Acer Ubuntu nettop to get quiet storage switch
First units with SSD, rest with HDD
Acer's Nvidia Ion-based micro desktop PC, Revo, will go on sale in the UK on 5 May, with Ubuntu Linux among the available operating systems.
Open source software fans shouldn't rush to the shops, though - Acer expects to tweak the Ubuntu machine's spec very shortly after release.
Acer's Revo: SSD on board... for now
The £149 nettop incorporates a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 230 processor backed by 1GB of DDR 2 memory and Nvidia's GeForce 9400M integrated graphics chipset - essentially the same one found in all the recent Apple MacBook releases - to give it the welly it needs - and other nettops lack - to play full HD content flawlessly.
While the Linux machine comes with an 8GB SSD, two other versions, both running Windows Vista Home Premium, are equipped with 160GB 3Gb/s Sata hard drives.
However, an Acer staffer told Register Hardware the 8GB SSD will be replaced with a 160GB HDD once the initial stock of 8GB machines has been sold. The HDD-fitted Linux boxes will also be priced at £149, he said.
Ports a-plenty
The Windows machines are priced at £249 and £299, respectively. Both come with 2GB of memory on two Dimms in a dual-channel configuration. The pricier model with bundle a WiiMote-style wireless games controller that can be changed from a baton shape to a pistol look with a twist of the two ends.
All Revos sport four USB 2.0 ports, integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, a four-in-one memory card reader, VGA, HDMI 1.3 and eSata connectors. They will ship with a desktop stand and a Vesa monitor mounting kit. ®
COMMENTS
Mythbuntu? Try Minimyth
This little box is going to replace my old diskless Mini ITX box.
Minimyth is built solely around the Myth frontend, boots across the network and uses no local storage on the client machine.
What I would love would be if it would be possible to pair this with a RF/Bluetooth remote and trigger a power on via the remote button (something I've thus far failed with the Mini ITX).
£149, job's a good 'un. :)
I'll be buying one to use as my 24/7 machine and resigning the faithful tower for heftier stuff. About time we got a computer for the recession.
Makes sense at that price as a replacement for a more power-hungry 24/7 machine - it'll only take a year or so to pay for itself in terms of electricity bills.
Might get one for my dad, too.. he's a pretty simple user prone to wrecking PCs by installing everything off of dozens of computer magazine/ newspaper CDs without knowing what they are and never removing them. And that's without access to the internet... Linux should curb a few excesses, it's a good "save people from themselves" OS.
Re: Still Made in Taiwan
No way it is going in your living room? Does it matter what it looks like when it is this small. You can either use the VESA mounting on your TV to mount it on the back of your TV, or if your TV is mounted on the wall, stick the Revo somewhere else it won't be seen
Good price point
for £150 this makes a nice price for a linux mce client. you could just hide it behind a tv/monitor.
bish bosh
job done.
LOL
Let's look at the major components affecting the build cost of this little beauty here shall we?
First, there are the hardware manufacturers;
Hardware (Retail value £150)
Acer: design, test, certify, manufacture, market, distribute, support and warranty the unit.
Intel: design, test, manufacture and warranty the CPU
Nvidia: design, test, manufacture and warranty the Chipset (and possibly motherboard)
Seagate et al: design, test, build and warranty the HDD
Hynix et al: design, test, build and warranty the RAM
Various others provide components etc
All these guys put considerable money and effort into designing and producing all the hi tech components that go into making this little beastie and get to share in 60% of the sale value.
Then we look at the software side of the sale;
Windows Vista (Retail value £100 according to the price differential given)
Microsoft:
1) Fail utterly to produce Longhorn
2) do a last minute facelift on a then six year old OS, producing the shiny turd that is Vista
3) Handball the support costs to the OEM
4) Disclaim any responsibility for product failure via exclusionary EULA (ie: Warranty? We say pah! to warranties)
5) Demand compensation for 40% of the value of the sale because they can!
6) $$$ profit! $$$
Now, I know I was working on retail pricing which is not the same as cost pricing but the ratio of software to hardware "value" is obvious.
Seriously, who outside of the MS army of shills, fanbois and NASDAQ investors can justify taking such a highly extortionate slice of the pie here? For what exactly? A slipshod, rushed out facelift to an aged OS? Take away the billions they blew on the most epic of all epic fails that was Longhorn then will someone please explain to me what of value they have actually contributed with the Vista product, a product that (should have) cost them relatively little to produce compared to the costs of designing and manufacturing hardware from scratch that will have an expected sales life measured in months?
The good news of course is that now that manufacturers have no excuse for putting XP on their tot PC's, they will end up pricing Microsoft way out of the market unless Uncle Fester and co decide to drop the prices of their company supporting cash cow to compete. Yes I realise that W7 has a netbook version that will I expect be cheapish but it will also be crippled and probably annoy people enough for them to switch to either Ubuntu or a pirated copy of windows. Except for the most 'tarded of the Wintards who will quite happily fork over more cash to the Beast of Redmond and thereby paying for the same product twice.
