Latest revision as of 22:06, 26 October 2008

This section covers a recent trend observed among some mass market devices oriented towards cost and energy efficiency. It may or may not be a viable and durable trend, yet these devices seem to get more and more present

Cost/energy/feature-efficient computers

While a large portion of the mass market computing is increasing hardware needs and multimedia performance, some devices tend to focus on usability, simplicity, robustness and/or efficiency.

Their user interfaces radically diverge from traditional ones (such as the OLPC's Sugar Graphical User Interface, aimed at social interaction, or Everex's gOS aimed at web software).

Real world products and devices

Very low power consumption devices/servers/appliances

These devices consume less than 10W, are mostly fanless (noiseless)

* Zonbu's mini -- 99$ or subscription-based, comes with web storage services (Amazon S3)
* French ISP's Easy Gate
* French Linutop, AMD Geode based -- 429$
* Koolu's "Works Everywhere" Appliance Ubuntu, AMD Geode based -- 299$
* The world's lowest cost thin client? -- 85$
* fit PC, 3-5 W and the size of a papersheet (see specs for more details) -- 295$
* CherryPal: 2 Watts, designed as "cloud computer" (i.e. cloud computing terminal), debian-based OS -- 250$
* Norhtec's MicroClient, VIA ULV based -- 195$

Light, low cost laptops

* Asus' eeepc, ultra light laptop under 300$
* HP Mini-note, HP's answear to the eeepc, around 500$
* Everex's eeepc competitor
* Sear's sub300$ laptop, shipped with commercial Linspire Linux distribution
* The VIA OpenBook, with Open Hardware Design (CAD files published under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License)

Light desktops and laptops

* Wallmart began selling Everex's GPC, which is a full featured, Linux-powered destkop computer priced at 199$
* Small form factor computers vendor Shuttle announced a sub 200$ desktop dubbed KPC Linux PC

High-end, multimedia oriented

* Splitted Destkop Systems: Splitted-Desktop Systems is designing low power, high efficiency set-top boxes which support HD TV, Voice Over IP and Full Internet

Non-profit initiatives

* OLPC, laptop.org
* Pixel Qi aims to produce an even cheaper OLPC

Resources

* Shuttle's $200 Linux PC Part of a Trend? on SlashDot
* Other Everex devices
* Greener Gadgets conference

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 While a large portion of the mass market computing is increasing hardware needs and multimedia performance, some devices tend to focus on usability, simplicity, robustness and/or efficiency.
-Their user interfaces radically diverge from traditional ones (such as the OLPC's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_%28GUI%29 Sugar Interface], aimed at social interaction], or Everex's [http://www.thinkgos.com/ gOS] aimed at web software).
+Their user interfaces radically diverge from traditional ones (such as the OLPC's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_%28GUI%29 Sugar Graphical User Interface], aimed at social interaction, or Everex's [http://www.thinkgos.com/ gOS] aimed at web software).
 = Real world products and devices =
-== Very low power consumption devices ==
+== Very low power consumption devices/servers/appliances ==
 These devices consume less than 10W, are mostly fanless (noiseless)
-  * [http://www.zonbu.com/device/mini.htm Zonbu's mini]: 99$ or subscription-based, comes with web storage services (Amazon S3)
+  * [http://www.zonbu.com/device/mini.htm Zonbu's mini] -- 99$ or subscription-based, comes with web storage services (Amazon S3)
   * French ISP's [http://www.easyneuf.fr/site/easy9_gate.html Easy Gate]
-  * French [http://www.linutop.com/index.en.html Linutop]
+  * French [http://www.linutop.com/index.en.html Linutop], AMD Geode based -- 429$
-  * [http://koolu.com/Koolu-WE-Appliance/Works-Everywhere-Appliance.html Koolu's "Works Everywhere" Appliance], priced at 299$ and shipped with Ubuntu
+  * [http://koolu.com/Koolu-WE-Appliance/Works-Everywhere-Appliance.html Koolu's "Works Everywhere" Appliance] Ubuntu, AMD Geode based -- 299$
   * [http://linuxdevices.com/news/NS5563564014.html The world's lowest cost thin client?] -- 85$
+ * [http://www.fit-pc.com/new/fit-pc/about-fit-pc.html fit PC], 3-5 W and the size of a papersheet (see [http://www.fit-pc.com/new/fit-pc/specification.html specs] for more details) -- 295$
+ * [http://cherrypal.com/products/ CherryPal]: 2 Watts, designed as "cloud computer" (i.e. cloud computing terminal), debian-based OS -- 250$
+ * Norhtec's [http://www.norhtec.com/products/mcsr/index.html MicroClient], VIA ULV based -- 195$
 == Light, low cost laptops ==
   * [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eeepc Asus' eeepc, ultra light laptop under 300$]
+ * [http://h40059.www4.hp.com/hp2133/index.html HP Mini-note], HP's answear to the eeepc, around 500$
   * [http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS6962839488.html Everex's eeepc competitor]
   * [http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00373907000P Sear's sub300$ laptop], shipped with commercial Linspire Linux distribution
+ * [http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=562 The VIA OpenBook], with Open Hardware Design ([http://www.viaopenbook.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=10 CAD files published under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License])
 == Light desktops and laptops ==
@@ Line 46: / Line 51: @@
   * [http://www.slashgear.com/ces-2008-everex-089524.php Other Everex devices]
   * [http://www.greenergadgets.com/ Greener Gadgets conference]
+[[Category:Technology]]
+[[Category:Ecology]]

Green Personal Computing: Difference between revisions