Mobile-ITX mobo is the start of PC2.0

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 8th June 2007

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.

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