UI2 with overlay and resolution 1080p
Yesterday I made a few shots of ASUS P2-M2A690G. It’s really great. I found that there are actually two sound cards. One uses analog and digital outputs and another - HDMI. That means it’s possible to send audio and video via one HDMI cable!
Yesterday I got barebone ASUS P2-M2A690G for testing as media director for LinuxMCE. That box is priced just in €100. But it’s really good: integrated ATI RadeonTM 1250 with HDMI output, S/PDIF-out (Optical) audio, slim form-factor and nice looking design.
Additionally I had Desktop Athlon 64 X2 5400+ and 2GB RAM. Installation of processor and memory took about 15 minutes (thanks to well thought-out internal design). By the way I like the quality of P2-M2A690G assembling. All wires are tied up into braid and placed around case. So, internal space looks very clear.
Finally ASUS announced specification, prices and availability of its new Eee B202 Desktop PC. Its price starts from $269.00. So, as you can see B202 looks very attractive in design, productivity and price points.
I like ASUS Eee B202 Desktop PC and I’d like to try it as LinuxMCE media client (media director). It uses Intel graphical chip which supports UI2 but without transparency yet. The B202 can be mounted behind TV. It’s compact, noiseless and has enough power to play video (not sure about HDTV). Well, let’s wait till it’ll be available in Europe. I think it can be good competitor for aOpen miniPC.
Full specification after jump.
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It seems that ASUS is going to crowd aOpen and MacMini produced its version of miniPC - Essentio CS 5110. It’s compact - 29 x 20 x 8 cm but has enough power to playback even HDTV! The miniPC is also equipped with built-in 802.11n wireless adaptor with transmission rates of 300Mbps and Bluetooth 2.0 adapter, HDMI and S/PIDF with 7.1 Sound. The CS 5110 is quiet. The operation noise level is only at 23.9dB at idle mode (thanks to 2-in-1 thermal module). So, it provides a very comfortable computing environment. Stylish design of the CS 5110 won’t break your living room appearance.
The availability and price are not known yet. The But I already started to think about using it as media director in LinuxMCE. It has nVidia video adapter and it’s stylish, compact and power. So, let’s see when it’ll be available for buying.
Detailed specification after jump.
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Everex offers a compact and fanless PC which can be used as LinuxMCE media director - gPC mini. For $499 we can get 1.86GHz Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core Mobile Processor T2130 (1MB L2 Cache, 1.86GHz, 533MHz), 120GB Hard Disk Drive, 512MB DDR2 667 SDRAM, DVD+/-RW, Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator GMA950, Realtek ALC268 High-Definition Audio, (1) 10/100/1000 Ethernet Port, (1) DVI-I Port, (1) S-Video Port, (1) IEEE 1394 Port, (4) USB 2.0 Ports, (1) 4-in1 Media Card Reader, (1) Headphone/Line-Out Port, (2) Microphone/Line-In Port.
The gPC mini looks nice. So, it won’t break interior of your living room. Moreover because it’s thin it can be mounted behind TV easily. The price is also reasonable in my opinion.