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Massive Small Form Factor Preview From Computex

Posted by timothy on from the now-wipe-chin dept.

Ultim8pc points to this "huge article covering almost every Small Form Factor offering that was on show at Computex. Includes, details of each manufacturers history in SFF." I especially like IWill's oscilloscope-looking Athlon 64 case.

89 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. Here's by Pingular · · Score: 3, Informative

    an alterntive article if you can't get your hands on the (large, and soon to be slashdotted) article above.

    --

    When anger rises, think of the consequences.
    Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC)
  2. Why couldn't they have theese things... by i_r_sensitive · · Score: 2, Funny

    Like 8 years ago, when i actually went to Lan party's!

    --
    "Talk minus action equals nothing" - Joey Shithead, D.O.A.
    "Talk minus action equals /." -
    1. Re:Why couldn't they have theese things... by agent+dero · · Score: 1



      Back in my day, we had to lug our Pentium computers with 64MB RAM, and 2MB PCI graphic's cards uphill both ways in the snow, while carrying our coaxial networking gear. If I had a dime for everytime I cramped up carrying my 35lb. 12" monitor, i'd be able to finally buy a new monitor!

      Ahem....

      --
      Error 407 - No creative sig found
    2. Re:Why couldn't they have theese things... by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      Hell, back in my day we had to lug our Commodore 64s to the Middle School computer lab on snowy November Saturdays with our big-old disk drives and that brick of a power adapter and a clutch of 5.25" floppies.

    3. Re:Why couldn't they have theese things... by Malor · · Score: 1

      And then sit around staring at each other, since there weren't any networked games yet. :-)

    4. Re:Why couldn't they have theese things... by Man+Eating+Duck · · Score: 1


      You lucky bastard, you had floppies.

      SYS 52598
      LOADING
      *Long wait*
      READY.
      *Switch tapes*
      SYS 52592
      *Long wait*

      Or at whichever address the commands of your turbo tape where located :)
      I won't forget those numbers ever.

      I wish I were kidding...

      --
      Are you a grammar Nazi? I'm trying to improve my English; please correct my errors! :)
    5. Re:Why couldn't they have theese things... by mongoks · · Score: 1

      You lucky bastard, you had turbo tape.

    6. Re:Why couldn't they have theese things... by i_r_sensitive · · Score: 1

      My dad wins this one, hands down... He would have had to take the mainframe and the punch card machine... Since he was a grad student at Kent State at the time, instead of snow it would have been five miles back and forth dodging National Guardsmen...

      --
      "Talk minus action equals nothing" - Joey Shithead, D.O.A.
      "Talk minus action equals /." -
  3. In style by neirboj · · Score: 2, Insightful

    As technology advances, fitting more and more into smaller and smaller spaces... Why do cars keep getting bigger and bigger?

    1. Re:In style by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      >Why do cars keep getting bigger and bigger?

      Because ppl are getting fatter and fatter ;)

    2. Re:In style by bluGill · · Score: 1

      They don't. It all goes in cycles. Cars were in a large cycle in the '50s and '60s, went into a downsize in the '70s, and are slowing coming back up.

      SUVs are more popular now, but if you look closely you will discover they have existed for a long time.

    3. Re:In style by stratjakt · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Cars bigger and bigger?

      After the hippie bum rush against detroit, compact and economy cars were all the rage. They got smaller and smaller. To drive a full sized sedan, after all, was to spit in mother natures face.

      Now, people are realizing that the gas mileage between a compact and a full sized car is negligible (it's also negligible compared to an SUV), and all the tiny cars do for you is increase your chances of dying exponentially. The safest passenger vehicle on the road is a full sized car. So they're going back to normal.

      Of course, theres the rebound of the Mini, and the hundreds of asian miniature cars, if you really want to face down a bus on the highway in a pop can.

      In short, people dont want small cars. People want to seat four or more comfortably, and have enough trunk space for their luggage.

      --
      I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
    4. Re:In style by Thud457 · · Score: 1
      "In short, people dont want small cars. People want to seat four or more comfortably, and have enough trunk space for their luggage."

      And 390 horsepower!

