FICkle finger points at BTX and SFF boxes

FIC HAD A BUNCH of cool toys on display, mostly in the SFF and BTX arenas. They started me out with the one thing that everyone is hyping at Computex, Media Center PCs. The FIC version is called the Spectra, and it is more than the usual low end PC in a box. The Spectra is a Intel i915G based board with and AGP slot. A PCI-E version will follow, the first ones will hit in Q3.

Moving toward a smaller form factor, you have the Piston, a really cool looking tube with a handle. This tube is a fully functional Pico BTX PC, PCI-E, i815G an all the goodies. This one looks hot, in a world of weird form factors and bright colors, the Piston really stood out. This one should be out in a few months also.

They also had another SFF called the Condor. It looks like a fairly ordinary SFF box, but press the button on the top, and it hinges open apple style. The parts on the inside are all carrier based and tool free. This is a big step forward in the SFF PC race. Having put together a few SFF boxes in the month or three, I can appreciate this advance.

The last really interesting box is called IBIS, but 'box' is way off when describing it. Think of a kind of low end laptop with a bent body instead of a hinge. IT would make a very good 3rd computer for a bathroom or a kitchen. With one of these in the can, this technology could make magazines obsolete. It has an MSRP of around $699, and like the Condor is available now.

µ