Intel IDF: Spotted, a Centrino 2 desktop

William Maher | Aug 20, 2008 9:58 AM

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

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