[GTALUG] Mini PC for Home Office?

[phiscock at ee.ryerson.ca]

The ASUS VivoPC-VM40B-01 suggested by Herb (actually, it's the -02 model)
is available from Canada Computers (my preferred source) for under $300. I
initially rejected it because the CC blurb does not mention any ports. But
the Asus website spec

http://www.asus.com/ca-en/ASUS_VivoPC/VivoPC_VM40B/specifications/

lists a whole slew of them:

Back I/O Ports
2 x USB 3.0
4 x USB 2.0
1 x HDMI
1 x VGA(D-Sub)-Out
1 x RJ45 LAN
1 x Kensington Lock
1 x DC-in
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
3 x Audio Jack(s) (Line in/Mic in/Speaker out)

Theoretically, one could run two monitors, using the VGA and HDMI ports,
although I'm not sure if the Intel graphics could handle that.

On the Raspberry Pi, it's an intriguing possibility, but a review mentions
that some applications are not available for the operating system
Raspbian.

Peter

>
> On 15-02-28 10:09 PM, phiscock at ee.ryerson.ca wrote:
>> I'm considering the Zotac and Asus mini-pcs for the basis of a
>> home-office
>> system. It won't be used for gaming, just spreadsheets, word processing
>> and internetting.
> I have an ASUS VivoPC-VM40B-01 (win8.0) now -02 (win8.1) :
>
>      http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220628
>
> - runs Ubuntu 14.04 easily
>
> I bought it originally to run the last two windows apps I need - personal
> and corporate tax programs - turns out I can run new versions of these
> with wine 1.7
>
> I would happily buy another if I needed another desktop box.
>
>
>
> [sorry for the html]
>


-- 
Peter Hiscocks
Syscomp Electronic Design Limited, Toronto
http://www.syscompdesign.com
USB Oscilloscope and Waveform Generator
647-839-0325