      --

      the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    5. Re:In style by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Now, people are realizing that the gas mileage between a compact and a full sized car is negligible (it's also negligible compared to an SUV)

      The 2.5X difference in MPG between a large SUV and a compact car is negligible? If they were to propose raising your taxes by 150%, would you consider that to be negligible as well?

    6. Re:In style by DAldredge · · Score: 1

      If you had READ what he said you would have noticed he was comparing cars, not trucks/suvs.

    7. Re:In style by Raptor+CK · · Score: 1

      To carry more and more small things, of course.

      (Says the guy who has no car.)

      --
      Raptor
      "Procrastination is great. It gives me a lot more time to do things that I'm never going to do."
    8. Re:In style by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Uhhh...

      (it's also negligible compared to an SUV)

      Right.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    9. Re:In style by uberslack · · Score: 1

      from the gpp: it's also negligible compared to an SUV

      --
      Just because you're paranoid does not mean that the world is not full of assholes.
    10. Re:In style by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 1
      If you had READ what he said you would have noticed he was comparing cars, not trucks/suvs.

      Hmmm... since the original post wasn't exactly grammatically correct, I suppose you could parse it to mean that SUVs particularly suck compared to both large and small cars. However, to me it seems more likely that he's bundling all three together in the 'similar' category.

    11. Re:In style by ccp · · Score: 2, Insightful

      (it's also negligible compared to an SUV)

      What part of this you didn't understand?

    12. Re:In style by MarcosL · · Score: 1

      Because you are american???

      --
      MacBook Pro... still a Powerbook.
    13. Re:In style by hesiod · · Score: 1

      Try using your fucking brain. The difference in MPG between compacts & full-sized is negligible compared to the MPG an SUV gets. Is that put plainly enough for your simpleton mind?

  4. Massive Small Form Factor? by StefanJ · · Score: 4, Funny

    Good news: Doesn't take up a lot of desk space. Bad news: Desk must be extra heavy duty to support all that massiveness. Worst case scenario: Someone clusters together a bunch of massive small form factor machines; they collapse into a speck of neutronium and fall to the center of the Earth. Stefan

    1. Re:Massive Small Form Factor? by mao+che+minh · · Score: 1
      You're putting gravity too much into the equation. Since we are dealing with the small, you have to focus more on electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces.

      So, I would be more worried about someone dropping it, which might release the strong nuclear force, and well, we get another Hiroshima.

    2. Re:Massive Small Form Factor? by beezly · · Score: 2, Funny

      Don't joke, I once propped up a Sun Fire F15K with a piece of 2x4 to stop it falling through the raised floor at the lab I used to work in because the floor couldn't cope with the weight!

    3. Re:Massive Small Form Factor? by jhendow · · Score: 1

      Just like everybody's basements being full of old copies of national geographic, these things will someday sink the continent...

  5. photography by andih8u · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I kinda wish they'd zoomed out a bit so you could get a perspective of how big the computers are. Or at least had something next to them so you could judge their size.

    --


    slashdot, news for crazed liberal socialist zealots
    1. Re:photography by GeRM_007 · · Score: 2, Informative

      True. But you can see the CD/DVD drive in almost every picture, and they don't really change between models, so you can use that for size reference.

    2. Re:photography by Thud457 · · Score: 1
      Looks like silver is the new beige.
      (Or is that the new black? Beige was never cool, but silver may still be cool for a little longer.)

      And howzcome these all look like shoeboxes? Why isn't anyone doing something in a format similar to by reciever / tape deck / VCR / DVD?

      --

      the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    3. Re:photography by bravehamster · · Score: 1

      And howzcome these all look like shoeboxes? Why isn't anyone doing something in a format similar to by reciever / tape deck / VCR / DVD?

      Recievers, tape decks, vcr's and dvd players are designed the way they are (short, wide and flat) so that you can stack the various components on top of one another. Since most people only have 1 computer, a stackable design is not a high priority. There are however, rackmount computers cases which are designed for this type of thing, and do bear a resemblance in shape to the aforementioned A/V boxes.

      --
      ---- El diablo esta en mis pantalones! Mire, mire!
    4. Re:photography by sootman · · Score: 1

      Most have CD-R drives, that's enough scale for me.

