Bottom line is, I better be able to hook up my Model M's to any computer I buy.
You know, you could probably fit a whole Beowulf cluster of these inside my now-seemingly-cavernous Shuttle SN41G2 XPC case!
"Lawyers are for sucks."
- Doug McKenzie
This is true enough, but running an old OS just so you can have a shoe box-sized PC seems like a rather arse-about-face logic to me.
By the way, I'd love one of the PCs :-)
When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
Ok for the past 10 years, things have been getting smaller and smaller.
I've lost my cell phone, my PDA, my laptop, and god knows what else.
Now I have to worry about losing my desktop???
Why worry? Each of us is wearing an unlicensed "nucular" accelerator on his back.
Sig changed for readability by G.W.
Valour writes "The Jem Report has just published an in-depth review....
Valour/Jem, I don't understand why you are hiding the fact that YOU ARE Valour, and YOU ARE the OWNER and writer of TheJemReport.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that valour@herotale.com is the same person as valour@thejemreport.com - it's on the front page of your site.
If it's karma-whoring, go ahead, because that's not uncommon on Slashdot, but why pretend that you aren't submitting your own review by writing the submission in the third person?
Now let's re-write that first line:
Valour [THAT'S ME!!!!!!] writes "The Jem Report [THAT'S MY SITE!!!!!!] has just published an in-depth review and installation guide for the new Iwill ZPC, a cool little Pentium4 ultra small formfactor PC. There have been similar designs in the past, but nothing with this kind of power."
:)
It seems like the Pentium M, even on a laptop motherboard, would be the ideal way to make an extremely small, fanless (at least for the 7W version of the chip) pc.
Has anyone seen something like this? Would it be difficult to make one?
A little deflection of moving air and the first hover computer..
Why worry? Each of us is wearing an unlicensed "nucular" accelerator on his back.
Sig changed for readability by G.W.
With a P4 in that little case, they have to push a lot of air, so this thing will be loud. What they need is:
Not if all the CPU heat is dissapated directly out of the case....like if they drilled a hole right above the CPU. Which they did.
- Add a second ethernet port, so this can be used as a home gateway/firewall/proxy/etc.
Why the hell do you need a P4 as a proxy/firewall? You trying to run MS Proxy server or something? Try Linux with IPChanins if you must run a software firewall. Or Smoothwall. Runs just fine on a 486.
Do not fold, spindle or mutilate.
Dimensions are about the same -- the Mocha's slightly taller, but shorter in depth and width, 2.4 lb. Max RAM is 1GB, and current CPUs run to 2.4 GHz. It's loud unless placed behind other HW. Tons of ports (serial, parallel, 4x USB, firewire, audio in & out, S/video, 2xPS2, PCMCIA).
And it runs Debian GNU/Linux. Well.
Why, you ask? Portable desktop, fewer parts to break than a laptop. Fits in my book bag. $1300 as configured (1.7GHz, 512MB, 20 GB).
What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?
And in small form factor, what would you like to loose to include physical interfaces for the legacy serial ports?
I grant you that if I wanted to have more than six USB ports I would need to add another USB controller. And yes it would cost more than $2.20.
I still contend that USB ports will provide me with the capability of supporting far more than physical serial and paralell interfaces in significantly less space.
Since a single legacy serial interface with an integrated 16550afn UART has a maximum speed of 115kbps, (aprox) and a USB1.1 has a 12Mbps speed and I can fit two USB ports in the space of a single db9 serial, or even a single ps/2 port.
Note I am not telling you to give up on physical serial interfaces if you choose to include them in your design. I am simply saying that if you are attempting to build an extreamly small platform, (which admittedly will probably cost more than a mini-ITX based system) you get more bang for your buck to use USB ports rather than legacy Serial and Paralell ports. If you only include six USB ports, you can sell Paralell and Serial adapters, at a significant mark-up, to those customers who find a need for those interfaces.
Then again, that's just my opinion. You are welcome to hold your own.
-Rusty
You never know...
Obviously this guy doesn't know much about video editing. The firewire on this makes it very video-editing capable. Disk space is more likely to hamper serious video work, but an external firewire drive could be used to gain space.
Since the Pentium 4's ratio is locked, Intel has to support three different CPUs for different FSB speeds (400MHz, 533MHz, and 800MHz). This is not uncommon nor does it appear to be drastically hurting sales (in fact, it really is not that much of a nightmare at all). I imagine Intel will be adding more frequencies as technologies allow.
AMD is just following suit, but eliminating one more path the CPU must take to access the memory. If it works for Intel, it'll work for AMD.
Ayup
I'm sick of these small yet proprietary mini ITX boxes. Yes, they're small, but you can't put much in them. Read the review, he couldn't even put in a corsair 512MB DIMM because the heat spreader made contact with the chassis?space? That's CRAMPED.
My box is 5.5" by 11.5" by 11.5", houses a 300W power supply INSIDE IT (not externally, ala ZPC), can handle any standard micro atx formfactor motherboard, as much RAM as I want, a full size AGP videocard, etc. It will hold whatever hard drive and CDROM I want...Oh, and it weighs less than the ZPC since it's aluminum. I have expandability and as much power as I want. Did I mention the geargrip for small PCs works beautifully with this?