There’s just something cool about small form factor computers.   Maybe it’s their testament to the progressive advancement and miniaturization of technology.  Or maybe it’s their extremely low power requirements.  And one can’t deny their inherent practicality.  Despite any specific reason, I just couldn’t resist the fit-PC booth at the 2010 CES, in which CompuLab displayed several of their newest miniature computers.

Typically, the performance expectations of tiny PC’s are low, often precluding any ability to run more than an embedded or featureless operating system.   But the fit-PC2i, CompuLab’s newest platform, transcends this by running full versions of Windows 7, Windows XP, or Ubuntu Linux on a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 with up to 2GB of DDR2 memory.   A wide range of high definition multimedia playback capabilities, including 5.1 channel surround sound and hardware decoding of h.264 and MPEG2 video, are possible via the fit-PC2i’s SPDIF and HDMI adapter plugs.  The device accepts an internal 2.5″ SATA hard drive and has a built-in SD card reader.  Dual gigabit Ethernet ports, 802.11G WiFi, and four USB ports round out the connectivity options available on the fit-PC2i.

The robust feature set described above doesn’t bring to mind a device with approximately the same spacial footprint as a compact disc.  But with dimensions of just 4.5″ x 4″ x 1″, this is precisely what the folks at CompuLab have accomplished.   The fanless fit-PC, which requires just 8 Watts of power while performing at maximum processing power, opens up a whole new “green” world of potential uses for a full featured PC across consumer, commercial, and industrial markets.   And with prices reasonably starting just above $400 for the PC2i model, a fit-PC could be a great starter home theater PC platform.

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