      --
      Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
  6. what's the point? by sinucus · · Score: 1

    I know that having smaller computers is nice for some people, but what really is the point? The smallest computer I own is 24" tall. Have you ever tried to cram 5 3.5" hdd's into a micro ATX case without losing a couple fingers in the process? I have, and it isn't fun.

    1. Re:what's the point? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      With >200GB HDDs abudant, why would you need 5 HDDs?

      you are obviously not a geek.

    2. Re:what's the point? by RatBastard · · Score: 3, Funny

      Well, most of us aren't trying toi get by by stuffing 5 20GB drives in our systems. The point is that they are small and get out of your way. With almost everything built right into the motherboard you don't really need much else in there, do you?

      --
      Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
    3. Re:what's the point? by egomaniac · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'm building a small form factor computer to use in my entertainment center as a DVD player / MP3 player / web browser / game system (especially old emulated games).

      My TV has a VGA in, and many of these PCs have digital audio out -- so why the hell not? A small PC is perfect for this sort of thing.

      --
      ZFS: because love is never having to say fsck
    4. Re:what's the point? by egomaniac · · Score: 1

      A) I have waaaaaaaaaay too many MP3s to fit on my Xbox's hard drive.

      B) I can't play my emulated games on an Xbox, at least not without modding the thing and installing Linux. At that point, I've just got an annoying and more-difficult-to-use PC. I'd rather just have a real PC at that point.

      --
      ZFS: because love is never having to say fsck
    5. Re:what's the point? by RatBastard · · Score: 2, Funny

      You're right. He obvioulsy has a job.

      --
      Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
    6. Re:what's the point? by edxwelch · · Score: 1

      For me the point is that it's possible to carry it onto a plane and much less expensive than the equivalent laptop.
      If you want to install many HDs and cards, then obviously you will want a regular size PC.

    7. Re:what's the point? by mal3 · · Score: 1

      Actually you can leave your MP3's on a fileserver and Xbox Media Player will play them from there. There are also ports of most major emulators for the Xbox, and yes the ROM's can be played off the network as well. The only thing you really need to have on the Xbox is executables. If you don't like the network option, swapping the HD with a bigger one is a simple process as well.

      As far as modding goes, you don't even need to use a modchip or open your Xbox as long as you don't have the latest dashboard update from MS. Which unless you use Live, you don't have.

      Ease of use is another thing. Most apps on the Xbox support the Xbox remote control, and have suprisingly polished interfaces. You can be playing a Movie on your xbox hit one button on the remote and the Xbox will hit IMDB, pull up info about the movie, and keep playing the movie in a little window in the corner.

      Unless you're dead set on PVR functionality the Xbox is the way go. Trust me.

      --
      Non gratis rodentus anus
  7. SFF? Small Form Factor? by 56ker · · Score: 1

    What does the phrase Small Form Factor mean - or is it a proper noun?

    --


    Video Game cheats, hints a
  8. I used to like big computers that flash and beep.. by c77m · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...but now I keep losing computers.

  9. And its already gone... by rf0 · · Score: 1

    Yes the site is already /. So anyway what I would like is a nice small PC, size of a small hug,with solid state storage, USB connection and can play DivX movies over WiFi. Just sits under the TV and allows you to stream

    Rus

    --
    Cheap UK and US VPS
  10. Massive small by cerebralsugar · · Score: 1

    Thats what she said. :-(

    --
    Easy guys, I put my pants on one leg at a time. The difference is after I put on my pants I make gold records!
  11. Why not USB? by Hecubas · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The first thing I noticed on the alternate story link is the two PS/2 cables sticking out the front.
    Can anyone explain to me why there are still boxes shipping with the old PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports? Doesn't every OS worth installing on x86 hardware support USB now? Futhermore, why can't I find a decent keyboard with extra USB slots in it and with out all the redundant "multimedia" buttons (ala iMac) so I can hide the box under the table?

