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With the Jack PC, the Computer's In the Wall!

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the that's-pretty-sweet dept.

cylonlover writes "The Jack PC from Chip PC Technologies offers a neat and novel thin-client desktop computing solution where the computer doesn't just plug into the wall, it is the plug in the wall. Running on power provided by the ethernet cable that also connects it to the data center server, the computer-in-a-wall-socket supports wireless connectivity, has dual display capabilities and runs on the RISC processor architecture."

8 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. Old news. by bchickens · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've used the JACK PCs before on a citrix environment (A couple years ago). Actually I installed and tested the system. Neat little things but hardley new news.

    --
    ~Bchickens
    1. Re:Old news. by vlm · · Score: 4, Insightful

      They only benefit I see to having to bolt these into the wall is in a school or a public place where theft would be a concern.

      Bolt it into a wall behind the big screen. Instant super digital picture frame or announcement board, just add software.

      The main threat is from the long cable industry, using a traditional cheap PC somewhere else with long cables. The other threat is no upgrade path, if you'll need to do the long cable thing on the next generation anyway, why not do it now.

      --
      "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    2. Re:Old news. by Defenestrar · · Score: 4, Funny

      Or convention centers, church pulpits, wall mounted information displays, neo-classically designed retro-arcades, computer controlled entertainment centers, etc...

      You're certainly right in calling this in-wall mount a "niche" market though ;)

  2. Welcome... by Cloud+K · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...to 2006.

    Am I missing a development (the 'news') bit or is this just a slashvertisement?

    1. Re:Welcome... by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 5, Funny

      I don't know what's more pathetic- that three of ten commenters immediately remembered some random Slashdot story from 2006, or that I did.

    2. Re:Welcome... by mcgrew · · Score: 4, Funny

      Too bad they're not sold at the Wal mart in the mall. Then you could get a Wal Mart Mall Wall Wart.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
  3. GPL viotation, by Zappy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Uses modified Debian, source nowhere to be found.

    Asking by e-mail several questions consistently ignored my request for the sourcecode until all other questions where resolved then I got completely ignored.

  4. Mechanical Horrors by Maavin · · Score: 5, Informative

    I deployed about 200 of these things in an industrial environment (control rooms in a steel plant). They are small and perform rather good.
    BUT
    The electrical connection between the the JackPC and its shell is terrible! Some are so weak, that you only have to bump into the table and they lose connection.
    It's so bad we considered soldering a short cat5 pigtail directly to the damn things and fix everything with hot glue...

    --


    Crivens! I kicked meself in me own heid!