GBPVR Client Hardware?

[Tinker]

I have been looking for a good piece of hardware to use as a GBPVR Client in the family room. I came across the Fit-PC2 and thought this might work well. I am not sure how it will handle HD. It has a built in IR receiver and HDMI output. It has 802.11g built in and gigabit wired ethernet. No noise fans. $300 to $500 but a nice package. There is a second version the Fit-PC2i that has a faster processor but no IR receiver.

Anyone ever tried this unit? What are your opinions? HD capable?

[pBS]

it *sounds* good....but i haven't seen one of those video chips in action or even heard of any...and intel's previous offerings have been very disappointing...
that does look very enticing at 245 for a base system...tho 1.6 cpu probably is better..
they have the fit-pc in 1.1 and 1.6ghz...PCi just goes to 2.0 max...
seems to be just a mobile version of GMA hd4500 video chip...which i haven't gotten working with acceleration on xp...tho they have progressed a bit since i tried..
[worked great in vista/7 tho...still ati looks better visually]
probably works better with linux tho...

now *that's* the smallest truly fanless pc available....sweet..
and they jammed a hard drive in there? wow...[2.5" no doubt]

[mvallevand]

Everything I have read says the GMA500 also use with the Pineviews is less powerful than the ION if that helps.

Martin

[Tinker]

Linux Demo of the Fit-PC2

I read some reviews on amazon that were very good. It sounds like it gets pretty hot if it is running for days straight.

[ilovejedd]

seems to be just a mobile version of GMA hd4500 video chip...

Sorry to say but the GMA500 is even worse. Iirc, the graphics chipset is made by a 3rd party and not by Intel. Driver support is lacking. Even the GMA4500HD is better than the GMA500.

[pBS]

GMA500 is even worse.

well that's not saying much...
HD4500 doesn't work well at all compared to *all* the other alternatives..
i love the way they tout "full hardware accelerated playback"...how? they're not tellin...
even once you get it going PQ looks sub-par compared with ati or nv offerings..
added to the tales of woe about hdmi handshaking they had for years...doesn't sell me..

it *is* a nice form factor and if they EVER get actual working drivers it would be great..
it probably only works well at all with win7 and linux, if that..

one wonders why they keep making this junk when it doesn't work right..
seems it be cheaper and less of a pr hit if they just stopped releasing junk and concentrated on development...

[ilovejedd]

HD4500 doesn't work well at all compared to *all* the other alternatives..

Exactly. The GMA4500HD is already pretty bad compared to ATI or NVIDIA offerings and hardware acceleration support in software is somewhat restricted. When you consider that the GMA500 is even worse than the GMA4500HD, well, you get the idea...

It should be noted that the Atom Z500 series + US15W chipset was designed for use in MIDs so power consumption and heat was probably the biggest consideration. Total system TDP for most combinations is 4.3W. Paired with the Atom Z500 800MHz, system TDP is just 2.95W. I think it's actually designed more as an OEM/embedded platform rather than a traditional PC.