Huh.. I hadn't thought about using a netbook. It looks like the 1201N idles at 14 watts, though, which is pretty darn good. Thanks for the link to MitxPC. I had mostly been checking out http://mini-box.com, since so many people link to them... but MitxPC might have a better selection. On 10/5/10 9:18 PM, JD Austin wrote: > I found this a few minutes ago; complete mini-itx system for $300-$400 > http://www.mitxpc.com > > Cool idea turning netbook into media center computer ;) > > On Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 21:01, AZ RUNE > wrote: > > I use a modified ASUS 1201N netbook running the N330 Atom Dual Core > and the nVidia Ion graphics. > > I modified it to run with 4GB RAM and a 640HDD > > It has become my mobile mini-entertainment server. I have it > partitioned with dual boot Ubuntu and Mythbuntu 10.04 > > When I go home I plug it in to a 42" HD TV and I have it grab my TV > via USB adapter, I can play Wow at 24 fps 1080p on the big screen > and while a movie is playing I can still get stuff done using > Twinview and terminal on the the netbook (love HDMI output). > > It also has VGA output and I have used it to save my boss for > presentations at work. While doing the presentation I showed how to > do a basic dualboot installation in Virtual Box so others could > follow along. My company is in the process of migrating to Linux so > everyone had to learn to dual boot. > > It is 3.5 pounds and I get 3 hours battery life on gaming or HD tv > watching, streaming to my girlfriends work via https website so she > can watch Gordon Ramsey shows recorded on the Mythbuntu side of the > dual boot. > > I get just over 4 hours on the intel graphics if I switch it in the > BIOS. I normally leave it on nVidia though. I also run crossover > from codeweavers to run silverlight and use IE to watch netflix in > Ubuntu. > > It is a trooper of a machine while I am looking at a quad core for > some specific tasks this machine has allowed me to be very versatile > at work and home in tackling technology issues in day-to-day stuff. > > Hope this helps your decision, > > > Now the question is at what level to settle on. There's > the SheevaPlug > (and similar) that use up about 10 watts but need more > storage and can't > really handle any notable processing. Moving up a > notch, you can get a > N270 Atom mini-itx system that also hovers between 10-15 > watts but is a > bit faster and will typically have a much larger (up to > 1 TB) hard > drive. Then you can move up to an NVIDIA ION system > with a dual-core > Atom and now we're maybe in the 30 watt range but this > can handle HD > output, if necessary. > > Decisions, decisions. That's why I was kind of hoping > that some local > folks would have used some of these systems and could > comment on how > well they work for them. > > > -- > Brian Fields > arizona.rune@gmail.com > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss