[geeks] VIA $49 "Neo-ITX"

[Joshua D. Boyd]

On 5/25/2012 2:08 AM, Mark Benson wrote:
> On 25 May 2012, at 05:13, Joshua D. Boyd wrote:
>
>> I wonder what people would do with these things running Android?
>
> Not a fat lot ;)
>
>> Alternatively, if not Android, what would you do with them?
>
> Depending on community traction and which SoC they used, I'd guess maybe Linux
> or BSD. The price is right and the form factor is primed top replace a lot of
> older Atom boards with a more power-effiecient solution. It's just a matter of
> what support the hardware gets, these ARM boards are always a bit hit and miss
> as to wether they get support from the likes of Debian and Ubuntu or Net/Free
> BSD.

The SoC is a Via WonderMedia 8750.  I don't recall seeing BSD support 
for any of the previous WonderMedia chips.  I do recall seeing Debian 
running on a few 8505 devices though.

I really like the Neo ITX form factor.  I just wish it was a CPU more 
likely to be well supported.  The Allwinner A10 SoC has Ubuntu running 
on it (specifically the Mele A1000 set top box), which is promising.  A 
MiniITX board based on a Marvell Kirkwood chips used in the ShivaPlug 
units would be even more compelling (PCIe, gigabit, SATA).