Hi-Grade's uDMS P60 teeny tiny Viiv PC

We were plenty impressed with the m5e WMCE PC from Blueado we spied the other day, but the new uDMS P60 from Hi-Grade does about every mini PC one better, and it's a Viiv machine to boot. The unit is based on a 1.6GHz Core Duo processor, which (mostly) accounts for the skimpy size, but they still manage to pack in a 80GB 2.5-inch HDD, DVD burner, analog TV tuner, WiFi, Bluetooth, 56k modem, gigabit Ethernet, DVI, S-Video, and a memory card reader just for good measure. There is an infrared keyboard with integrated trackball included, but it requires an external infrared dongle to work, throwing off Hi-Grade's otherwise all-inclusive "cram it in" policy. To fully round out the Viiv spec, the unit has instant on, instant off capability, and yet goes for a mere $1400, unless you opt for a DTV tuner or want to bump the processor speed. So if all that Viiv hullabaloo was necessary for us to see well designed media PCs like this one, we say it was well worth it.

[Via Digital Media Thoughts]

[Ian Jardine @ Feb 13th 2006 8:07PM]

All that and ONLY an Analog tuner......

[fever @ Feb 13th 2006 8:25PM]

56k modem? I guess...

f

[YO-Q @ Feb 13th 2006 8:52PM]

Man first think I thought was Nintendo Rev ha

[DJ MoRice @ Feb 13th 2006 8:53PM]

Anyone else think this looks like a cable modem?

[neale @ Feb 13th 2006 8:53PM]

first off, do away with 56k's. no one uses them

secondly, make it attractive.

why should i buy this and not a mac mini? ok, so its got 'duo' core. what happens when the mini gets it?

[genexk @ Feb 13th 2006 9:06PM]

looks like a modem or router = =

[Echo_ @ Feb 13th 2006 9:15PM]

Mac mini doesnt have tv tuner?

mac mini wont get duo core even the ibook(macbook regular??) most liekly wont get duo core

[E @ Feb 13th 2006 9:32PM]

I guess my question would be, why get a Mac Mini and not this?

Not the other way around.

[strider_mt2k @ Feb 13th 2006 9:32PM]

That thing is pretty cool all right.
An analog TV Tuner is a feature who's time is limited, but for right now it's a sweet package.

[Matt G @ Feb 13th 2006 9:50PM]

For $1400 i'd gladly buy a 17" iMac with Core duo for $100 bucks less... with 2x bigger hard drive and superior graphics accelleration compared to this thing, not to mention built-in 17" widescreen.. dude, it looks like a cable modem.

[Chuck @ Feb 13th 2006 10:31PM]

Is that a Motorola SURFboard? http://images.google.com/images?q=motorola%20%22surfboard%22&sa=N&tab=wi

[play free games @ Feb 13th 2006 10:36PM]

Oh man, you had me until the $1400 price tag. Looks real nice, but this is first generation Viiv stuff, so it will be pretty expensive for now. Looking forward to rolling my own in the years to come as prices slowly creep down. Does look like both the Nintendo Revolution and a cable modem though.

[Russ @ Feb 13th 2006 11:48PM]

dell can put together a pretty well specced P4 desktop for $US649 with a 17in LCD. i'm waiting for them to stuff those components into something approximating the form factor of a VCR. i might be in the minority, but I also don't want to shell out $1400 for a PC to go under my telly..

[MMORPG @ Feb 14th 2006 2:06AM]

Hmm, that is a large amount of stuff for $1400 if you are worried about space.

[Rob @ Feb 14th 2006 3:59AM]

You can buy much cheaper laptops with much better specs than that.
My suggestion is just to buy a laptop with a busted screen from eBay and save your cash for when you have to upgrade to a computer (from the man) which has been certified for HDCMP.

Using HDCMP to tie in the next round of upgrades, very nice Dell,Sony et al.

[Juo @ Feb 14th 2006 4:00AM]

Attack of the Apple fanboys!

[ch424 @ Feb 14th 2006 8:16AM]

This is waaay faster than a mac mini, as well as being smaller, running MCE and having a TV tuner. Sure, it's quite pricey, but not much more expensive than the fastest mini with all the bluetooth, wifi etc.

ch424

[Jeffler @ Feb 14th 2006 9:18AM]

Yay!

For the first time in a long time I see a more desirable mini computer then the mac mini!

Now, if it were cheaper....

[Sean @ Feb 14th 2006 10:52AM]

Man, you're all fools! It sounds like most of you didn't read the article. This thing looks sweet to me. A tad spendy, but you're paying for first-gen Viiv as well as putting so much stuff into such a tiny space. You will be able to get it with a digital tuner. And you don't have to have it on its side like that.

Sure, go and buy your stinking iMac for a bit cheaper... then cry when you can't hook it up to anything bigger than the included 20" monitor :P I have a 32" LCD TV that is just waiting for something like this to come along.

[Sean @ Feb 14th 2006 10:53AM]

PS: The modem is for caller-id capability inside of MCE - I doubt anyone would use it for internet connectivity :P

[Dirty6 @ Feb 14th 2006 11:43AM]

It's quite possible that modem would be used for downloading a program guide-ala TIVO-for them folks out thar in them sticks that ain't got no broadband love. Or for cheapasses that don't give no broadband love.

[Bruce M @ Feb 14th 2006 1:20PM]

OK just wait until the next Mac mini rev ... it will SLAGHTER this thing ... it's going to have everything this has, but not look like a cable modem from the early 90's ... plus include Front Row to provide an elegant media center solution. Oh, and the price will likely be well under $1,000.

I'm not an apple fanboy, I've just seen this again and again -- PC makers can do amazing things, but the bottom line is can they do it affordably? Everyone thinks Mac's are expensive, but when it comes to packing in tons of well performing, integrated functionality into beautifully designed cases, nobody can touch Apple now.

This is a good sign though -- I hope all PC manufacturers continue getting away from the Dell sh*tbox model of computer design.

[cyuzna @ Feb 14th 2006 8:16PM]

Man, I'm diggin' this WAY more than the Mac mini.

Apple's whole white plastic look is rapidly becoming stale, and will look as dated as a Members Only jacket in a couple years. [the brushed aluminum powerbook look will be forever classic, however]

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Feb 15th 2006 4:30AM]

I'll buy such setup as soon as it will get under $500.

Mac Mini fits the sweet spot of price/performance. As long as this machine is capable of dvd/video playback - it's Okay. And for dvd/video you need good video card and CPU 500MHz+.

I do not see need for more. At least not for me - I will not pay more.

[frosty @ Feb 9th 2007 8:23AM]

I have just received one of these as a present, does anyone know if i can upgrade the memory or graphics card!!!!it's so damn small?