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The Mini-ITX Project Revisited
An anonymous reader writes "From the article: "Once my original Mini-ITX project was completed I finally had a chance to sit back and use the computer. After a couple weeks of general internet browsing, emailing, and so forth, I was able to get a better understanding of the system and a feel for its design. Knowing how simple my needs were, the Mini-ITX project computer was orginally designed to be as basic and quiet as possible. This meant no hard drive, no extra accessories- just a stripped down system. While this suited my needs well at the time, its lack of versatility soon became an issue. This meant it was back to the drawing board for a retooling of the Mini-ITX project computer. The changes include a new case, operating system and boot device, along with improved cooling. The new system was tested using Slax and then MEPISLite." Even better link is the site itself which regularly carries mods.
Has anyone been using them for any length of time? The one in the article is 60W, I've been using a few rated at 200W without problems in some of our boxes - but the longevity is always in the back of my mind.
We've put together a few dozen silent boxes based off of compact flash / IDE adapters and have been VERY pleased with the results.
..don't panic
Just send the check to Rob, and you'll get one.
Yes, the Mac mini seems to have killed all the incentive to build VIA EPIA-platform mini boxen. They are small, they are quiet, and they have a lot more capability than your average EPIA Mini-ITX box. They're a little more expensive but they are less hassle. And hey, you get Mac OS X with it! I like Linux, I use it all the time, but it doesn't have the same kind of polish that Mac OS X has.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
I have to agree with the other comments about how Mac minis are killing mini-ITX. I'm just waiting for a Pentium-M Mac mini so I can install Linux and use WINE. It'll make a great PVR/game console.
LOAD "SIG",8,1
...he was going to run his website off it. Nice user experience, click, click, crash.
l [linuxdevices.com]LinuxDevices is miles better, 64-way Linux mini-ITX cluster... and it's silent(ish) too!
Bet the guy is using IIS too.
Definitely a spam-tastic link btw, much as I like Mini-ITX stuff, if you we're going to link to an interesting recent mini-itx article, this one at http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3032138730.htm
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Mac fanboy or anything, but doesn't it strike anyone as odd that this computer is still more than 3x times larger than a Mac Mini? And it is probably slower with worse video as well. Why can't we make a PC that compares to the Mac mini? Is it because of the assembled nature and not having specially designed parts?
-matthew
"THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
Why wasn't he able to install the flash card? Seeing as it was an IDE-to-CF interface, Linux should have seen it as the boot device, no?
...an old junker VCR case might be nice, pizza box form factor (set screen on top in other words), available free or for 1$ at most thrift shops. Take where the slot for the old tape was and use that for the optical drive access. I like the mini itx idea, just don't like those cubicle form factor boxes. They don't really fit anyplace that looks "right" to me, and I just as soon as not don't care if the power supply is inside the case, one less do-dad with wires hanging out of it to stare at on the desktop.
Ya, I know, taste. Right now I just crammed mine (bought used so it was cheap, hear ya on the prices) in an old AT case just to get it booted up, I plan on doing the briefcase type install sometime once I find the right briefcase. One of those long term, one stage at a time projects...I just want a pure low power 12 VDC machine for extended power outtages when they occur.
And with that said,for anyone who might be interested, Beatrix linux was designed for mini itx and Via boards/CPUs from the get-go.
Take a cheap Dell (or any) commonly available notebook machine. Break it open. Remove the keyboard, powersupply and battery. Remove the screen being careful to replace the ribbon cable or at least not break it. Take the now free main planar stick it in any random 1337 shell - toaster oven, fishtank, DVD player, retro 8-track, whatever you want. Stick the LCD display on that shell or something else. Attach a USB keyboard and mouse. Plug in.
That's pretty much it for a 1.0 version. Later revs can include a DVD drive or any other peripheral that was in the original notebook. If you don't like the LCD screen just go out and buy the big screen you want and plug it into the SVGA port you already have on your anchovy-can PC.
Remember all the ports and connectors are already there and if you want to move or hide them you can do that with some simple extention cables inside the case. Because once you remove the keyboard, the screen, the case, the battery and the powersupply your pc is not that much bigger than 10" x 4" x 0.7" including the hard drive.