First International's slim, VIIV-powered GE2 multimedia PC
By Evan Blass 
posted Jun 7th 2006 1:43PM
posted Jun 7th 2006 1:43PM
Ever since the Mac mini made its much-heralded debut, new small form-factor multimedia PCs have been popping up seemingly every day, so a new company called First International (FIC) has its work cut out for it if it hopes to top the likes of AOpen, Blueado, and Hi-Grade with the super-slim, VIIV-powered GE2 revealed at Computex. Not surprisingly, the specs on this machine closely match other models on the market, so features like a Core Duo processor, integrated graphics, slot-loading DVD burner, WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0, optional TV tuner, and DVI and S/PDIF outputs will probably sound quite familiar by now. Since neither pricing nor release date are known at this point, all we can hold onto is FIC's promise that the GE2 will be shipping "very soon."
Neither the Bluado nor the HiGrade can be compared to the Aopen. The Blueado is an Aopen unit with a Blueado sticker, and the HiGrade is an ECS unit with a HiGrade Sticker.
FIC is far from a "new" company. I used to sell FIC motherboards back in 1998.
Like Hans said, FIC isn't new, but it is strange that they're making a fully assembled PC. I'm using one of their motherboards on this PC right now. It's never done me wrong. It'll probably be hard to get this PC in the U.S. though.
If this is anything like FIC's motherboards over the years, it'll cost half as much as the competition and last 1/4th at long.
"viiv powered," you guys still drinking that kool-aid? It's just a small wintel box with intel extreme graphics where "extreme" is short for "extremely crappy." Sigh. Do you get cash for every time you mention "viiv" in a post? Can I get a cut?
At least the maufacturers are getting in on the slim boat before crApple decides to 'inovate' and copy MCE and... 'Slim MCE' - it's the last line of defense before the attack of old whitey.
I don't see how everything relates back to apple. I believe that shuttle (among other companies) PC's have been around for, i dunno, years before apple ever created their small computer. Get off the icock.
By the way, go ahead and hit that red "!" in above post. Further's my point.
I'm sorry, but Shuttle started making SFF computers _after_ Apple released the Cube in 2000. Then Apple released the mini, which was a lot smaller than most SFF computers, and now everyone feel they need to copy Apple again.