Digital-Logic Microspace Mini-PCs

frozenray writes: "Digital-Logic AG, a Swiss company, sells two rather cool BX-based mini PCs, the Microspace-PC30 and -PC31. Most notable features are: very compact size, passive cooling (<35 dB according to the manufacturer), an impressive collection of interfaces (including 2xUSB, IRDA, TV Out/In, FireWire, 2xEthernet 10/100, optional smartcard reader, line in/out, microphone), CDR or DVD, 20 GB 2.5" harddisk. The downside: Those are definitely no systems for power users (current processors are 700 MHz Celeron and 700 MHz P3, 1 GHz mobile P4 systems are planned according to this [German] article), the SMI721 graphics controller is nothing for UT addicts, and they're quite expensive (CHF 2'549.- and 3'199.- according to their Swiss distributor, which amounts to approximately US$ 1'517.- / US$ 1'904.- at the current exchange rate). Another caveat: The power supply is external, but I didn't see any pictures of it on their website. Readers may want to compare this design to the TX2 version of the 'Cappuccino' PC which is similar in concept but has a rather loud CPU fan."

underpowered, overpriced

[cygnus]

at those prices, you might as well spring for the new iMac.

Wow, that's nifty

[Microlith]

I wonder what it's shock tolerances are. That looks like something you'd stick in your trunk, hook up a few wires, and have a car mp3 player with all of an hour's effort.

As for replacing laptops... no.

Laptops are much more convenient, an entire display and input system integrated into the casing. This thing looks like a super-small replacement for that big box on most people's desk. Get the CEO that nice 19" flatpanel, nice mouse, keyboard, everything, and mount one of these things under his desktop. Much easier to handle upgrades, and cheaper.

Now, hopefully prices will come down sometime soon.

How is this news?

[Have Blue]

I'd expect to read this in an ad banner, not an article. Is there anything that even remotely "matters" about this thing?

Well.. its slashdotted.

[Restil]

But at those prices, I'm unlikely to buy one.

And from looking at the specs provided by the summary, it appears I could build an identical system for 1/4 the price, the only downside being size and perhaps power consumption.

As someone previously posted, for the lack of video options, a laptop would do just as nicely, although there aren't too many laptops with two ethernet adapters (but you could add an extra one via a pcmcia slot).

-Restil

Re:What's the point?

[sam_handelman]

The devices I've seen billed as "Mini PCs" [xycom.com] are a bit smaller than normal laptops, I'd say about 8" x 8" x 3" (it's late, don't jump on me if I'm off.)
People in "industry" buy them, with 286 chips, because they want to make embedded devices but don't want to deal with firmware. I have some friends who make scientific instruments, they use them for this purpose as well.

The only use I can think of for something with about 1 Ghz of power - and it's a pretty strange one - is as a control system for really outre field analytical devices, if I wanted to make them portable. I'm talking about a device with really a lot of intelligence that is basically built into a laptop casing, with room to spare to make it a bit tougher.

The big problem with this, of course, is that anyone who is thinking of carrying around such a device (parts alone upwards of 30 grand, depending on what exactly it is, plus value added from being custom made by multiple PhDs) can get a laptop. It would seem to be much simpler to control the device from the laptop, like we allready do for the few devices that work this way.

For one thing, there is little point in doing sophisticated analysis in the field if you don't have a moniter to view the results.

not powerful? what are you smoking?

[Splork]

since when is a 700Mhz P3 not a powerful system? last i checked it was still running just as fast as that 700Mhz P3 that you were drooling over two years ago.