Mobile-ITX mobo is the start of PC2.0

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 8th June 2007
Comments (26) Stumble
VIA's mobile-ITX motherboard is smaller than a business card.

VIA's mobile-ITX motherboard is smaller than a business card.

Alongside Computex, VIA runs its own technology forum in the Grand Hyatt Hotel, which is where many of the manufacturers have private suites. This year, the main focus at VTF was Ultra Mobility, and the move to PC2.0.

PC2.0 is VIA's term for more accessible, more convenient and more connected ultra mobile devices.

VIA's CEO and President, Wenchi Chen, unveiled the mobile-ITX form factor at the opening keynote with a prototype motherboard. At just 75mm by 45mm in size, the motherboard is smaller than a business card.

What makes this even more impressive is the fact that this not only contains everything required to run a full ATX PC, but it also contains a CDMA chip for mobile communications too. Chen said that he sees this as only the start of PC2.0 and the platform will shrink further with even more functionality being introduced.

In addition, VIA also showed off its NanoBook UMD reference design, which is a tiny laptop that weighs less than 1KG. Packard Bell has already taken the design and you’ll see products based on it showing up later this year. The design isn’t based around the new mobile-ITX form factor, but VIA told us that the new form factor could potentially be used in a device like this, with the extra space being used to increase battery life with more cells.

VIA is also confident that it can continue to stay ahead of Intel in the Ultra Mobile marketplace, as Intel is only just announcing things that VIA has had available for months. With that said though, Intel has a massive R&D budget for new projects like this, so we expect the Silicon Valley giant to catch up eventually.

Discuss in the forums.


Quote DougEdey 8th June 2007, 10:46
What's the specs?
Quote yodasarmpit 8th June 2007, 11:12
nice
Quote <A88> 8th June 2007, 11:14
That + a better iteration of Windows Mobile = one dead powerful phone.

<A88>
Quote g3n3tiX 8th June 2007, 11:34
nice biz card tim...

About the product itself... I find it really impressive, though I doubt it will run Vista. Not that I would ^^.
Quote Neo40k 8th June 2007, 13:03
...Truthfully, this is nearly scary....dead powerful indeed....

and this is what they are telling us... PC2.0
Quote ./^\.Ace./^\. 8th June 2007, 13:38
That is an impressive little mother board what is the need for the two USB mini B connections :?
Quote Bluephoenix 8th June 2007, 15:09
Imagine the low power usage but massive performance you could get out of clustering a huge number of those with linuxBIOS....

sort of like this project: http://www.mini-itx.com/2007/02/26/the-octimod-mini-itx-cluster
Quote <A88> 8th June 2007, 16:26
Quote:
Originally Posted by ./^\.Ace./^\.
That is an impressive little mother board what is the need for the two USB mini B connections :?
I'm guessing maybe, quite possibly, there could be a chance that they're for....USB devices? :D

<A88>
Quote DXR_13KE 8th June 2007, 18:03
very nice indeed......
Quote DarkLord7854 8th June 2007, 19:04
Quote:
Originally Posted by g3n3tiX
though I doubt it will run Vista.

Wrong :p
Quote:
From surfing the Internet to running Microsoft Office, the model 02 delivers the performance you need for a truly mobile lifestyle. Inside, the model 02 features a 1.2GHz or a 1.5GHz VIA C7M ULV processor and integrated graphics chipset together with OQO's patented subprocessor technology on a palm-sized motherboard designed for optimal performance per watt operation. With hard drive storage capacities of up to 60GB, you can store all your office and personal files on the model 02. The model 02 is available with 1GB of DDR2 SDRAM operating at 533MHz for quick system responsiveness. In all configurations, [b]the model 02 is capable of supporting Microsoft's Windows Vista™ operating system.[b]

There was a vid of it playing WoW, Starcraft, Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows XP. I think the quoted screen res was 1600 x 1000 or something

http://www.oqo.com/products/model02/features.html

http://www.oqo.com/products/model02/specifications.html

I saw a review of it a couple weeks back, and it used the same motherboard/cpu that is in the Bit-Tech article
Quote misterkholl 8th June 2007, 19:05
Really amazing!

