Ace Computers promises $999 CableCARD HTPC at CES 2009
HTPCs may still be a niche market, but getting one equipped with a CableCARD for under a grand could do great things for adoption. Little-known Ace Computers will reportedly debut such a rig at CES, and the machine will be known as the LMS 250. It'll be made available in a few configurations, one of which includes a triple-core AMD Phenom X3 and one that houses an Intel Core 2 Duo E7300; the former will be built around AMD's Maui entertainment platform, while the latter could quite possibly be the last to use Intel's own impossible-to-understand Viiv technology. Prospective customers with fatter wallets can upgrade the baseline rigs with a Blu-ray burner, but even the $999 edition will include 2GB of RAM, a 500GB HDD, internal ATI Digital Cable Tuner and between 8 and 12 USB ports. Sadly, we're not tipped off on a release date, but hopefully we'll learn of that -- along with many other delicious, heart-healthy tidbits -- in just a few days.
