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Ask Engadget: best nettop for family use?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Robin, who wants to help the older generation get online. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hi Engadget, I'm looking for a desktop for my parents, and since they rarely play any 3D games, I think a nettop might be ideal. Anything that has an HDMI output would work, so what do you recommend? Thanks very much" Lenovo's latest Q190 arrives in January, will set you back $350 and comes with Windows 8, while the eco-friendly (but less-powerful) ASUS EeeBox EB1030 is $370, but should do a similarly decent job with your parents early adventures in tweeting. But how about you out there? Can you suggest a nettop that's even more desirable? Now that the world hasn't ended (at least when the Mayans said it would) you can share your knowledge in the comments below.
ASUS' Cedar Trail-loaded EeeBox EB1030 nettop keeps your desk clean, thumbs green
We've seen a fair share of space-saving nettops pass through our very own crowded halls, so what's one more to add to the list? Especially when it's one being flaunted as the most eco-friendly, energy-efficient PC. That's exactly what ASUS thinks of its EeeBox EB1030, which aside from sporting a relatively minimalist design (as is usually the case with nettops), it's also boasting Intel's latest batch of Cedar Trail CPUs. To go along with those Atom processors (1.86GHz), ASUS is making this mini machine as configurable as it could get, giving users the option to load it with up to 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive combined with 32GB of SSD goodness. Ports-wise the unit's pretty standard, offering options such as an HDMI, VGA, microphone, audio jack, card reader and four USB two-dot-ohs. Of course, the amount of cash you'll have to shell out will depend on the setup of choice, with pricing set to start at €296, or around $370 in American dollars. %Gallery-159480%
Genesi reduces price of Efika MX Smartbook, Smarttop, says it's for greater good
Back in September, we reported on the absurdly overpriced Efika MX Smartbook -- a little computer sporting a 10-inch display and a $349 price tag -- and it looks like somebody took note. The folks over at Genesi have reduced the price of their entire line of Efika MX products, dropping the aforementioned Smartbook to $199 and its desktop companion, the Smarttop, to $129. Of course, they did so with a bit of marketing flair, claiming the deal would open "the door even more for billions of people and businesses in emerging markets to affordable state-of-the-art computing and Internet access." Now, we're not calling anyone out here, but we're guessing we weren't the only ones who thought the Smartbook was just a tad too pricey. Full PR after the jump.
Acer unveils AMD-infused Aspire AZ3100 AIO, Revo 3700 nettop now available for $349
Can you smell it in the air? Autumn is most assuredly here. Sure, you can deduce as much from equinoxes or changing leaves, but if you ask us, it's almost just as precise to go by a new, pre-holiday product cycle. Acer's taken the cue with two new desktop SKUs -- one each in the nettop and all-in-one categories. First with the latter: the 21.5-inch AZ3100 all-in-one (pictured). A tier lower than the AZ5700, this one lacks the multitouch and TV tuner, and instead utilizes a 2GHz AMD Athlon II 170u processor, NVIDIA GeForce 9200 graphics, 3GB RAM, and 500GB HDD. Add in a DVD drive, webcam, HDMI, six USB 2.0 ports, Windows 7 Home Premium, and a side chassis for "cable management." It does best its older brother in the price category, though, at just $599 -- about five Benjamins lower. As for the Aspire Revo 3700, it was actually announced earlier this month, but now we've got the skinny on this book-sized nettop's price and availability. That'd be $349 for the tag, and a street date of approximately... now, according to the press release. Speaking of which, all pertinent paperwork can be found after the break. %Gallery-103244%
MSI Toast PC catches our eye, and that's all she wrote
Who knows what's actually housed in the device, but judging by the accompanying placard, MSI is playing the aesthetic card with this one. Designed as both a PC and a decoration for the home, it's certainly pleasing on the eye. And like the sign says, "don't try to put in toast" -- cute, but we'd rather that line had a commitment to releasing this sucker. Or a price range. Or some hint as specs. Or anything tangible, really. %Gallery-87374%
MSI Wind Box DE220 displayed and detailed
In all the CES madness, we somehow missed MSI's previously-teased Wind Box DE220. Fortunately, Liliputing didn't; the site's just now putting up impressions and along with it some specs of the novel-sized nettop. It's packing Pinetrail for starters, in the form of a single-core Atom D410 or dual-core D510. Also included are an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330, up to 1TB HDD / 4GB memory, 802.11b/g/n, and Windows 7 home premium. Mum's the word on price or release date, but from what we've seen, you can at least start decorating around its known color options: blue, red, and black.
ASUS' Ion-powered EeeBox EB1012 resurfaces on Amazon in sub-$400 range
Well, would you look at that? Materializing after the fog of CES, ASUS' Eee Box EB1012-B0257 nettop, known colloquially as "the low-cost home theater PC we've been longing for," has popped up on Amazon. In case you forgot, this little guy's packing Intel's 1.6GHz Dual Core N330 Atom processor, NVIDIA Ion, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, Windows 7, HDMI out, 802.11b/g/n, and a sextet of USB 2.0 ports. Still no release date but at least we have a better idea as to its cost of entry: $399, with a 3 percent / $12 discount care of the online retailer. Only color being shown right now is a sleek black, but as we saw last time, there should be a white model in the pipeline for some point in the indeterminable future. [Thanks, Joel]
ASUS Eee Box EB1501 primed for $479 Amazon pre-order
We'd been wondering when ASUS' NVIDIA Ion and optical drive packing Eee Box EB1501 would touch down on US soil, and lo and behold today it's showing face for all those eager enough to pre-order. The device is available at Amazon for not a dollar less than $479 (though it does have free shipping), and if you'll recall, the box is boasting a 1.6GHz Intel Atom dual core N330, NVIDIA Ion graphics, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive. All that and you get Windows 7 Home Premium rather than the ever-graying Windows XP. Of course, if you're looking for all that in a mobile form factor you can always wait on the $499 ASUS Eee PC 1201N, but for set-top duty, feel free to unleash the credit card right now.
