If you're looking for a powerful, space-saving personal computer that's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand then the new LPC-100 from Stealth might just tick all the right boxes. Despite its diminutive dimensions, the little computer is claimed to outperform most desktop and mobile computers available today. There's up to 2.53GHz of processing power on offer, some 500GB of hard drive storage with solid state options too and up to 4GB of memory.
Stealth's new LPC-100 comes with Intel's 1.9 GHz Dual Core Celeron T3100 processor as standard but upgrades to a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 or 2.53GHz T9400 are available. There's up to 4GB of DDR3 memory supported over two slots and the basic configuration comes with a 160GB SATA hard drive but there's up to 500GB offered as optional upgrades and solid state drives in the storage pot too.
The 4.0 x 6.1 x 1.45-inch little PC has onboard 3D-ready graphics to both VGA and DVI ports, with resolution up to 2048 x 1536 for VGA and 1680 x 1050 for DVI. Giving a nod towards an earlier time and seeming a little old-school in today's world of wireless and HDMI connectivity, the LPC-100 also features a couple of PS/2 ports for wired keyboard/mouse connection and a couple of RS232 COM ports. Back to the present for operating system compatibility though with Windows 7 and support also being offered for XP and Vista. Those requiring other configurations are encouraged to contact the manufacturer for more information.
Stealth's new offering does have quite a bit of competition in the Mini-PC market, the similarly-sized VOT 125 from ViewSonic for instance. It sports comparable hardware specs, including a Core 2 ULV processor option, but also benefits from wireless and HDMI connectivity and a 3-in-1 card reader. The VOT 125 doesn't look quite as tough as the Stealth Mini-PC, the latter being wrapped in a low profile aluminum chassis, and the maximum storage on offer is half that of the LPC-100 (with no solid state drive option offered either) but it does come in quite a bit cheaper.
The LPC-100 includes three USB 2.0 ports and Gigabit Ethernet but no Wi-Fi and is available now for a starting price of US$995 for the basic configuration.
Still, as much as I despise Apple, the Mac Mini is probably a better choice than this guy. Similar specs, more USB ports, Wi-Fi and a much lower price tag put the Mac Mini on top.
I still like this though.
a) Small = excellent.
b) Very expensive.
c) Under spec\'ed in connections - both up to date stuff and amount.
USB 3 is out, Esata ports are now being challenged. and aside from USB2, all this has is a com port and a serial port?
Sorry, I\'d much rather have a big shitty beige box with all the specs for like $300.
These computers are ment to be used on the plant floor and there are still a lot of devies that need serial communcaiton.
A USB to seral converter does not cut it. I have seen to many of them fail and also the comm port number changes if unpulugs and pluged back in.
You take the call at 2:00 AM from Joe maintenace guy that needs to change comm port settings - me I will take a real serial port every time.
Try to find space for a white box on a machine. You will pay $200-300 alone for the enclosure and then more if you want to ventilate it.
This computer can mount just about anyhwere , and no fans or Hard disk (if solid state is used) to fail.
Add a $1000 touch screen and you have a pretty sweet and tough HMI.
The inclusion of the serial and ps/2 ports are most likely to interface with controllers and sensors, many of which have serial interfaces.
if you do not need the seperat pc in a box, then this is smaller right? takes up less space and has less wires thus its smaller and smallest!!! ha beat that stealth!!