Ituner subsidiary Mini-Box.com is shipping four new highly modular Via-based barebones mini-ITX PCs. The Mx00-series devices are available with or without PCI card headroom, and with or without media PC LCDs and IR receivers. The systems run Linux and other PC OSes, and target device-makers and hobbyists.

Mini-Box's Mx00 family
(Click to enlarge)
The Mini-Box Mx00 systems are based on Jetway's 627FWE mini-ITX motherboard — the same board that powers Mini-Box's Voom car pc.

PC-CF module (Click to enlarge)

In addition to normal PC I/O, the Jetway board offers surface-mount connectors for daughtercards that expand the I/O peripheral set. Currently available daughtercards are said to include:

• 1 x gigabit Ethernet port
• 1 x 10/100 LAN
• 3 x gigabit Ethernet
• 3 x 10/100 LAN
• 2 x serial ports
• 4 x serial ports
• Hybrid PCMCIA/CompactFlash slot

Another mini-ITX maker, Liantec, offers similar daughtercard technology for its Intel- and AMD-powered boards. Cards available for its systems include PCI-express and 1080i HDTV-out cards.

The Jetway board is powered by a second-generation Via C3 processor — similar to Via's popular Epia MII board. The processor is clocked at 1GHz.

Mini-Box offers the Mx00-series systems barebones, or with factory installed and tested RAM, CompactFlash, and/or 2.5-inch hard drives. System particulars can be spec'ed out in the company's online configurator.

M300-LCD (Click to enlarge)

Specific Mx00-series models include:

• M200 — basic model
• M200-LCD — adds 2×20 STN (super twisted nematic) LCD, illuminated keypad, and front-panel IR receiver
• M300 — adds room for PCI card
• M300-LCD — adds room for PCI card and LCD/keypad/IR (pictured at right)

picoPSU (Click for different view)

Additional touted features include:

• Basic M200 draws only 15 Watts
• 9.4 x 7.9 x 2.1 inches (24 x 20cm x 5.4cm)
• 9.4 x 7.9 x 3 inches, with PCI card (24 x 20cm x 5.4cm)
• Designed for long life (availability)
• Uses Ituner's cool-running 120-Watt picoPSU power supply (pictured at right)
• Bootable from CompactFlash or hard drive
• “Fully compatible” with Linux, as well as Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, and Vista
• Available with Ituner's nifty iMedia Linux flash images
• Available picoLCD and hardware buttons facilitate headless applications
  • Attaches to USB header
  • Requires no special driver
  • Displays company logo, status, errors, etc
• Enclosures available separately

Mini-box President Andrei Bulucea stated, “Mini-box offers a Swiss Army knife-type of hardware selection, giving system builders just what they're looking for when creating devices for their small, quiet, and energy-efficient embedded applications.”

Availability

The Mx00-series systems appear to be shipping now, from Mini-Box's online store, at barebones prices from $275 to $345, in single quantities, or $260 to $320 in lots of 50 or more. The systems are RoHS-compliant (lead-free), according to the company.

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