    --
    hecubas

    --
    Hecubas
    1. Re:Why not USB? by fiddlesticks · · Score: 2, Informative

      > why can't I find a decent keyboard with extra USB slots in it and with out all the redundant "multimedia" buttons (ala iMac)

      you'll want a happy hacking keyboard then

      2 extra USB ports built in, *no* redundant buttons, tiny form factor, full sized, proper 'clicky' keys - it's great.

      --
      http://milkshake.dexy.org
    2. Re:Why not USB? by gblues · · Score: 1

      Good luck getting into the BIOS with a USB keyboard.

      Nathan

    3. Re:Why not USB? by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      Well, what if someone runs a BIOS that doesn't have USB support to change its settings. Or some BIOS support USB keyboard, but for some keyboards you have to change a setting "use legacy USB support" before it will see certain keyboards, and to do that you need a PS/2 keyboard. Kind of funny, no?

    4. Re:Why not USB? by Hecubas · · Score: 1

      You must realize PS/2 != PS2. The PS/2 connector for keyboards and mice is about as old as MCA cards and if I'm not mistaken, first appeared on IBM's PS/2 system.

      Actually, my good troll, I considered using the Playstation 2's keyboard as a replacement to the standard PS/2 one. It's compact and cheap.

      --
      Hecubas
    5. Re:Why not USB? by prichardson · · Score: 1

      Just a word of note: The only "media" keys that are on the Apple Pro Keyboard (ships with all new macs) are volume up/down, mute, and eject. I actually really like my keyboard from apple. It has 2 USB ports and is nice and clickey. I think it even works on windows machines if you plug it in and don't mind some of the odd button placement (control,alt)

      --
      Help I'm a rock.
    6. Re:Why not USB? by doorbot.com · · Score: 1

      Well, what if someone runs a BIOS that doesn't have USB support to change its settings.

      The whole point is that these are new systems; the BIOS will support USB keyboards out of the box.

      Most new systems in the past two years (and probably more) have supported USB keyboards in the BIOS without requiring the user to change any options.

      The only issue that you might run across is using a USB keyboard to power up the system... I haven't had a chance to test this functionality.

    7. Re:Why not USB? by Zobeid · · Score: 1

      Point by point:

      - The "system resources" consumed by USB mouse and keyboard are trivial.

      - USB just works too . . . at least on my Macs. Is the PC platform screwed up in some way such that it has trouble dealing with USB devices?

      - If price is your top concern, generic beige USB keyboards are available for nearly nothing. I have one, it works OK.

      - Face it: at some point you're going to buy a USB hub anyhow. You might as well buy it on day one and plug your mouse and keyboard into it.

      USB is cool. Replacing the whole hodgepodge of legacy ports with something as neat and versatile as USB is cool. I don't understand people who aren't eager to do this, and instead want to hold onto their obsolete, redundant ports.

    8. Re:Why not USB? by per11 · · Score: 1

      Not every BIOS supports USB keyboards.

    9. Re:Why not USB? by Josh+Booth · · Score: 1

      The Award BIOS on my MSI KT333 lets me use my USB keyboard. It even has options to emulate PS2 ports for USB ignorant OS's. The only software on my computer that doesn't talk USB is LILO and I don't care enough to see if there is a patch or change it.

    10. Re:Why not USB? by yomegaman · · Score: 1

      Presumably a motherboard that didn't have PS/2 ports would have a USB-aware BIOS? It's not like people are installing aftermarket BIOSes (sp?), they pretty much stick with what came on the board.

      --
      ...wearing a skin-tight topless leather jumpsuit, with cutaway buttocks and transparent crotch panel.
    11. Re:Why not USB? by sootman · · Score: 1

      USB is still not 100% reliable, but I've never seen PS/2 (or ADB for that matter) fail. I mean, it might fail completely, like anything can, but it doesn't 'forget' a device is attached. My favorite story, from Mac OS X on a G4: keyboard is plugged into Mac. Mouse is plugged into KB. Mouse works, KB doesn't. Unplug, plug back in, KB works. Keyboards do not need high bandwidth (how fast do you type?) and I'd rather have 100% reliability and a $5 more expensive motherboard.

