On Wednesday, Zotac International introduced the ZBOX PI320 pico, an amazingly small mini-PC that measures a mere 4.54 x 2.6 x 0.75 inches. The device cools itself using a fan-less heatsink, promising a "silent computing experience" no matter where the device is installed. There's also a mini-HDMI port for connecting the pico mini-PC to any LCD monitor or display, which should be good news for travelers and those wanting a PC in the living room but not the bulk of a desktop or laptop.
The ZBOX PI320 pico includes Intel's quad-core Atom Z3735F processor (1.33 GHz, 1.83 GHz), Intel HD graphics, 2 GB of DDR3L memory and 32 GB of internal storage. There's also a microSD card reader for adding an additional 128 GB of storage, which is ideal given that the usable space on the 32 GB model is roughly a mere 12 GB and around 48 GB for the 64 GB model.
The new mini-PC includes a 10/100 Ethernet port, Wireless N and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, three USB 2.0 ports and a 3.5 mm audio/microphone combo jack. Windows 8.1 with Bing is pre-installed, meaning the pico device is ready to go right out of the box, as opposed to some SFF PCs that ship without an OS.
"Zotac is a major innovator when it comes to miniaturizing the traditional PC. We began our push towards smaller and smaller mini-PCs with the ZBOX nano form factor and followed up with the ZBOX nano XS," said Tony Wong, CEO, Zotac International. "Now with the all-new ZBOX PI320 pico, we have created our smallest mini-PC that can fit in your pocket."
Last month, Zotac launched several devices with Microsoft's operating system pre-installed: the ZBOX CI320 nano, the ZBOX CA320 nano, the ZBOX BI320 and the ZBOX ID18. The difference with Windows 8.1 with Bing compared to Windows 8.1 "vanilla" is that OEMs get the former operating system at a discount. In return, they're not allowed to change the default search engine from Bing. That means a smaller price tag for you when purchasing the device.
Update: A company representative told Tom's Hardware that the Zotac ZBOX PI320 pico will cost a mere $199 when it ships towards the end of September. The device will also be shown during PAX Prime this weekend.
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