Comments on: Via debuts Mini-ITX 2.0 http://deviceguru.com/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/ ...views from the Black Tower at the edge of the cloud Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:56:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Markus http://deviceguru.com/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-1648 Markus Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:22:12 +0000 http://www.deviceguru.com/2008/06/19/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-1648 A truly revolutionary board for this all that I found astonishing is the beagle board. http://beagleboard.org/ I am not affiliated with the company, I just found that it beats pretty much that is ITX or anything by leagues. The system integration possibilites are endless and it is USB powered and look at how small that sucker is!! (and cheap too) Markus A truly revolutionary board for this all that I found astonishing is the beagle board.

http://beagleboard.org/

I am not affiliated with the company, I just found that it beats pretty much that is ITX or anything by leagues. The system integration possibilites are endless and it is USB powered and look at how small that sucker is!! (and cheap too)

Markus

]]> By: Bill Davidsen http://deviceguru.com/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-473 Bill Davidsen Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:16:11 +0000 http://www.deviceguru.com/2008/06/19/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-473 I hadn't seen the Intel board before, most interesting. Virtually all displays have VGA capability, I have no idea what the "glass tube" poster is going on about. I believe there's even a VGA connection on one of the "electric ink" displays which draw no power at all except while updating, and are viewed by ambient light (Amazon Kindle tech). I hadn’t seen the Intel board before, most interesting. Virtually all displays have VGA capability, I have no idea what the “glass tube” poster is going on about. I believe there’s even a VGA connection on one of the “electric ink” displays which draw no power at all except while updating, and are viewed by ambient light (Amazon Kindle tech).

]]> By: Ken Hansen http://deviceguru.com/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-461 Ken Hansen Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:59:23 +0000 http://www.deviceguru.com/2008/06/19/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-461 MATS: What are you on about? Having a VGA port doesn't mean the vendor "expects the user ro plug it into a 30-70 lb glass tube that draws 3-5 times the energy required by the motherboard" - VGA connections are the lowest common denominator in the display arena, DVI connections while common are not ubiquitous. All the flat panels I've seen lately (last 2 years) include *both* DVI and VGA connections. If DVI connection is that important, you can always add a PCI-Express 1x graphics adapter with DVI support - see http://www.alvio.com/xABK_PID53513_matrox-graphics_g55-mdde32f_matrox-millennium-g550-32mb-pci-express-1x-video-card-rohs_pci-express-video-cards.html Ken MATS: What are you on about?

Having a VGA port doesn’t mean the vendor “expects the user ro plug it into a 30-70 lb glass tube that draws 3-5 times the energy required by the motherboard” – VGA connections are the lowest common denominator in the display arena, DVI connections while common are not ubiquitous. All the flat panels I’ve seen lately (last 2 years) include *both* DVI and VGA connections.

If DVI connection is that important, you can always add a PCI-Express 1x graphics adapter with DVI support – see http://www.alvio.com/xABK_PID53513_matrox-graphics_g55-mdde32f_matrox-millennium-g550-32mb-pci-express-1x-video-card-rohs_pci-express-video-cards.html

Ken

]]> By: mats http://deviceguru.com/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-460 mats Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:35:37 +0000 http://www.deviceguru.com/2008/06/19/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-460 VIA still doesn't get it. Why bother building the smallest and the most energy efficient motherboards on the planet, with a feature set that expects the user to plug it into a 30-70 lb glass tube that draws 3-5 times the energy required by the motherboard? DVI interface has been on many of our wish lists for ages for these beauts but all I have are some really lame marketing responses from VIA to many requests sent to them. I love the Mini-ITX format but my dollars continue to go to vendors who understand the above. VIA still doesn’t get it. Why bother building the smallest and the most energy efficient motherboards on the planet, with a feature set that expects the user to plug it into a 30-70 lb glass tube that draws 3-5 times the energy required by the motherboard?

DVI interface has been on many of our wish lists for ages for these beauts but all I have are some really lame marketing responses from VIA to many requests sent to them. I love the Mini-ITX format but my dollars continue to go to vendors who understand the above.

