A few years ago, Intel introduced the NUC line of small form factor PCs. At this year's IDF, they have announced plans to make even smaller, and cheaper, specifications that are intended for OEMs to install Windows, Linux, Android, and Chrome OS on. This initiative is not yet named, but will consist of mostly soldered components, leaving basically just the wireless adapters user-replaceable, rather than the more user-serviceable NUC.
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Being the owner of Moore's Law, they just couldn't help but fit it to some type of exponential curve. While it is with respect to generation, not time, Intel expects the new, currently unnamed form factor to halve both the volume (size) and bill of material (BOM) cost of the NUC. They then said that another generation after ("Future SFF") will halve the BOM cost again, to a quarter of the NUC.
What do our readers think? Would you be willing to give up socketed components for smaller and cheaper devices in this category or does this just become indistinguishable from mobile devices (which we already know can be cheap and packed into small spaces)?
How about a true system on a
How about a true system on a chip? I mean, just a single packaged microprocessor with USB and DisplayPort ports! And a power socket! It’s high time.
Yea, I want that too!
Yea, I want that too!
Honestly, If they can do it
Honestly, If they can do it for cheap, I’m in. built a few $200 am1 systems for a few people to use as a wired htpc, if intel can do similar performance (or better) in a smaller cheaper package than what;s not to love? The only real problem with nuc has been price and the bareboned nature, and to some extent the fan. If they can pack in 2 Ethernet ports, then it’s just what a lot of people have been waiting for.
There are some fanless NUCs.
There are some fanless NUCs. Most of them are third party, but Intel has made fanless one that is based on Bay Trail.
I’ve seen one on the last
I’ve seen one on the last architecture, what was it called, clove trail I think, that had the case, the full case, as one giant heat sink, as a high dust area pc.
it is doo-able, but doing it cheap is hard