Acer Veriton N260G nettop arrives, does not blow minds
Alright, we understand that Acer's new Veriton N260G Atom nettop is primarily aimed at businesses and comes with novel features like "OneButton Recovery" system restore and "eLock Management" for data security, but the pricing seems way out of line to us: the NVIDIA Ion-powered AspireRevo starts at $299, while the Veriton uses the far less powerful Intel GMA 4500MHD chip and costs $399. That's pretty much all we need to know, but if you're still interested there's more info at the read link.
Lenovo teases IdeaCentre Q100 / Q110 nettops, D400 home server
There's not a lot to go on here, but Lenovo's official Twitter account posted pictures of two products that are purportedly being revealed in more detail later this week. The IdeaCentre Q100 / Q110 nettops are said to be "some of the thinnest nettops in the world," and while the teaser image is certainly a looker, for better and for worse we can already smell the Atom processor from here. Also on the menu is the IdeaCentre D400, the company's first home server. We Got Served did a little digging, and as it turns out, the D400 was released in Asia at the beginning of this month, with four hot swappable bays, four USB ports, and an eSATA port. It'd be nice to know when this week Lenovo was planning to lift the veil of secrecy, but at least we won't be worrying about it come Saturday. [Via ThinkPad; thanks, Mark] Read - Q100 / Q110 nettops Read - D400 home server Read - More details on the D400
Lenovo IdeaCentre C300 unboxing and hands-on
Large screen nettops are somewhat of a mystery to us. Lenovo's latest, the all-in-one IdeaCentre C300, is certainly a looker on the outside, but the beauty of that screen real estate is hampered by a 1.6GHz Atom processor / integrated graphics unable to handle our internet streaming needs -- Hulu, Pandora, and Netflix were all but a wash. Still, it's pretty light and sturdy, and when powered on absolutely quiet and cool -- we watched four hours of a DVD with a minimum of stutter and little to no heat or machine noise. We're still putting it through the paces, but in the meantime, feel free to live vicariously through our unboxing in the gallery below!
Viewsonic VOT130 and ION-based VOT132 nettops handled in the open
Not long after we first heard about Viewsonic's latest VOT130 and VOT132 nettops, the gang at Netbook News have gotten some hands-on time with the hardware. On the surface, it looks pretty sleek, and the abundance of USB ports is a definite plus, as is the HDMI port on the NVIDIA ION-based VOT132, but unfortunately we're lacking any performance demonstrations or impressions. As we saw previously, the slot-loading optical drive attachment is essentially the same form factor and attaches flush with the unit thanks to some aptly placed magnets, and the bundled stand is designed for the computer with or without the peripheral. So what's not to love? Well, the price for one -- the ION-packed VOT132 costs a hefty $514 US in Taiwan, with the VOT130 priced at a more reasonable $331 -- but perhaps that'll be brought down if / when it ever makes an official stateside debut. Video hands-on after the break.
EMTEC dips toes into nettop market with Ion-based G Box
We're used to seeing nettops from the likes of Asus and Acer, but EMTEC's the newcomer in this field and let's see what we're working with. At about one inch thick by TechDigest's estimates, the G Box (working title) certainly compact, and we definitely give points to it running NVIDIA's Ion platform, Windows XP, at least six USB ports, and a 160GB hard drive. Unfortunately, there's no HDMI port -- that's coming in a later model -- and at £179 ($293 US), we'd be hard pressed to pick this over the HDMI-equipped AspireRevo, but we'll await judgment until we can try this thing out for ourselves. In the meantime, hit up the read link for a brief video hands-on.
Acer Aspire Revo listed for pre-order in UK with May 18th release date
Now that the Ion-based cat is out of the bag, Acer's Aspire Revo has reared its pretty head on UK retailer Play.com's website. While all four packages sport the 1.6GHz Intel Atom N230, from what we can tell there's two distinct hardware configurations here. The base price is £180 (US $267), and with that you'll get 1GB RAM, 8GB SSD, and Linux. The £300 model boasts 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, and Windows Vista Home Premium. Tack on £50 more for a 3D controller and ten games, and for £330 ($440) you can have the full package along with a wireless keyboard / mouse. The listed release date is May 18th for all of them, and with any luck Acer'll go with that date and bring the nettop stateside sometime around then.
CTL releasing Atom-powered 2go nettop for $149
CTL, the same cats who brought us the 2go PC laptop, are apparently working up an equally cheap and not-exactly-flashy nettop PC. The 2go PC Nettop will reportedly range in price from $149 to $299 depending on specifications, and the baseline model will feature Intel's DG945GCLF motherboard, Intel's Atom 230 processor, 1GB of Kingston DDR2 RAM, a GMA 950 graphics accelerator, support for one HDD and one optical drive, six USB 2.0 ports and an Ethernet jack. The Essential Plus Edition ($199) adds in Ubuntu and an 80GB 7,200RPM hard drive (while slashing RAM to 512MB); the $299 Essential Performance Edition comes with Windows XP Home, a 160GB hard drive and 1GB of memory. There's no word just yet on when the 4.5-pound boxes will be released, but we'd expect 'em to surface pretty quietly.[Thanks, Nate]