]]> By: Anonymous http://deviceguru.com/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-459 Anonymous Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:35:13 +0000 http://www.deviceguru.com/2008/06/19/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-459 There seem to be two groups posting here: One - secure small systems for automation/monitoring of critical systems. Rugged and simple is key with the ability to upgrade without throwing everything out Two - fun sleek media players for living rooms, kiosks, and other glitz applications. Latest interfaces, fast rendering and display throughput with the latest in peripherals. I think that VIA has done a nice job of trying to meet both groups in the middle because the same system can used the DIN-5 connector (with and adapter to DIN-6/PS2) on my keyboard that use to kill rat as well as connect my new PCI-E high end triple head graphics card and plasma displays to. There are not may systems on the market that still have this flexibility. Thank-you VIA, now I need to find a new excuse for a purchase req. There seem to be two groups posting here:
One – secure small systems for automation/monitoring of critical systems. Rugged and simple is key with the ability to upgrade without throwing everything out
Two – fun sleek media players for living rooms, kiosks, and other glitz applications. Latest interfaces, fast rendering and display throughput with the latest in peripherals.

I think that VIA has done a nice job of trying to meet both groups in the middle because the same system can used the DIN-5 connector (with and adapter to DIN-6/PS2) on my keyboard that use to kill rat as well as connect my new PCI-E high end triple head graphics card and plasma displays to. There are not may systems on the market that still have this flexibility.

Thank-you VIA, now I need to find a new excuse for a purchase req.

]]> By: Anonymous http://deviceguru.com/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-458 Anonymous Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:45:15 +0000 http://www.deviceguru.com/2008/06/19/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-458 "Gah! Why won’t they just kill off the VGA port already??? Or the PS/2 ports????? It should be DVI-I or HDMI, and USB only! At least there’s no floppy connector…" Well, if they got rid of the VGA and PS/2, it would just be a MacMini... “Gah! Why won’t they just kill off the VGA port already??? Or the PS/2 ports????? It should be DVI-I or HDMI, and USB only! At least there’s no floppy connector…”

Well, if they got rid of the VGA and PS/2, it would just be a MacMini…

]]> By: blacklistme http://deviceguru.com/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-457 blacklistme Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:32:23 +0000 http://www.deviceguru.com/2008/06/19/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-457 PS/2 is NOT trivial for the OS and I think Apple, Sun Microsystems and Hewlett Packard have proven this point by putting machines in the market without PS/2 for many years now. And using an USB-keyboard typing this comment and in every day use for some time now I'm not going back. Luckely USB-keyboard appear to coming to the shops nowadays following the USB-mouse with a 10 year delay or so. And the VGA-connector is understandable since DVI is not that widespread yet. Hopefully DisplayPort is going to take off soon, but all odds are off or Apple must start pushing it. It's a shame that since this a Mini-ITX that there is no Flash-connector. It would make my life easier and more interesting when putting those boards to work. Also the missing serial console may be an issue in some situations. PS/2 is NOT trivial for the OS and I think Apple, Sun Microsystems and Hewlett Packard have proven this point by putting machines in the market without PS/2 for many years now. And using an USB-keyboard typing this comment and in every day use for some time now I’m not going back. Luckely USB-keyboard appear to coming to the shops nowadays following the USB-mouse with a 10 year delay or so. And the VGA-connector is understandable since DVI is not that widespread yet. Hopefully DisplayPort is going to take off soon, but all odds are off or Apple must start pushing it.

It’s a shame that since this a Mini-ITX that there is no Flash-connector. It would make my life easier and more interesting when putting those boards to work. Also the missing serial console may be an issue in some situations.

]]> By: john http://deviceguru.com/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-456 john Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:30:11 +0000 http://www.deviceguru.com/2008/06/19/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-456 it would be nice if the power plugs would also be on the front edge of the PCB - so we could vertical mount in a rack - so we could vertical mount 5 to 10 of this motherboard in a rack mount case it would be nice if the power plugs would also be on the front edge of the PCB – so we could
vertical mount in a rack – so we could vertical mount 5 to 10 of this motherboard in a rack mount case

]]> By: Rick http://deviceguru.com/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-455 Rick Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:21:50 +0000 http://www.deviceguru.com/2008/06/19/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-455 Looks like a lot of spare real estate on that board. Can you make a smaller format, along the lines of a PC-fast gumstix-like board? Looks like a lot of spare real estate on that board. Can you make a smaller format, along the lines of a PC-fast gumstix-like board?

]]> By: six http://deviceguru.com/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-454 six Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:03:01 +0000 http://www.deviceguru.com/2008/06/19/via-debuts-mini-itx-20/#comment-454 It seems Intel has already beat them to this proposal http://www.intel.com/products/motherboard/DG45FC/index.htm It seems Intel has already beat them to this proposal
http://www.intel.com/products/motherboard/DG45FC/index.htm

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