Shuttle Linux Minis to Come with VIA

The Shuttle mini-desktops aren't exactly netbooks, rather compact desktops. At 28 x 19 x 17 cm they wouldn't fit into most handbags, but they take up much less space on the desk. The series called KPC (for Korporate Perfect Cube) includes the mini-desktops with Intel chipsets in various configurations, even a selectable housing design. An upcoming power-saving model will include a VIA Nano processor. The Shuttle K56, as it's called (known as the K560V in Europe), has two monitor connections and passive CPU cooling. The VIA variant should be ready for delivery about early April 2009; prices haven't yet been determined.

Shuttle's earlier K45 (K450V in Europe) cube as been out for some time, equipped with Intel Celeron. The company presented the absence of a front-panel optical drive and USB port on the cube as a distinct security feature to prevent data theft and malware. Its space-saving design accounts for an optimum selection of build elements that do not require complex cooling. The K450V model has a 92 mm fan at the rear with an Intel-boxed cooler. The complete SLK4500 is priced at about $300, the barebones K4500 at $200.

Shuttle has also released a power-saving XPC X2700 with Foresight Linux (or in Europe as the X270VA with openSUSE) with an Intel Atom processor, 1-GByte DDR2 memory, 160-GByte hard disk (in the X270VA version) and a DVD burner, starting at about $400.

The hardware vendor started to show off its Linux mini-desktops in September 2007. The difference between the U.S. and European Linux models is that the U.S. models have Foresight Linux and the European models have openSUSE from Novell.