      --
      Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
    12. Re:Why not USB? by value_added · · Score: 1

      Here's one example. I recently purchased an expensive KVM switch for use at home. The product FAQ, literature and manual all promised "USB Support!" so I didn't give it much though, thinking much the same as you.

      Turns out that the console connection is not USB, but PS/2. The USB ports that are provided, however, are useful only in the event that the PCs connected to the KVM lack PS/2 connections. Go figure.

      My guess there's lots of KVMs in the field lacking USB support. Also, it's possible that the length limitations for USB vs. PS/2 cables are different.

    13. Re:Why not USB? by mahbidness · · Score: 1

      If I wanted to sell replacement or upgrade mainboards to a company, I'd give them the option to reuse part of the horde of PS/2 Keyboards and Mice they all invariably have lying around.

      --

      "It is a solemn thought: dead, the noblest man's meat is inferior to pork."

    14. Re:Why not USB? by ocelotbob · · Score: 1

      Try enabling USB Keyboard support in the BIOS. I know it's an option on Award systems, and that should allow you to use your USB keyboard with LILO. Course, I use GRUB, so my YMMV

      --

      Marxism is the opiate of dumbasses

    15. Re:Why not USB? by Scarblac · · Score: 1

      Since when is tiny form factor a good thing for a keyboard? That thing will kill my wrists in two days.

      I just need these "ergonomic" keyboards, Microsoft Natural Elite, etc... can't stand to type on a normal one anymore.

      Otherwise it looks great. Just split it into a left and a right part with a bulge in the middle.

      --
      I believe posters are recognized by their sig. So I made one.
    16. Re:Why not USB? by frostman · · Score: 1

      I'll give you a reason, although it might be a lame one.

      The best keyboards, the truly great ones, the ones that those of us who type super duper fast love, the ones you can whack the moles with and go right back to work - these are still not available as USB keyboards.

      So to hardcore typists, it is still necessary to have PS/2 for the keyboard.

      It might be a lame excuse, though, since you can get a perfectly good USB-PS/2 adapter for $12 at RadioShack, and I bet that would be extremely cheap at the OEM level.

      --

      This Like That - fun with words!

    17. Re:Why not USB? by Josh+Booth · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but that borks out Linux (I tried it once a long time ago), and like I said, I don't care. If I cared, I'd use GRUB.

  12. I modded a broken GameCube by mao+che+minh · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I took a broken GameCube, gutted it, and put in some SFF components. The controller ports made great PS2 ports, and I carved out slots where the memory cards went for USB. The only problem was the power supply, which is sticking a bit out of the rear of the 'Cube. I keep it next to my working GameCube just to throw people off.

  13. Re:Small form factor, phhhht! Give me rack-mount! by public_class_name_ex · · Score: 1

    I'm not sure what the attraction is for "small
    form factor."
    To me, bigger is better, and even better if rack-mount. I want room for fans (the more the better), and plenty of air-flow.

    How do you feel about blade servers?

  14. Small but still seen by c77m · · Score: 1
    At least cars are something to look at. What I don't understand about these small form factors is they still fancy them up as if a box filled with electronics is something exciting to look at.

    Frankly, I think an LCD monitor, featureless keyboard and mouse are more than enough for my desktop. I'd like to see someone design a computer that can hang next to my suits in the closet so I don't have to look at it anymore.

  15. Massive Small Form Factor? by X_Bones · · Score: 1

    so that's like, what, the regular ol' beige box I have next to my desk right now?

    --

    the coolest club on /.
  16. Re:Small form factor, phhhht! Give me rack-mount! by zentigger · · Score: 1

    Must be a real sonuvabitch to take out to LAN parties!

    --

    the above is my personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect that of the little voices in my head

  17. That's not very nice. by The+Human+Cow · · Score: 1

    You leave my small form factor out of this. I promise it's not *that* small.

    --
    The Human Cow - bringing you scrumtrelescence since 1995
  18. Headline by Coppit · · Score: 1
    Massive Small Form Factor Preview From Computex

    So what is a massively small form factor? A minitower or a full tower?

    1. Re:Headline by Acidic_Diarrhea · · Score: 1
      "Massive" is describing "Preview" not "Small Form Factor."

      Perhpas this will help:
      Massive Small Form Factor Preview From Computex.

