It looks the Asus Eee Box isn’t the only interesting mini-desktop around. Amid the swathes of Centrino 2 and small form factor notebooks at IDF this week, we spotted this – a mini Centrino 2 desktop.
We’ve been hearing about desktop “Montevina” (the codename for Centrino 2 laptops) since the Centrino 2 launch earlier this year, so it’s interesting to finally see one up close.
So what’s the big deal – you’ve seen small desktops before, right?
The first thing to notice (apart from the pink paint job), is this is markedly smaller than previous small form factor, Shuttle-type machines. The Aopen device pictured wasn’t marked with a model number, but specs of a similar Aopen system - the AOpen XC mini MP45 series – show dimensions of 50cm high, and 16.5cm wide with a 1.3L volume.
Granted, it’s not as tiny as the Asus Eee Box (see our photo gallery here), but the MP45 is on paper a very different beast. For one, there’s a Super Multi DVD drive. There’s also Intel’s X4500HD integrated graphics – not the fastest ticket in town, but likely a better candidate for Blu-Ray than the GMA 950 on the Eee Box. There’s also 5.1ch surround.
One possible reason for having a notebook-based desktop, is the small size offered by Centrino 2. Centrino 2 also has switchable graphics, and improved Blu-Ray playback. As we’ve mentioned before, 6 cell Centrino 2 systems have the ability to last the length of a full Blu-Ray movie – though we’re not expecting a battery version of this desktop anytime soon.
 |
| Not the Eee PC size, but close |
 |
| Not the Eee PC size, but close |
William Maher is reporting at the Intel Developer Forum this week in San Francisco.
Follow our Intel IDF 2008 coverage:
- IDF: Spot the Eee PC
- IDF: “Turbo mode” is back for PCs- Intel claims 5-year life for SSD
- IDF: The "Intel iPhone" not such a crazy idea
- Intel IDF: Spotted, a Centrino 2 desktop
- Intel promises “screaming performance” for Core i7- Live from Intel IDF - Atom, Centrino 2, Larrabee