Big name PC makers are pumping out tiny low power desktops, often called nettops, like nobody’s business. Or rather, like everybody’s business. But while most of the nettops coming from companies like Lenovo, Acer, Asus, and MSI are sporting Intel Atom processors and occasionally NVIDIA ION graphics, things are taking a different turn in Shenzhen, China, where at least a handful of computer manufacuters are building small, low power desktops around processors from chip-maker VIA.
VIA isn’t really a household name in the US or Europe, but in the early days of netbooks (you know, back in 2008), the company started to make a name for itself by offering the VIA C7-M and the VIA Nano processor as an alternative to Intel’s Celeron and Atom chips for low power mini-laptops. Intel pretty much trounced VIA in the western hemisphere, but in Asia VIA is making some headway by offering low cost, low power chips for many of the dirt cheap netbooks flooding the market.
Now Sanzhaiben reports that a Chinese PC maker is bringing out a line of VIA-based netops including one that uses a 1.6GHz VIA C7-M processor and VX700 chipset, and then another that will use VIA’s speedier Nano processor and VX855 chipset.
Like Intel Atom-based nettops, the goal with these devices is to keep down the size, and if you believe the listed specs, they don’t get much smaller than this. The computer pictures above measures just 5.3″ x 4.8″ x 1.4″ and weighs just 0.67 pounds.
The PC features a S-Video and VGA outputs, 3 USB ports, and Ethernet and also has a slot for a WiFi/Bluetooth antenna. It has 5.1 channel audio and the VIA Nano powered version will support 1080p video playback and 3G wireless broadband.
via Cloned in China
China based nettops are much useful than the other brands.
I love the POEWR button and light.
I’ll believe the 1080p output when I read hands-on reviews.