      Better?

      --
      I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
  19. Re:what's the point? Portability, Space, ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I used my shuttle as a personal computer at work, taking it to/from work every day. It's small enough to make that practical. I added a KVM switch at work to make pluging it in a breeze! My box had a 200 & 80 Gig drive and a Nvidia GForce 4 Ti4200 128M card. Totally blew away my tower system at work :) Great for demos of celestia and for playing months of music, ... Not to mention being able to use Source Navigator to cruise my code library...

    If you want a no compromise portable computer then SFF is the way to go. I have yet to find a laptop keyboard that I like and the drives are too slow for really demanding tasks. They are great for disconnected computing, but if have monitor/keyboard/mouse at the destination then SFF works great.

    The other place where SFF really comes into it's own is for computing in tight spaces. Boats, RV's, small office/desk situations.

    Of course once you get used to them you have to ask yourself how long the towers are going to last.

  20. Didn't Apple do this first? by Zobeid · · Score: 1

    It seems odd to me, these small computers are all the rage now . . . yet Apple closed out the G4 Cube after not being able to sell enough of them. What gives?

    1. Re:Didn't Apple do this first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Let's see... Apple's G4 Cube was released in July of 2000. It had a 2x AGP slot with a graphics card supporting VGA and DVI/ADC. It also had firewire, USB, a 56k modem, 10/100 ethernet, digital audio and internal slot for 802.11b. It also had speed competitive with the desktop Powermac G4s... and was almost completely silent with its convection cooling.

      It took Shuttle roughly 18 months to release their first SFF using the form factor followed by most SFF machines today. It took 18 months AFTER the Cube was released for PC SFF computers to begin to approach the speed of desktop machines. Prior to the Shuttle box, most of what you may want to refer to as SFF PCs were simply underpowered, low performing and expensive machines with little expandability.

      Trust me, the Cube was probably the first of what I would consider the modern SFF computer. If you know otherwise, prove it. It's easy to flame, but I want to see some proof of a machine that approached the features and performance of the cube at its time of release. AGP 2x slots, internal wireless, internal 56k modem, internal 10/100 ethernet, internal firewire, internal USB, digital audio, digital video, fan-less cooling. Hell, many SFF boxes still lack some of the features found in the cube.

      As with a lot of Apple's failures, the cube failed not because of an inferior product, but because of timing. The technology used in the cube was simply too expensive to provide a viable product at the time it was released, but a lot was learned from it and it helped influence designs like the flat panel iMac AND modern SFF computers.

  21. Here ya go by justMichael · · Score: 1

    Divine, it's not cheap but it sure looks nice.

  22. OS's / GUI's for these babies? by spankalee · · Score: 1

    I'm mostly a Mac guy myself, but I've been looking at various x86 boxen to work as a media hub for my living room because of the various form factors they're available in. (I particularly like the Asus DiGiMatrix).

    But I wonder what OS or GUI I should run? Windows is out. Linux seems more than capable (though the lack of the Sorensen codec is a bummer) and I'm familiar with it from developing.

    But here's my catch: I don't want a windowed GUI. I want an interface like TiVo. Something that can be controlled easily with a remote. The TiVo/iPod cascading menus design is perfect for this application.

    Is there anything out there like this? I know it'll limit the applications I can run, since they'll most likely need to be built for this interface rather than X Windows, but all I need is MP3/AAC playback, Image viewing, and MPEG recording and viewing.

    1. Re:OS's / GUI's for these babies? by mccalli · · Score: 1
      Have a look at MythTV under Linux. I have a Tivo for this job at the moment, but I can see a number advantaged to MythTV.

      A friend of mine recently built a MythTV box and he's very happy with it. Now, if there was just some way of getting it to pick up a shared iTunes library...

      Cheers,
      Ian

    2. Re:OS's / GUI's for these babies? by upplepop · · Score: 2, Informative

      You want Myth TV or Freevo.

