NY Times
May 29, 2003
Silent and Ever So Small, a Computer for Simple Tasks
By IAN AUSTEN
In the fiercely competitive computer world, manufacturers offer many
claims to distinguish their products. Andrei Bulucea, a project
manager at Ituner Networks, has a particularly striking boast for the
Mini-Box M100: "It's completely silent. If you need to sleep with a
computer, this is what you want."
While it is not intended to be a portable computer in the conventional
sense, the Mini-Box is as small as its name suggests, measuring
roughly 8 by 8 by 1 inches. The computer (available for $496 at
www.mini-box.com) is supplied with a Linux operating system stored on
a Compact Flash memory card. But it can run Windows if a laptop hard
disk is slipped into a built-in slot.
A tiny liquid-crystal display panel and 14 keys allow users to control
the computer, but there are standard outlets for a full-size keyboard,
a monitor and other peripherals.
Mr. Bulucea suggested that people could use the Mini-Box for
specialized "start and stop" tasks like switching home security on and
off. Because the tiny computer requires only a 12-volt power supply,
it could be easily integrated into a car, he added.
"It's for consumers who are fed up with big, clumsy computers," he
said.
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