a1100.viatech.com
$243
By: William Van Winkle
How about a full-blown PC you could actually fit in a stocking? We’ve seen a lot of Atom- and Optimus-based nettops arrive over 2010, and all have been pretty decent if you have your expectations adjusted accordingly. These aren’t gaming machines. Some aren’t even video machines. Today’s nettops are meant to be secondary or tertiary systems that probably fill a certain need. Plenty get used as home theater PCs (HTPCs), and why not? Throw Windows or Linux on one, plug in via Ethernet, and you’ve got a system that will probably trounce the likes of a Logitech Revue (Google TV) or Boxee Box in terms of flexibility and performance.
Many years ago, VIA created the various ITX form factors, and while Intel may have tried to borrow some of VIA’s brilliance in its post-BTX SFF designs, VIA deserves credit for pioneering the low-power, ultra-compact PC movement. The Artigo carries VIA’s efforts to a new Lilliputian extreme, packing a complete PC into a 5.7" x 3.9" x 2" package. That’s less than a one-liter volume. As a point of reference, Intel defines “ultra SFF” as a system in the four- to eight-liter range. In a one-liter design, you’d normally expect the system to be integrated and made proprietary to the nth degree, but VIA has crafted the Artigo A1100 into a respectable DIY affair.

Sure, some of the A1100’s design is fixed. The Pico-ITX motherboard features a hard-mounted 1.2 GHz Nano processor and VX855 chipset, both shrouded under an aluminum heatsink that covers most of the motherboard. VIA’s Chome9 integrated graphics chip accelerates MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, and H.264 decoding, and it’s sufficient for 2D gaming or just about any Web work you want to throw at it. The system features analog audio and three USB 2.0 ports (one mini) up front. In back, you’ll find VGA, another two USB 2.0, HDMI, and gigabit Ethernet. All that’s missing are one DDR2 SO-DIMM module, a 2.5” storage drive, and the optional wireless ($45) and SD reader ($25) parts. If you’ve ever taken a screwdriver to a PC, you’ll find that installing these parts is pretty similar to working in a notebook. All told, you should be in and out in under ten minutes.
You’ll have to decide if the SD reader makes sense. We’d pass on the wireless adapter since it’s only 802.11b/g, which is insufficient for streaming video, and instead prefer an 11n USB dongle. If you skip the options and figure $35 for 2 GB of memory and $60 for a 320 GB laptop drive, you’re out the door for under $350.
- Headphones: Bowers & Wilkins P5
- Flash Drive: Kingston HyperX 128 GB USB 3.0 Drive
- Keyboard: Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750
- Monitor: Dell UltraSharp U3011
- Custom PC: Digital Storm Black Ops Assassin
- Display: Samsung MD230X6 6 x 23" Display Array
- Networking: Netgear Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender WN2000RPT
- External Storage: Seagate GoFlex 1.5 TB USB 3.0
- Mini PC: VIA Artigo A1100 Pico-ITX Kit
- Mobile Phone: Dell Streak
- Mouse: Logitech Performance Mouse MX
- Network Storage: Thecus N4200 Pro NAS/iSCSI SAN
Agree. Those clothes weight too much.
are you kidding me?
Spoken like someone whose knowledge of female anatomy comes entirely from internet porn. That your chances of ever encountering the real thing are close to zero comes as a relief to women everywhere.
are you kidding me?
What? I'm not even sure you know what you're talking about..
Spoken like someone whose knowledge of female anatomy comes entirely from internet porn. That your chances of ever encountering the real thing are close to zero comes as a relief to women everywhere.
In a world where models have to live the most unnatural, unhealthy life just to be what the companies decide is pretty for the rest of us, this comment to these otherwise very thin women is the most out of place I've ever seen. Do you have any idea what words like these can do to some women? I'm shocked and really afraid to see an actual woman which answers your definition of "thin".
What? You don't want those girls? Perfect, I'll take them.
It's coming tomorrow!
Chris
Agree. Those clothes weight too much.
i have modeled on television. and these girls are solid.
ironically the digital storm pc is almost identical to the one i just built for myself.
if they ship girls that look like that with thier pc's ill never build my own again.
Overall great Article and loved all the selections even tho I didn't agree with the streak!
if anything they need to gain weight, i prefer my women healthy, not hefty mind you, but if i see bone it sets off red flags for me.
I think Toms realized that the blond in green isn't that good a looker so instead of putting a bag over her head they cropped the pic to not include it, lol. Funny stuff Toms.
Hope the models don't check the comments area cuz some of the comments on here are pretty blunt, 2 of them might get their feelings hurt.
Back to the article- why does the Assassin have 2 CPU coolers? Did they ship you a different model for photography?
Been a long time since I've actually commented on an article. I had to struggle to remember by username/password for this site...I'm glad I did. Now I can call you an idiot.... Idiot.