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ASUS Barebones: Multimedia Even Sans Hard Drive
technomegalomaniac writes "This new stylish
barebones combo from ASUS (case+motherboard) is going to outdo Apple in 'the way it looks matters' department. Customizable to your heart content, no OS included (obviously, since you need to buy your own hard drive). Comes with 'Instant On' software that lets you play CDs, DVDs and MP3s without entering the primary OS thus bypassing the long boot process. Definitely a living room toy." Doesn't beat Apple hardware in my eyes, but still looks like a nifty box.
who looks at that and thinks "damn that's fugly"
How do the looks of this thing outdo Apple's?
This thing is just a black box with a handle and a color LCD display. Compare that to the current and previous iMacs.
From the article:
The S1-P112 is a pure gaming system tailored for those who enjoy playing the latest 3D titles.
I hope this thing packs a decent power supply, unlike most barebone systems if its going to be running a recent video card. That has been the only thing so far that has kept me off of these things. I find one I like and realize that the 240w PS just isn't gonna cut it with my Geforce 6800.
Is it me or does that look strikingly similar to a gamecube?
I like muppets.
But really, what's up with that handle? And, if you're going to make a system made for the living room, why not make something with the appropriate dimensions. And without a handle sticking out the top, making it harder to fit into a space or stack something on it.
It was bound to happen sooner or later: an LCARS system had sex with a clock radio!
So it makes coffee, too? Take that, Apple!
A blog like any other.
Am I the only one that thinks it looks like a microwave? Though, with a name like that, it should be an expresso maker.
On the other hand, is it digitally signed? If not, how can I trust it?
Game! - Where the stick is mightier than the sword!
Am I the only one that thinks the form factor should look more like a component cd player, or receiver. This doesnt mesh with my current stack o hardware in my living room.
Come to think of it, my DVD player plays DVDs, MP3, and CDs and has no hard drive. Throw in a network card and we're really cooking.
And I'm not so sure this thing would give apple a run for its money in the aesthetics department. The U2 ipod looks more pleasing.
Im dreaming ofa big bndwdth, That can resist the
MSI make something similar and have a few different models. MSI's look better I think but functionally they're very similar.
Here's the link
How do they call it? Slashadvertisement? Slashvertisement? Slashdotadvertsiisfjlasjflasjflas...
I remember several notebooks have such functions long before (Maybe not DVD playing...)... It's a nice product but does it deserve a frontpage slot?
Price is the thing I was looking for as well. I tried half a dozen retailer on ASUS' list and on not one could I find the system listed.
Oh, and I don't like the handler either. The suggestion to build it to stack with TV components is a good one. Ye olde slimline desktop would be perfect. Mix that with a nice big hard drive and MythTV and you have a system.
Now, if there was only TV worth watching.
Garry AKA -Phoenix- Rising Above the Flames
Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes
It looks like it's going to cost around $250USD, according to Froogle, anyway.
Am I the only person that hears 'barebones combo' and pictures a full/mid-tower with motherboard and power supply? (Looks something like this )
Aero
Please stop hurting America -- Jon Stewart
...a *car battery* had sex with a clock radio. That's the lineage I see. Some clunking noises, a blare of static-filled AM talk radio, a drip of battery acid... and a few QA iterations later the creature was born.
The ivory one must look nicer though, right? I only saw a thumbnail of it before I closed the window.
The colour of the lights remind me of 80's electronics.. or Kitt.
MythTV is a great suggestion.
e /lc06/l c06-black.jpg
Some guys are using the Intel Integrated motherboards with no problem, although I don't think they are using the graphics part.
Here is a better case in that case.
http://www.athenatech.us/a100bb.htm
Also, http://www.byopvr.com/ has dome good case suggestions.
PC Alchemy has some nice stuff like this:
http://www.pcalchemy.com/images/silverston
Now thats something to brag about.
Clock-radio. Its not even in the Apple ballpark (and I'm a PC user!).
Whats the deal with PC manufacturers anyway? Its like the technology equivalent of the comb-over. Is it really that hard to design smart, elegant hardware? Beige boxes are great for business, but hasn't Apple already proven theres a market for aesthetics?
Did I already mention that its ugly as hell?
Quack, quack.
It sounds like a gimick to me. The case is nice, but paying 240 for the case plus paying for the cpu + memory + hdd + graphics + decent soundcard isnt worth it. Unless you have decent parts lying around, it is better to hook up your computer (or a slower, silent comp with a good soundcard) to your sound system and put a remote on it.
I have an A7V classic that's been upgraded to a 2.2GHz Athlon XP-M. Quite reliable and far from obsolete.
But frankly, the S-presso has a long way to go if you think they're going to outdo Apple in "the way it looks matters department." It's too bad the G4 Cube never took off. That is what I would consider a living room toy. Minimalist and elegant. In contrast, the S-presso from the pictures looks like it is encased in cheap plastic made for a 5-year-old. Its shape doesn't look like it will complement components in a home-entertainment rack. If I had one of these puppies, it would probably be sitting behind a chair.
If I'm going to have something like this in my living room, I want it to be quiet. That means I want it to be cool. But this thing has a Pentium 4 motherboard.
I'd really rather have a 90nm Athlon64, with "Cool n Quiet". And whatever 3D chipset has the best performance/heat ratio. (Probably an ATI chipset... too bad the drivers suck in Linux. Are there any nVidia chipsets that can run Doom 3 but don't also heat your room?)
