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VIA ARTiGO A1200 lets you roll your own miniscule, fanless PC
Most ultra-compact, fanless PCs are intended for the embedded market -- that is, not for the proletariat to tinker with directly. VIA's no stranger to serving that crowd, but it's making a point of addressing home users who want this class of PC for DIY projects, like home media servers, with the ARTiGO A1200. The new design is still using the dual-core, 1GHz Eden X2 of VIA's usual embedded PCs at its heart, but it comes wrapped in a smaller, more eye-catching package with HDMI video out and support for Windows 7. That's not to say that the A1200 represents a softening, inside or out. The PC can still survive temperatures between 32F and 113F with dust resistance in the bargain, and there's an array of ports you're still less likely to find on an everyday computer, such as a CFast slot (for storage) and dual gigabit Ethernet jacks. The $320 it costs to buy the new ARTiGO today won't get you an OS, RAM or a hard drive, but its ability to survive for years in a hot, dusty closet just might be worth the cost.
VIA's ARTiGO 1150: a $265 barebones nettop with big potential (video)
That VE-900 mini-ITX kit still too big for you, eh? Then check out VIA's latest pico-ITX alternative: the ARTiGO 1150 DIY nettop. It improves on last year's 1100 model with a dual-core Eden X2 processor clocked at 1GHz and a VX900H media system processor for accelerated decoding of video up to 1080p. The palm-sized chassis houses the usual HDMI and VGA outputs, gigabit Ethernet and four USB 2.0 host ports, while also leaving just enough room for you to install up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, one 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD, plus optional WiFi and SD card reader modules. We've found the 1150 selling for $265, which strikes us as appropriately diminutive, but there's a promo video and press release after the break to help you weigh it up for yourself.
VIA's ARTiGO A1100 is the nettop for DIYers (video)
If you like the idea of a nettop or some other microscopic little PC, but would rather have something that you can open up and tinker with -- maybe even upgrade at some point -- you're not alone. And, we think you're going to love the VIA ARTiGO A1100. It's a DIY little desktop that's powered by the 1.2GHz VIA Nano processor and paired up with VX855 media processor, which we know can handle 1080p video playback without breaking a sweat. There's also VGA and HDMI video outputs, gigabit Ethernet, five USB ports, and optional 802.11b/g. VIA is calling this the "smallest full featured PC kit available today" and we're inclined to agree. At $243 ($199 if you're one of the first 10 to order) it's a solid bargain too, and while that price includes neither RAM nor storage, we're inclined to think that's a good thing -- you stuff this thing with as many gigabytes as you like. %Gallery-91219%
VIA's ARTIGO A2000 wants to be your own private server
VIA's new ARTIGO A2000 is a low-power barebones masquerading as a miniscule server. The squat PC features a 1.5GHz VIA C7-D CPU atop the company's VX800 chipset, a whopping single slot for DDR2 RAM (up to 2GB), two 3.5-inch SATA II drive bays, bootable CF support, gigabit Ethernet (as well as an optional 802.11b/g module), a slew of USB ports, and the rest of the familiar jacks, nozzles, and switches. The company is aiming the system squarely at BitTorrenters and those in need of lightweight file serving, and with supposedly low-noise fan and small power footprint, we can't say we disagree. No word on price or street date -- but you'll know more when we do.Update: Looks like the ARTIGO's going to sell for $299 and that it'll be available by the end of January of 2009.[Via SlashGear]
VIA's ARTIGO Pico-ITX ultra-compact barebones
If you've been wanting to break into the exciting, fast-paced, cut-throat world of ultra-compact desktop PC construction, but didn't know where to begin, VIA has got your number. The company has just launched the ARTIGO Pico-ITX builder kit, a complete VIA-based system that you can snap together in the privacy of your own home. The bundle includes a Pico-ITX motherboard with a VIA C7 1GHz CPU, support for up to 1GB of RAM, IDE and eSATA connectors, VGA output, four USB ports, audio line in / out jacks, and 10/100 ethernet. The package includes everything but a hard drive and memory, and is available right now for around $300. Check the video after the break and experience the joy of construction.[Thanks, Stewart]
