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Neuros LINK Mixes Quiet, Aesthetics, and Ubuntu

Posted by timothy on from the gone-to-seed-is-before-the-good-stuff-in-this-context dept.

jonniee writes with a link to Dr. Dobb's Journal's look at a rather cool living-room-suitable media-centric computer from Neuros (presented as being suitable mostly for developers and serious hobbyists for now), excerpting: "The Neuros LINK is essentially a quiet x86 PC running Ubuntu Linux with an ATI graphics card delivering video via VGA, DVI, and HDMI output. ... What makes the LINK such a compelling platform for these folks and Linux/open source developers in general is the recognition that a real business entity is stepping forward to spend the money necessary to market and commercialize what tech enthusiasts have been doing for years."

3 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Looks pretty good on features and price by value_added · · Score: 5, Informative

    I wonder how quiet it is, some of the pictures had fans...

    At least you clicked the link. ;-)

    In the text accompanying those pictures it said 27dB. Not quiet, but not noisy either.

  2. Re:ATI? eek! by javilon · · Score: 5, Informative

    There is another reason for considering Nvidia. They have vpdau:

    VDPAU (Video Decode and Presentation API for Unix) is an API designed by NVIDIA for its GeForce 8 series and later GPU hardware, targeted at the X Window System on Unix operating-systems (including Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris).[1][2][3] This VDPAU API allows video programs to offload portions of the video decoding process and video post-processing to the GPU video-hardware.

    This would allow them to use fairly quiet and cheap processors, like the atom, and still get flawless HD 1080p output.

    --


    When his defense asked, "Which computer has Jon Johansen trespassed upon?" the answer was: "His own."
  3. Re:ATI? eek! by TeknoHog · · Score: 4, Informative

    In my experience, watching video on Linux is hardly limited by the graphics card, and you certainly don't need a gaming monster to get get good video. I'm only interested in a good Xv implementation for hardware scaling, since the video formats are evolving anyway.

    My current media machine has a Mini-ITX motherboard with integrated Intel graphics and a Core Duo T2300 at 1.66 GHz. When I watch 720p H.264 (that's the most my monitor is capable of), only one CPU is used at 60%, and of course everything is smooth. The machine has only one fan, rated at 24 dBA, but it's running at 7 V instead of 12, so it's even quieter. The power supply is a passively cooled one (like PicoPSU) rated at 80 W.

    --
    Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.