This MiniITX motherboard is a fully featured Core 2 Duo platform based on the Nvidia nForce 610i with GeForce 7050 graphics unit. Despite ist compact dimensions it is Vista Premium ready and has all interfaces you need for an ultra-compact PC such as two SATA/300 ports and UltraATA, one x1 PCIe slot, two DDR2 DIMM sockets , four USB 2.0 ports and a soundsystem.

It's hard to find a really nice looking HTPC that doesn't look ghastly, overly big, or just a typical desktop case that's black. But the PC EX HTPC from Cannon really shines. It appears like it was designed from the get-go with serious HTPC users in mind. Not only does it have a flush mounted 12-inch LCD that slides down -- looking ultra cool -- but it comes CableCARD ready. The Cannon PC EX can be equipped with a quad-core processor and up to 8GB of system memory. Customers can also order the machine with up to a whopping 6TB of storage space. With no association to Canon, the company famous for making world-class SLR cameras, Cannon makes a name for itself with a functional yet very stylish HTPC.

Drobo is a large storage array that has a number of intelligent features that keep your data safe, and operating. Up time is key with Drobo -- users can replace, swap and upgrade drives on the fly, even while the system is in use. The device will even allow up to two drive failures with hot swapping while there is data playback. Best of all, you're not required to use same capacity drives. The unit will automatically ask you to upgrade the smallest drive in the system to something with higher capacity when and if it requires. USB and Ethernet options come with Drobo, and it's about the easiest to use and manage NAS system you can get.