Ooh looky! A mothoerboard smaller than a business card!

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 09 Jun 2007, 00:18

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.

Frikken hell... i need to get my hands on some of that goodness!

I'm in love with these tiny boards...

lordsnake · Post by **lordsnake** » 09 Jun 2007, 00:27

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 09 Jun 2007, 00:45

Indeed

lordsnake · Post by **lordsnake** » 09 Jun 2007, 00:48

Where did you find that

Keigo · Post by **Keigo** » 09 Jun 2007, 00:50

everything getting smaller and thiner each day~ 8O

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 09 Jun 2007, 01:07

lordsnake wrote:Where did you find that

Right here

lordsnake · Post by **lordsnake** » 09 Jun 2007, 01:18

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:
lordsnake wrote:Where did you find that
Right here

Cool Thanks

Off-The-Chart · Post by **Off-The-Chart** » 09 Jun 2007, 07:25

Keigo wrote:everything getting smaller and thiner each day~ 8O

Except GFX cards...

Nice find DAE...

Just think of the modding for ultra mini pc if that thing was like a real big pc...
Add some notebook hdd lovin' and some notebook optical and you can have a lekker MINI MOD...

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 09 Jun 2007, 09:33

Off-The-Chart wrote:Just think of the modding for ultra mini pc if that thing was like a real big pc...
Add some notebook hdd lovin' and some notebook optical and you can have a lekker MINI MOD...

I know dude

I've been wanting to do a mod like that for ages

You use one of VIA's Pico-ITX boards, a notebook HDD, and notebook optical drive, an M2 PSU, and a custom built case.... ome that would be awesome

Tander · Post by **Tander** » 11 Jun 2007, 16:32

But what's the point..don't cellphones and PDA's have small MBs like this?

Obituary · Post by **Obituary** » 11 Jun 2007, 16:38

Smaaaaaaaaaaaaall!

Hman · Post by **Hman** » 11 Jun 2007, 16:43

Roffel, unfortunately that is nowhere near desktop cpu's in performance

Tander · Post by **Tander** » 11 Jun 2007, 16:44

No, what I am saying is that some PDA's have motherboards this small, hell even my cellphone does....look at a Nokia 8210's motherboard and see how small it is..

What's different with this?

Ark · Post by **Ark** » 11 Jun 2007, 16:45

One problem... when i hear motherboard, I also think lots of ram and a high end CPU. What I see there is a mobo attached to a heatsink/fan 3 times larger

Hman · Post by **Hman** » 11 Jun 2007, 16:47

Difference is it's more powerful, it can run Windowze XP

Tander · Post by **Tander** » 11 Jun 2007, 16:48

Oh whoopy.

I34z1k · Post by **I34z1k** » 11 Jun 2007, 16:59

Usb nooblet.

Hex_Rated · Post by **Hex_Rated** » 11 Jun 2007, 18:01

No, what I am saying is that some PDA's have motherboards this small, hell even my cellphone does....look at a Nokia 8210's motherboard and see how small it is..

What's different with this?

It's x86 which means it can do everything your PC can. Run Linux, XP (as already pointed out) and any software you want.

TheMartyr · Post by **TheMartyr** » 11 Jun 2007, 19:42

so - where does the cpu fit on this tiny thing?
wheres the gfx card?
wheres the EVERYTHING else!

a mobo isnt good without the rest of the stuff...

RobThePyro · Post by **RobThePyro** » 11 Jun 2007, 22:37

all that stuff is ON it!

TheMartyr · Post by **TheMartyr** » 12 Jun 2007, 08:45

then it cant be very powerfull

SBSP · Post by **SBSP** » 12 Jun 2007, 10:59

And where is the Harddrive ?
CD/DVD rom

Whats the purpose ?
Mobility ?

I'll rather buy a second hand laptop worth 500 bucks and it can still run XP.

I34z1k · Post by **I34z1k** » 12 Jun 2007, 11:04

IMO it looks like it has some other plug in there. Not sure what it is. Might be a mini ide

Modability. Having a pc way smaller than a laptop. Novelty.

Ark · Post by **Ark** » 12 Jun 2007, 11:10

Hmm.. I just can't bring myself to call that a motherboard. No "mini" pci, no "mini" agp or pci-e or anything. All I see is usb

Hman · Post by **Hman** » 12 Jun 2007, 11:12

Maybe even building some pc functionality into AV equipment.