    3. Re:OS's / GUI's for these babies? by Lemmeoutada+Collecti · · Score: 1

      Um, actually you can use MythTV. It includes IR Remote and Keyboard interface, can run just about any application (through the PC Games menu), runs on Linux, can play DVD, Video, Music, Images, Live TV, TiVo like live skip, recording, etc. http://mythtv.org

      And anything X can be run through it. Setup is a bit of a pain, though if you use RedHat or Mandrake (or another RPM system) you can just URPMI it all.

      --

      You can have it fast, accurate, or pretty. Pick any 2.
    4. Re:OS's / GUI's for these babies? by spankalee · · Score: 1

      Thanks!

      MythTV looks sweet. Strange that I didn't fin it in my googleing...

    5. Re:OS's / GUI's for these babies? by GiMP · · Score: 1

      There are many other solutions too, including Freevo and Matchbox. Matchbox is a window manager, but is excellent for kiosks and televisions with a WinCE like interface with it's included mbdesktop - just run 'mbsession'.

      You can play Sorenson files with mplayer, or - even QuickTime itself with Wine (works perfectly with Crossover Plugin, although slow)

    6. Re:OS's / GUI's for these babies? by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 1

      Showshifter.

      --
      Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
  23. Re:Small form factor, phhhht! Give me rack-mount! by Moofie · · Score: 1

    "Room" is not necessarily the same thing as "air flow".

    Other people have different needs than you do. This is an idea you might get comfortable with. You'll see it again.

    --
    Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
  24. Strange assumptions by temojen · · Score: 1

    These computers mostly seem to be built under the assumption that you actually need a HDD, FDD, and CDRW/DVD on every desk.

  25. you call those 'proper "clicky" keys'?! :) by timothy · · Score: 1

    the HHK is a membrane keyboard, little collapsing rubber domes rather than a a mechanical-switch design. It's better than many such keyboards are, and is definitely a high-quality device. I'd buy one, if not for the keyfeel, which to me is anything but clicky. Without a jillion little springs, 8lbs of steel and an eye of newt, it will always be a membrane keyboard.

    Clicky? Model M :)

    timothy

    --
    jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
  26. Legacy Ports by xyu · · Score: 1

    These computers all look nice, but I'm dissappointed that every one of them has legacy ports on them.

    They can get rid of serial, ps/2, and parallel at the very least. I like how some of them are using slimline cd/dvd drives. Anything to make them smaller.

    The smller machines usually have 1 pci slot. I wish they dumped that and dropped in an agp slot instead. Everything I used pci for in the past is now being done with usb. I can live without it now.

  27. Portable PC by jfmiller · · Score: 1

    I would like to see some company morph this technology into a portable desktop PC. With a real USB keybaord and mouse and an easily setup 17" moniter (or even better portable head gear) I have a laptop, but because it's keyboard is too small and touch pad too clunky, I end up bringing my mouse and keyboard with me and if I have access to on, pluging into a real moniter. As far as I'm concerned, I think "Laptops" should be made into a backpack or carry on which hold the periferials.

    JFMILLER

    --
    Strive to make your client happy, not necessarly give them what they ask for
  28. Hint - read the printable version by Animats · · Score: 1
    Read it from this link and avoid the one paragraph per page "interruption-based advertising" version.

    The whole article is basically an ad, anyway.

  29. Re:Small form factor, phhhht! Give me rack-mount! by ePhil_One · · Score: 1
    Pfft! You call that airflow? If it can fit in a 19" rack you can't get enough airlow. I'll be releasing my mod webpage soon, but its basically a 28 cubic foot freezer chest modified to accept a standard ATX power supply and motherboard.

    It Rox baby!

    --
    You are in a maze of twisted little posts, all alike.
  30. puke by ralphclark · · Score: 1

    Well I'd love to have read that article but unfortunately the myriad flashing gifs blink tags and huge animated flash ads right at top centre of each page made me feel dizzy. Hell, it even made my browser sick. I've left the page already and my browser still hasn't recovered. What kind of idiot thinks that sort of page design is OK?

  31. Microsoft Natural keyboard by axxackall · · Score: 1
    2 USB ports, many multimedia buttons. And of course natural way of typing.

    Along with Microsoft Optical Trackball, both are the only good products from Microsoft. And the only two Microsoft products I use at home :)

    --

    Less is more !