[teeth_03]

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/window ... ,6645.html

think this technology could help out any even on our tiny little Atom processors?

[kancept]

I thought it was OS/2 Warp :lol:

[UnaClocker]

Well, Microsoft helped write OS/2, and they already yanked anything useful out of OS/2 when they wrote the first version of NT. (NTFS comes to mind) But I imagine most of OS/2 was gone by Win2k, even NTFS got a bit of a change for 2k..
As for that helping our machines, hell no. What they are saying is that if you have one hell of a powerful CPU, like the new Core i7, you can software emulate a graphics chip that is just a hair better than what we have in the GMA950 on the Mini9. Seeing as how we have the weakest CPU Intel makes right now (more or less), we aren't going to be emulating our way around our GPU deficiency.
What I'd like to see is an Atom system with the latest and greatest graphics card installed, see just how much the CPU really matters when the GPU is doing all the work.

[Fanfoot]

I'd like to see an Atom equivalent to the Dell Studio Mini line for use as a Media Center PC. It should be greener, cheaper, quieter (no fan). It would need to handle streaming "HD" from sites like Hulu or ABC.COM. No biggy there probably. But I'd also like it to have a reasonably large hard drive for handling music and video, including HD video, so I can watch Top Gear. The Atom by itself doesn't really handle 1080i video, so you need some kind of external CPU. No need/point in making it the fastest thing out there, just something fanless but with more oomph for video decoding than the stock 850. And support for a 2.5" SATA drive. And HDMI.

[jej.514]

Fanfoot - Asus is going to release an eee Box with a discrete graphics card so it can handle 1080i video. I love the idea myself--perfect for a HTPC: small, quiet, able to handle the video, energy efficient, should be fairly cheap, decent (and expandable) storage.

Here is a link to the spec page: http://www.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=13626

Jeff

[kancept]

Originally Posted by UnaClocker

Well, Microsoft helped write OS/2, and they already yanked anything useful out of OS/2 when they wrote the first version of NT. (NTFS comes to mind) But I imagine most of OS/2 was gone by Win2k, even NTFS got a bit of a change for 2k..

My dad and I actually still use OS/2. New versions are called eComStation (eCS) just fyi. :-) I used all versions of OS/2, and use eCS 1.2 these days.

[Fanfoot]

jej.514--thanks, yeah I've seen those. They should be perfect as long as the price is right. Would still rather have a Dell though. I don't really care what it looks like, something like a Mac Mini with an HDMI port would be fine. Bluetooth for the keyboard & mouse (must work at boot time though). HDMI for video. Some USB ports for external tuners or hard drives or whatever. An internal 2.5" SATA drive that can be upgraded. A DVD/CD reader/writer. Maybe BD as an option for later when they become cheaper. Atom. Mid-range fanless CPU that can handle 1080i playback with the Atom. Ship it with Windows 7 say or one of the Linux DVR variants (options for both). 802.11n support a must. An eSATA port on the back wouldn't be a horrible idea... Colors/skins would be nice.

Here's an article on one option for video:
http://www.liliputing.com/2008/12/nv...m-chipset.html

"As for the [Nvidia] MCP79, it is claimed to be in line for 55nm process. The MCP will use a GeForce 8-class GPU that will fully support DirectX 10. It too will host HDMI ports and HD resolutions but this time, it will be capable of outputting a 1080i signal."

Supposed to have SATA II, HD Audio, GigE, etc so it should be a good chip for this, and relatively cheap since they were selling it paired with VIA in a $45 configuration ...