A PowerPC chip would also be good. Hey, Apple -- you ought to make a living-room Mac.
steveha
lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
According to an article here:
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=19922
It's instant-on software is an embed version of Linux! Supercool! I want one!
And street pricing seems to be about $250 for it...so it's cheap! Now that's just a bare-bones system, but still, you could have a nice PVR for under $600 USD!
Sweet!
ttyl
Farrell
CAN-CON 2019 - Ottawa's only book oriented Science Fiction Convention! October 18-20, Sheraton Hotel, Ottawa, Canada h
This thing needs either a P-M or an AMD64 DTR. It does not need socket 478. Why equip it with the most unsuitable processor for its intended application - a mistake, of course, that Apple would never make.
Panurge has posted for the last time. Thanks for the positive moderations.
S1-P111. It needs a few more 1's before I'd consider it buyable. ... Who the fuck comes up with model numbers? Did these retards pay somebody to come up with S1-P111?
Seriously
While I think this is a great idea, I always find these "innovations" are a couple of years behind as soon as they're launched.
Two years ago I would have loved one of these. Today, I expect my HTPC to play DivX/XVid, and stream from a network server as well. DVDs? That's old school!
And embedded also means it probably can't be upgraded all that easily to add these features; it'll mean buying version 2 in a year's time, by which time my requiremens will have moved on...
That said, while I don't consider myself an early adopter, I suppose I am by most (ie non Slashdot readers) standards.
Well from what I have read about the life expectancy of electronics in general, has a lot to do with how much you turn the unit on/off, the environment, humidity, temp, air circ. etc.
a /epia_h owto/index.html#Introduction
p ec_MTBF .htm/ spec_MTBF .htm
/
r ce/zoom.asp
The expansion and contraction of solder joints due to temp flux causes micro cracks that expand over time and eventually cause the malfunction.
So that really is a hard question to answer.
EPIA for those who may not know:
http://www3.sympatico.ca/howlettfamily/epi
Here is a good forum for those teeny DC PSUs:
http://www.eio.com/public/psupply/
Good definition of MTBF:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/perf/qual/s
And the turn on/off debate:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/perf/qual
I like Tom's look at PSUs:
http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20030609
Here is the kicker though:
"An overwhelmed power supply may not be able to keep adequate current flowing to your PC's components, and that can mean error messages, strange behavior, or even system shutdowns. But instead of those obvious signs of trouble, an overworked power supply may just pump extra heat into your PC, speeding up the system's aging process and pushing your PC's components to an early demise. If you suspect your power supply may be about to give up the ghost, replace it. PC Power and Cooling is a good source for quality power supplies."
Source:
http://www.pcworld.com/resou
Regardless, things will vary depending on your specifics. Call the manufacturer to verify specs and do some line testing with a handy dandy multi-meter.
why does it always take so long for good stuff to reach the United States?
In the asian market, companies are much more willing to put out products that won't be huge sellers. If they estimate the demand for Widget X to be (say) 1,000 units, they'll make it, where in the US, things don't get made until the demand is (say) 10,000 units. I'll leave it to more informed to explain why this is the case.
Don't become a regular here -- you will become retarded.
just to rip that touch panel out Unless someone knows where I can get a similar screen for less than the case?
No sig for you!!
Foul quote:
HELMET: I don't see Planet Druidia. Where is it?
SANDURZ: We don't have visual contact yet, sir, but we have it on the radar screen. Shall I punch it up for you?
HELMET: Na, nevermind. I'll do it myself.
SANDURZ: Very good, sir.
HELMET: What's the matter with this thing? What's all that churning and bubbling? You call that a radar screen.
SANDURZ: No, sir. We call it, "Mr. Coffee." Care for some?
HELMET: Yes! I always have coffee when I watch radar. You know that.
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And cubical? How in Hell's name am I supposed to fit that thing in my entertainment rack? It's twice as high as my DVD player. It looks absolutely ridiculous. Then again, since it doesn't have to even be in the same room as my entertainment system I guess it doesn't matter. But then why try to make it look like a "hi-fi" device? It's so confusing. Is it a bad looking computer or an entertainment device with a non-standard form factor?
Support the First Amendment. Read at -1
According to Nintendo, the GameCube is 4.3 inches tall. According to Asus, this thing is 7.1 inches. That's freaking huge for an AV component, unless you're talking about a receiver, which this thing is not. So you're half right: it's like a gamecube blown up to x-box proportions.
Why is it that everyone's obsessed with outdoing Apple? The reason why what they're doing works is because they're NOT concerned about competing with everyone else. They let a good idea come to them and run with it.
If I see another post on Slashdot about an "Apple Killer", I'm going to throw my hands up in the air, and cry like a little baby, because I'm pathetic like that.
ShortFormBlog: Writing a little. Saying a lot.
It's shaped like a case of Coke... Not the ideal for stacking with the rest of my equipment.
How about the D-Link Media Player instead? It's about an inch and a half tall, and plays all my media to the TV (wirelessly) and without a hard drive either.
black, with a colored LED-ish LCD panel
Some unfortunate news for you -- even if you found a way to make it fit nicely on your shelf (the strange shape and that puffy handle aren't helping on this one...), black is not an option.
That's "Starry Blue".