Do you have the specs?
Quote ./^\.Ace./^\. 8th June 2007, 19:07
There is only one problem i can see with it It has the ugliest case I have ever seen for a handheld not the one on the other site but the display one for Bit-tech's picture
Quote Moriquendi 8th June 2007, 19:28
Im not sure thats a case for it, I think its just there to show the scale.

Moriquendi
Quote Glider 8th June 2007, 19:33
Quote:
Originally Posted by ./^\.Ace./^\.
There is only one problem i can see with it It has the ugliest case I have ever seen for a handheld not the one on the other site but the display one for Bit-tech's picture
I am a Qtek S200 Owner (the black PDA) and I must say it is a nice piece of technology, and looks pretty slick IRL :)
Quote Lazlow 8th June 2007, 19:52
Wow! That's very small and would open up a lot more opportunities for PCs. Would be great to mod too - imagine the possibilities...
Quote ./^\.Ace./^\. 9th June 2007, 00:17
OK lets do some modding here
We need a window, some little blue LEDs and some liguid cooling
I want to see someone mod the heck out of a PC this small and lets get some over-clocking happening
It will be done some day so lets go and do it now
Quote Tim S 9th June 2007, 03:55
It's got a 600MHz VIA processor on it, and an IGP (not sure on specs). We were playing Quake 3 on the OQO UMPC and it ran surprisingly well, although that's based on a slightly bigger form factor.

I think there is 256MB RAM on board, two USB2.0 ports and you can build a fully functional x86 machine, including an LCD, the size of a cigarette packet. Obviously, that's a little bit small for using as a PC, but a 6-8" LCD is what VIA is looking towards.
Quote Bindibadgi 9th June 2007, 13:46
I played Quake 3 for like, 20 minutes on the UMPC. Lots of (expensive) retro fun.
Quote ./^\.Ace./^\. 9th June 2007, 19:34
If someone puts a phone in it then we can watch the iPhone run in fear I hate conformity If I had enough cash I would buy one of those PCs, but as it is I cant find the $900.00 I need for a laptop now if only someone could use that paper thin LCD technolgy then a bigger screen and lighter weight. Also it needs a card reader, like SD or Memory Stick Pro Duo.
Quote Bluephoenix 9th June 2007, 20:55
just stick another USB 2.0 connector on it... as that is much more versatile than any other specific device (card reader/expresscard/etc)

that said, mine should be here in 2 weeks supposedly
Quote ./^\.Ace./^\. 9th June 2007, 22:28
Like I posted before I can't aford any cool stuff :'( Now if anyone is interested in giving some money to the ACE needs a laptop fund, then you can write to me for details :D I love all of this cool tech but I will never be able to have a mini PC like this one untill it is in some bargain bin in the later half of 2050 :(
Quote Kipman725 10th June 2007, 18:14
wow that performance in such a small size is very impressive. It would be nice to be able to buy these and use them with a fold up keyboard and touch screen as a work station. where is the monitor output (or is it a header?).
Quote ./^\.Ace./^\. 12th June 2007, 14:24
I checked with OQO and i found a small snag with there product the OQO model 02 that might effect people out side of the U.S. at this time It seams the the EVDO/WWAN support is only available with Sprint and Verizon at this time :( So the only internet you can get out side of the U.S. with out getting a U.S. Sprint or Verizon plan is to use the WiFi :)
Quote Bluephoenix 12th June 2007, 14:57
The current plan costs are far too exorbitant anyway, so I opted out of a built-in module and am just using the wi-fi (right now, in fact) since at uni and home wi-fi is pretty common.
Quote ./^\.Ace./^\. 12th June 2007, 23:24
What was the final price tage of your OQO model 02 :?
Quote Bluephoenix 13th June 2007, 02:51
$2700

thats the 1.5GHZ, 1GB RAM, 60GB with Vista Ultimate

2 double capacity batteries and charging kit, both types of the anodized hardcase, the VGA adapter, and the DVD burner variant of the dock. All along with the 3 year warranty.

I didn't get any broadband stuff, as stated above

kinda ate my future upgrade budget though :(
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