cluck to viewI got time with the Zonbu , a $ 99 Linux personal computer that is astonishingly as simple to use as a Mac . That ’s because it ’s preloaded with best - of - breed open source package for almost anything you ’d need , all get by via the other coolheaded thing the Zonbu has : A 4 GB CF card that acts as a cache for the 25 - 100 GB of personal storage on Amazon ’s S3 servers . In other words , this auto syncs , swaps , and backs up your data automatically , over the telegram . I love it .
Here ’s a pure list of apps , a picture tour , along with a list of sweet surprise I discovered after a few 24-hour interval with the Zonbu .
•Zonbu ’s App list is extensive , include browser app , email , cal , full office Dr. tools , finance , medicine program library ( with ipod syncing ) TV playback , skype , P2P / Torrent , IM , publication , and a few games including Tron and Civilization .
•The install is efficient . Apps open slowly , but when they ’re go , I had no problem using multiple apps at once . The car only bog down when deal real- world tests . I rend the soundtrack to The Life Aquatic to 128kbps MP3 files , and it took 30 minute on the Zonbu , versus 7 minutes with other programs figure out on my 2.33 GHz Macbook Pro with 2 GB of RAM . That ’s 4x slower , but at 1/25th the Leontyne Price . I can live with that .
•The personal computer is n’t $ 99 unless you get a two - year Amazon S3 table service program . For $ 13-$20 bucks , you get 25 - 100 GB of synched data . There ’s a one - year military service plan , too . The plan let in next day computer hardware swap ( a warranty ) , tech documentation , managed care .
•You ca n’t install your own hooey on the Tweaked Gentu linux install . But Gregoire at Zonbu is a big Open rootage geek , so he ’s made the their information - synching interpretation of Gentu useable for barren . Just download it , install it on your own computer hardware and get your own S3 account .
•Working with large files over a slow electronic connection could be a job . But this car is completely capable of anything up to that breaker point , and reckon the cost , you ’d have to be a real fanny to complain about it . The connexion is 128 - bit cypher .
•Zonbu ’s atomic number 8 and local cache is put in on a 4 GB CF batting order that is a 150x speeding social unit with a custom control . It read and publish at a sizeable 30MB / s and 15MB / s. They ’ll sell an 8 GB unit , and you’re able to also expand the local storehouse by adding a USB ride . They also sell an optional $ 50 CD burner / DVD reader . A DVD writer is in the future tense .
•Windows are gauzy when drag on , and the window close and minimize button are standardized to Vista ’s . The GUI is highly lightweight , despite the transparency .
•3D acceleration uses 64 MB of system mem .
•There ’s hardware decode of MPEG-2 . Even with average sized MPEG-4 files being play , central processor utilization stays around 15 % . Very nice .
•Starting remainder of June , they ’ll send 500 unit to former buyers , but not at the reduced / rebated price with serving . Around September , the Zonbu come out of beta , and the $ 99 price will be there .
•Just in case you did n’t realize it , no keyboard , computer mouse or monitor .
•6 USB port wine , VGA , mic and headphone out . PS2 Mouse and keyboard plugs .
•Ethernet and support for Belkin USB WiFi Adapter
•When you enter , it checks Amazon S3 for updates . There is a Web - base guest for your S3 data . Sync is manual coming down , but changes on the Zonbu sync upward automatically .
•Neato Apple ] [ screensaver
•VNC client is particularly utile .
•They’re planning a car and a livingroom variant . The car thing is utile , since the gadget is CF driven , so shockproof , but you ’d have to find a way to get EvDo support . ( EvDo to ethernet router seems like overkill compared to hacking USB EvDo driver in . )
•The fanless gimmick set out raging on it ’s side , maybe immobilise . But this is an early piece of computer hardware , so this could exchange .
•The 1.2GHz intel - compatible VIA silicon chip is “ green . ” No kidding , that ’s what fall out when you have a low - powerfulness chip . That ’s like saying a 1.2 liter Civic is dark-green .
• The design is fanless . The image box I had catch hot and froze at one breaker point , when I placed it on its side . Small bitch . The aluminum stand that holds it upright is slippery on the bottom . I worried that I ’d trip on the shiner cable and smash the matter into the floor . Nothing some rubber bumper from a hardware storehouse could n’t desexualise .
•Zonbu ’s first 500 unit ship remnant of June as part of a genus Beta . But there wo n’t be a rebate to bring the gadget to a $ 99 price point until September - ish . I think you may fall in the waiting list now .
•They’ll be sell skins for the black faceplate . Or you’re able to upload your own image and they ’ll embark you a usance sticker .
App List :
internet browser : Firefox
Email and Calendar : organic evolution
IM : Pidgin work with AOL , MSN , Yahoo , ICQ and IRC mesh .
VOIP : Skype
Peer - to - Peer node : Azureus and aMule . Bit Torrent and other received protocols such as eMule and eDonkey .
Office productivity : Open Office . word CPU , spreadsheet , presentation , draw , database , math , Acrobat , Personal Finance Manager .
Media Player : MPlayer
Music Library : Banshee
Photo Organizer : F - Spot
Sound : Sound Recorder and Recording Level Monitor .
Games
activeness — Supertux , Tiltball , Tron
Arcade — Breakout , Frozen house of cards , Penguins , Pingus , Tetris
Puzzle — Blackjack , Chess , Crossword Puzzles , Solitaire , Sudoku , Swap Attack
Shooter — Blobwars , Chromium
Simulation — Billiard , Civilization
Mini Games — Ataxx , Five or More , Four in a wrangle , Iagno , Klotski , Mahjongg , Mines , Nibbles , Robots , Same GNOME , Tali , Tetravex
accessory
Ah , life ’s little conveniences , neatly packaged in your planet friendly Zonbu . Our add-on let in a reckoner , a CD - videodisk Almighty , Image Viewer , Notepad , a screenshot program , a nada extractor to create and open tight Indian file including cipher format and a Reference family with access to a dictionary , an encyclopedia , a thesaurus and a version website .
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