In addition to the two new mini-laptops MSI recently unveiled, the company is showing off several new nettop, low profile desktop computers. We’ve seen some of the MSI nettops before, including the iMac lookalike MSI introduced a few weeks ago.
But there are also a few new computers in the works, including the MSI WInd Box, which is a tiny, thin computer that actually looks a lot like a laptop with its lid, battery and keyboard ripped off. And that’s kind of what it is. If you look at the side of the computer, you’ll notice that the USB ports, VGA output, and SD card reader are all in pretty much the same position as they would be on an MSI Wind U100 netbook.
The nettop’s low profile form factor makes it ideal for mounting on the back of a monitor, or shoving below your desk.
The MSI Wind Box sports a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, 802.11b/G WiFi and runs Windows XP. Other models will be available with more RAM and larger hard drives. The base model will sell for 200 Euros or about $258.
via Blogeee
Nice industrial design — looks (as it should!) like a car amplifier 🙂
I hope that it will be fairly soon that a car without a (general purpose) computer, or provisions to accomodate a laptop etc, will be a quaint throwback. So far, I’m letting people with more time, money and initiative do all my beta testing on this front, but I want my car computer to …
– take over the functions for which I have a small GPS device now. (Tracking path, suggesting directions)
– allow wireless access when stopped, for quick email checks, etc.
– act as a black box w/ cameras (In some year soon, black boxes will be mandatory in autos, I suspect. 10 years?) I am not in favor of them being mandatory, but I like the idea in my own car.
– play back audio, even when in formats that the dedicated head-unit makers have not yet gotten around to adding, so I can listen to inspiring podcasts from econtalk.org 😉
– entertain passengers with photos and movies
Now, where to find an inexpensive daylight-readable 9″ or 10″ high-res touchscreen with a standard VGA in? 😉 And how many webcams can Ubuntu be coaxed to watch from at once?
timothy
As a fan of silent computers (I don’t just mean quiet), I noticed the MSI Windbox is fanless. With an SSD, you wouldn’t even hear the drive clicking. Fanless is a feature I have yet to see in any other Atom-based small computer. The Eeebox is quiet but still fanned.
If Intel ever comes out with a more efficient chipset for the Atom you will see most of the netbooks go fanless. Unfortunately, with little or no competition from AMD or VIA, Intel has no real incentive to spend more money on R&D.
You would think removing some of the expensive bits (display and battery) would drop the price a bit more. This would make a decent car computer.
It’s worth noting that this is the price in Europe. It may be even cheaper
by the time it makes it to the US.