VidaBox Presents Monolithic PicoPC

btarunr · Jul 17, 2008

While not attempting to be a HTPC, the VidaBox PicoPC is a light-weight (quite literally) device that adds PC functionality to your HDTV. It features Windows XP Embedded OS on a ROM, it has security software embedded too. It features no moving parts, the software is on a ROM (hardwired, a-la the software that drives routers), you it ships with a Compact-Flash slot and a 2GB CF card, you can expand storage based on the capacity of the CF card. Optionally, the device can come with a 32GB SSD.

The device features two USB ports, an Ethernet port, a D-Sub for video output and line-in/out for audio. The unit is also available with 802.11b/g options. It comes with a multifunctional wireless keyboard. The device is so tiny that you could hide it behind the HDTV. For now, it's priced at a sore US$ 929 at the moment. For details, please visit the product page.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

Darknova · Jul 17, 2008

I think that's brilliant.

Stick it behind your TV, stick a USB HDD enclosure and any size HDD you need and bingo. Great little PC.

btarunr · Jul 17, 2008

Darknova said:
I think that's brilliant.

Stick it behind your TV, stick a USB HDD enclosure and any size HDD you need and bingo. Great little PC.

Use a USB-USB port replicator, get more USB ports

Darknova · Jul 17, 2008

btarunr said:
Use a USB-USB port replicator, get more USB ports

It's got 2 USB ports and wireless with keyboard....why would you need more USB ports? lol

btarunr · Jul 17, 2008

Darknova said:
It's got 2 USB ports and wireless with keyboard....why would you need more USB ports? lol

For the multiple external HDDs and thumb-drives and iPod all running connected? Ofcourse, it means sharing USB bandwidth.

mdm-adph · Jul 17, 2008

Pretty neat, but that price is ridiculous, especially for something you could make on your own for a few hundred (if that). :wtf:

Darknova · Jul 17, 2008

btarunr said:
For the multiple external HDDs and thumb-drives and iPod all running connected? Ofcourse, it means sharing USB bandwidth.

I could maybe understand if it was your only PC, but someone like me who would only use it for browsing the net on the TV or something like that, I see no point in lots of USB ports lol.

jydie · Jul 17, 2008

mdm-adph said:
Pretty neat, but that price is ridiculous, especially for something you could make on your own for a few hundred (if that).

Yeah, I agree 100%. That price is ridiculous. :laugh:

Couldn't you just get one of the tiny Asus Eee laptops along with a wireless keyboard and plug that into your HDTV? That would only run $300-$400. Of course the Eee is a little bit larger then this thing... but not much.

[I.R.A]_FBi · Jul 17, 2008

waste of money

Easy Rhino · Jul 17, 2008

i guess the size of the unit is the main selling point. we could all easily for 300 bucks make a nice PC in a microatx case with dvi->hdmi and it would work just as well.

unsmart · Jul 18, 2008

It looks like a picoITX mobo in a external HDD enclosure and wouldn't linux be better.
Really though you can run a HDMI cable to your TV and put your PC anywhere for a lot cheaper and with more options. Right now I'm typing this on my HTPC[ 15" LCD on my desk] while my kids watch a cartoon[ off the HDD] on the HDTV in the entertainment center And I did this for around $800 including The TV. This is like rich mans webTV.

captainskyhawk · Jul 18, 2008

unsmart said:
It looks like a picoITX mobo in a external HDD enclosure and wouldn't linux be better.
Really though you can run a HDMI cable to your TV and put your PC anywhere for a lot cheaper and with more options. Right now I'm typing this on my HTPC[ 15" LCD on my desk] while my kids watch a cartoon[ off the HDD] on the HDTV in the entertainment center And I did this for around $800 including The TV. This is like rich mans webTV.

Exactly -- why not use a linux distro like MythTV? It'd shave some money off the price, for one thing, and you don't have to deal with the "digital recording broadcast restrictions" like you do with Windows. :shadedshu

Mussels · Jul 18, 2008

unsmart said:
Really though you can run a HDMI cable to your TV and put your PC anywhere for a lot cheaper and with more options.

i did that for a little while. 5 meter HDMI cable (cost me $50 with DVI-> HDMI adaptor) + digital (coax) audio means i needed two wires, and i could have my PC anywhere in the room. with a wireless mouse and keyboard, you're not limited to being next to the screen anymore. In the end i moved it back next to the TV, just cause walking all the way across the room to plug in a flash drive or DVD was a pain in the ass.

cdawall · Jul 18, 2008

Mussels said:
i did that for a little while. 5 meter HDMI cable (cost me $50 with DVI-> HDMI adaptor) + digital (coax) audio means i needed two wires, and i could have my PC anywhere in the room. with a wireless mouse and keyboard, you're not limited to being next to the screen anymore. In the end i moved it back next to the TV, just cause walking all the way across the room to plug in a flash drive or DVD was a pain in the ass.

why the hell would you spend $50 on a cabel mine was $6 hehe

Mussels · Jul 18, 2008

cdawall said:
why the hell would you spend $50 on a cabel mine was $6 hehe

it was an XFX kit that included HDMI cable, DVI-HDMI adaptor and SPDIF audio cable for NVidia cards (to get audio over HDMI)

a little expensive, but the audio was something i wanted.

cdawall · Jul 18, 2008

ahh ok thats cool

newconroer · Jul 18, 2008

I don't know why, ..I read the title 'monolithic' and thought this wass going to be small.

Definatley cool though.

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System Name	RBMK-1000
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Motherboard	ASUS ROG Strix B450-E Gaming
Cooling	DeepCool Gammax L240 V2
Memory	2x 8GB G.Skill Sniper X
Video Card(s)	Palit GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GameRock
Storage	Western Digital Black NVMe 512GB
Display(s)	BenQ 1440p 60 Hz 27-inch
Case	Corsair Carbide 100R
Audio Device(s)	ASUS SupremeFX S1220A
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Keyboard	Gamdias Hermes E2
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VidaBox Presents Monolithic PicoPC

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

Darknova

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

Darknova

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

mdm-adph

Darknova

jydie

New Member

[I.R.A]_FBi

Easy Rhino

Linux Advocate

unsmart

captainskyhawk

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator

cdawall

where the hell are my stars

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator

cdawall

where the hell are my stars

newconroer

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