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Nettops (like netbooks w/o KVM)
bloodatonement
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So netbooks get a lot of love, but what's about their screen-less, keyboard-less, mous-less cousins nettops?
Asus has the EEE box and my buddy pointed me to the fit-PC 2. I'm sure there are others out there. Any one have experience with a nettop?
I'm considering a nettop as a HTPC. Basically just to watch Hulu and other online video, and then also to stream video to my 360.
Asus has the EEE box and my buddy pointed me to the fit-PC 2. I'm sure there are others out there. Any one have experience with a nettop?
I'm considering a nettop as a HTPC. Basically just to watch Hulu and other online video, and then also to stream video to my 360.
bloodatonement on
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I know the Fit2PC has one of the newer Atoms in it (the Z530) which supposedly has media acceleration built in, but I haven't done enough homework on it.
For $25 more, why not make it portable?
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
@PeregrineFalcon: I've got a laptop, so portability doesn't really matter. What I want is something small, quiet and low on power use that I can leave on and hooked up to my TV at all times. Right now I've got a beefy tower sucking down the kw and making lots of noise.
Plus, this is pretty nice.
Steam ID: Good Life
I'm building a nettop for my mom right now, something she can checker her email on and type up documents. She doesn't want portability, just a solid desktop machine.
Currently, Newegg sells the MSI Wind PC for $135. Add a hard drive and 2 gigabytes of RAM and you're looking at about $200. With most 10" netbooks going for $350-400 that's a pretty good savings.
Now if I added in the cost of the monitor, keyboard, and mouse the cost would come closer to that of a netbook. However, since we already have those things from her last computer their cost is irellevent. It's basically a sunk cost.
If anyone else is in a similar situation and wants a cheap upgrade, these make a lot of sense.
Shogun Streams Vidya
wireless keyboard+mouse = the most comfortable internet experience ever.
How well do these Nettops stream high-def videos? I read many netbooks have trouble with them, but I suppose a Nettop wouldn't have as much power restrictions as a netbook.
I would buy one these if I had a kid, and all they basically do is go on the internet and play flash games; can probably save a few bucks on electricity cost too, considering how much kids use the internet these days.
This one? - MSI Wind Nettop 100 Intel 945GC 1 x 200Pin Intel GMA 950 Black Mini, for $150 though. Pretty damn nice barebones system, and only system it seems that comes with the newest dual-core Atom 330 too.
Steam ID: Good Life
Reading from the reviews, looks like the single core can't stream 720p videos over the net very well, but the dual-core can. If you're going to buy a Nettop for an internet TV box, go with the dual-core.
I may have to get a couple of those dual-core Winds. One to replace my aging NAS box, and one to replace my aging Xbox/XBMC setup.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
Yeah, but they come with no RAM, HDD, and DVD drive. With 2GB RAM, 1TB HDD, and DVD burner, you're looking at close to $300. Dual-core Atom 330 would still be better than the Eee Boxes though, and more customizable.
I've got enough spare parts that I wouldn't need to spend any money. Plus the Winds appear to have a CF slot onboard - enough for a lightweight Linux install for the NAS and maybe a MythTV embedded setup. Hard drives? Who needs 'em?
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
It'd work fine for replacing the Xbox and the NAS but I wouldn't use it on my primary HTPC.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
(edit)
ok... Newegg is my new retailer of choice.
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST380815AS 80GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
LITE-ON Black IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model iHDP118-08 - Retail
MSI Wind Nettop 100 Intel 945GC Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System - Retail
Kingston HyperX 2GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 533 (PC2 4200) Laptop Memory Model KHX4200S2LL/2G - Retail
Subtotal: $230.96
PERFECT for the kids. They don't need burners or big ass hard drives, just something to get on the net, play lil Flash based games and that's it. Only my eldest MIGHT be a burner recipient... MIGHT!!! All she does is schoolwork, watch a video or two, edit photos, and play a few games. This things would be good for that.
For that matter... One of these jokers would be great for my wife too.
They do look sweet but I'm still left wondering if they'll be expandable enough ... having to USB everything isn't my idea of happy fun times.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
I don't want them burning shit.
The three youngest are 5, 7, and 11. There's nothing for them to burn (they all have their own, individual PC's now). The oldest is 15, and I don't see a need for her to be burning shit either. She has an mp3 player, no need to burn. I back up all of their data onto a 4GB usb thumbdrive. Generally speaking, I usually have a bit over 3GB after that's done. I can always back up their stuff across the network to the share on my domain controller.
Daddy does the burning in the house. Having to come to me means they have to think about whether or not they really need it, or if they really want me to know about the content of said CD.
It just seems, well, wrong to have anything less than a DVD-burner these days. Hell, I'm starting to think "well shit, you can get BD-ROM/DVDRW drives pretty cheap ... might as well go for broke"
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
And Peregrine, I find your views amusing considering the only available CD-ROM of any sort on any of the 6 (currently functioning) pc's in the house is on the wife's laptop. It is a DVD burner but has probably only burned maybe 3 disks in the last 6 months.
... but why go through all of that when it's easier to just not have the functionality all together? No burner means no GP to set or nothing to disable. It just doesn't do it.
Some people have the thought that just 'cause it only costs a few dollars more to have extra functionality, why not get it? Others, like myself, don't see the value in that. If I don't want a burner, I don't buy one. It's like these motherboards these days, I can't find a single board that DOESN'T have on-board audio. I don't want it, so why am I forced to buy it? I know... "You can always disable it..." But what if I simply don't want it? My current board has onboard audio which I never use (I have an M-Audio Audiophile 192 for my audio purposes). I hate that it's there 'cause I have no use for it but I had no choice; there are no "clean" boards anymore. Hell, I haven't seen one since the old 440BX/Apollo Pro days.
I don't believe in buying more than what I need simply because it's "only a few bucks more" to get added functionality that I don't want.