You may or may not recall that a couple weeks ago, Acer’s ION-powered AspireRevo nettop showed up on Newegg.com for the low, low price of $199. While the machine featured some relatively-impressive specs (Atom N230 CPU, NVIDIA ION, XP Home, etc.), there’s now a new entrant to the AspireRevo line that bumps the CPU up to dual-core status, doubles the RAM, and adds Windows 7 Home Premium as well as a wireless connection.
Yum. Here’s the ASUS EeeBox PC EB1501. It’s a tiny “ballerina-inspired design” that features a dual-core Atom CPU, NVIDIA ION graphics, and — gasp!!! — an optical drive?
Well here’s a nice price on a tiny computer. Acer’s AspireRevo nettop is now available at Newegg for $199.
The machine features a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 230 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive (5400RPM), and NVIDIA’s ION graphics chip.
Acer’s birthed a $499 all-in-one nettop aimed at cubicle dwellers featuring an 18.5-inch screen and an Intel Atom CPU. The Veriton Z280G is, according to Acer, “perfect for reception areas, hotel lobbies, executive suites, cube environments and any office that requires an integrated, space-saving design.”
The world of nettops is a strange one, my friends. What are they for? Where do they go? Where do they come from? I don’t know the answers to these questions, but the fact is there are computers out there that are just as at home in the kitchen as in the office. And now one of them is from Lenovo. Obviously they’re loving that Intel sauce, because this IdeaCentre C300 is filled with Atom-y goodness — and so is the S12 12-inch laptop, which sports an Ion setup inside.
Intel just held a teleconference outlining some information on its next Atom platform, code-named “Pine Trail” and introduced a new beta version of its “Moblin” user interface for upcoming Atom-based netbooks, nettops, MIDs, embedded systems, and in-vehicle entertainment systems. Here are some notes from the call…

Dell is jumping into the world of tiny Intel Atom-powered desktops with the OptiPlex 160. There really isn’t anything fancy or special about this nettop. It lacks an optical drive but has the standard Atom CPU, Gigabit Ethernet, Wifi, and a trio of hard drive options including a 160GB HDD, 64GB SSD, or 20GB “Ultra Performance” drive. Prices start out $536 for the base model, which when compared to other similar spec’d nettops, indicate that you are clearing paying a Dell tax — or they are setting these up for a big ’sale.’

The Achilles heal of Intel Atom powered netbooks/nettops is that the graphic power sucks. Hopefully, that will change with an on-motherboard GeForce GPU 9400M. That graphics chip is the same found in Apple’s latest MacBooks and should help improve the lackluster Intel Atom’s graphic performance.
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Oh, to be in China or Japan and have my pick of compact desktop systems! Yet here I am in misty Seattle, forced to pack my seven hard drives and PCI port expansion cards into a case that would comfortably accomodate a toddler. The “net-top” idea may seem silly to many who enjoy powerhouse desktop systems, but the facts are these: tons of laptops never actually leave the desk, and the desktop form factor is cheaper. So why pay an extra hundred clams for portability you’re never going to use?
Anyway, HP has a nice little compact system going on here, with an Atom-based setup; however, your benefits from Atom are limited because you don’t have to worry about power consumption in a desktop. The new Acer over here actually looks smaller and sports a more serious processor, although it does cost twice as much (~$600 vs. the HP starting at $300). I’d go with Acer, but I’d take HP out for a drink.
[via Akihabara News and SlashGear]

Behold, the MSI Wind Neton. It’s a nettop, a new category of computer that can best be described as an all-in-one desktop version of a netbook. Think mini iMac. This here Neton, which was just shown off in China, comes in three sizes: 22 inches, 18.5 inches and 15.6 inches. (Those are monitor sizes, obviously.) All three models, named the M22, M19 and M16, respectively, use the Intel Atom processor, just like every other netbook and nettop.
MSI will release the M19 in January with prices starting at $500. The top-of-the-line M22 will see a March release for $800.
MSI v. Acer is the new Hogan v. Warrior.

There’s word that Acer may well release a nettop, sort of a headless netbook, without the Intel Atom processor early next year. It’s not that Acer is tired of the Atom or anything, but because sales of its Aspire series of netbooks are doing so well that the company doesn’t want to jeopardize the supply of Atom processors. So, it’s reportedly looking at using processors from the likes of AMD and VIA Technologies.
Or, if the supply turns out to be in tip-top shape, Acer might just continue with the Atom.
And maybe after that we’ll find out exactly who nettops are designed for!