Gizmodo
There's a cheap computer on the way that undercuts them all, the $99 Zonbu, due this summer in a silent-running form factor that's about the size of a paperback book. It has 4GB of flash memory on board, and automatically backs up a copy of your data online. Besides that $99 purchase price, you'll also pay $12.95 a month (for 25GB,scales up to 100GB for more money) to store its data on the Zonbu servers, giving you the ability to compute anywhere with this tiny device, or access your data from other PCs. If you don't commit to a service plan, the little PC costs $250.
Of course, you'll have to buy a keyboard, monitor and mouse for this diminutive computer, and you'll need a broadband Internet connection, too, but the company says its little Gentoo Linux-based mini PC has all of the applications most people ever need already preloaded. This sounds intriguing, but what applications are included, and can you actually get any work done with it?
Among the fanless Zonbu's 23 open-source Linux-based applications are Firefox, OpenOffice, which is an office suite compatible with Microsoft Office with a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software and more, and there's also a video player and a place to upload your photos.
They've also loaded up an iTunes-like music and movie playing application, Skype, email, and instant messaging software. On the company's password-protected website that's not yet open to the public, there's a video demo that shows the system in operation, and it has a close resemblance to Windows Vista, so much so that it might raise the eyebrow of a legal eagle here and there.
The founders of Zonbu, CEO Grégoire Gentil and Chairman (and also Vudu video-downloading box creator) Alain Rossmann's main selling points are that low price, its Internet connectedness, and the 15-watt energy-efficient design they say will save $10 per month on energy bills that would eliminate most of that $12.95 monthly charge for the automatic backup and software update service.
We can't wait to get our hands on this baby and see if it can actually deliver a usable computing experience. That $99 price for a fully functioning computer with what the company calls $2000 worth of preinstalled applications has our undivided attention thus far.
Product Page [Zonbu]
Comments
Linux isn't dependant on a local keyboard. mouse and monitor, you could let it boot and get an IP via DHCP and do everything remote. So there is no "of course you'll need".
nononono.... no monthly sub fee. less then 200, tv/monitor out. preloaded linux with super easy to use desktop manager. 50 gig drive, sub cutting edge processor. include man's on programming and a compiler.
get deal with intel, amd and take off their hands stock of old processors.
make non-profit, get into hands of kids whose paents cannot afford comp (ala OLPC).
20 years, and kids can have a tech future.
Even Gizmodo buys into calling this a $99 computer. It's a $250 computer unless you pay $155/year for their service. And you can't even browse their site for product details w/o giving an email address. Even if the product is good, the company has pissed me off already.
The pricing structure is odd. $100 + 12*$13 = $256. That's only a $6 difference over just buying it outright. How are they making money off this? Is there a mandatory two year contract?
Still, it's a nice concept, and I'm excited about giving it a try. :)
Even at $250, I'd be sorely tempted to buy this boxen just to mess around.
I want one o' these. Looks like I might get slightly more work done with it
Weird, they're obviously using KDE for the desktop, and OpenOffice.org and Firefox are obvious choices especially with OOo KDE integration enabled, but why then choose to use/highlight Gnome apps that won't integrate as well when there's better KDE apps available, e.g. Digikam instead of f-spot for photo management.
Regardless, it's Linux guys, most distro's just come pre-installed with everything you usually need, and anything else you need is just a matter of starting up the software installer and picking out what you need, it's not like you have to pay for stuff...
I too am shocked that you called it a $99 PC, I didn't expect you to fall for that sort of spiel.
By that rationale most mobile phones are free; you only have to pay for a 12 month contract at $100/month. Free phone, yay.
Looks solid. Will you be able to install other software as well? I could using this to hook to my TV and stream video from another box in the house since this is silent.
2 words : mac mini
even a refurb or 2nd hand cost around 400. almost (per sarcastic-man and erwos) 350 within 2 years. the $99 dollars should have had an asterisk.
I was lunging for my wallet; I really need something like this (depending on a couple of unverified variables, but hope springs, y'know).
Then I saw the mandatory subscription to get the right price. IIRC, didn't some computer company get hosed offering cheap PCs as long as you bought an AOL subscription? It turned out the practice was illegal in California and they had to honor the lower price on the hardware without the service bundle. C'mon, somebody's gotta remember the details.
That said, at $99, I'd get two.
So can I just cancel my service plan after I buy the thing? That's honestly what I would do.
this...is zonbucom......welcome...to zonbucom...
Even at $250, this is not a half bad deal. For the average computer user, the $99 + data price point is great. No worries about backups or any of that plus the myriad bonuses inherent in a Linux OS.
For $250, this is cheaper than you can get most functional computers that size. Wouldn't take much to make it a cheap, nice little HTPC ...
Well, if you don't want to pay the $250, you could just order the thing from the OEM - http://www.ewayco.com/. Of course, you'll have to deal with getting it from taiwan. It sure would be nice if someone imported these and sold them at a reasonable markup, I can think of about 10 uses for these without even trying.
Whatever happened to that Linutop you guys previously showcased? I visited their website recently because I had it bookmarked, but that looks pretty similar to this... 4 GB flash etc... except no release date or purchase price info. blah
and #1 Screw paying for a subscription
#2 $250 is waaaaay too much
#3 You are better off getting your own backup drive and a free auto backup program anyway.
If I wanted a small form facter computer, why wouldn't I just spend a little more and get one that I know would work (ie Mac Mini)?
You could probably buy one of these boxes from the manufacturer. It looks like an eBox-3854 from DMP electronics.
Manufacturer's Site:
http://www.compactpc.com.tw/ebox-3854.htm
This site sells them plain for $275.
http://www.wdlsystems.com/modperl/view_services.cgi?r=list...
Judging from the pricing, I'd bet there will be a two year service contract.
Harry
a simple cheap carputer anyone? this is probably targeted to be used as either a simple cheap home pc (like macmini) or otherwise in some sort of a business environment, for a cash register or something of the sort.
@buttersideup:
ha! Nice reference.
The impossible is possible....at zonbucom.
It's cute, but it had better have built-in wireless g or it's going to flop.
For $250, it must be complete crap as far as components are concerned - like the OLPC, it's not for us.
It all depends on the maximum supported RAM.
If it supports more than 256MB (even for additional cost), then even in $250 - it's a great deal. And please don't compare it to desktops: As a tiny computer, it had to cost a lot more. Think about a tiny laptop; Nobody expects to get it for the same price as a desktop, or with the same power.
However, I suspect that it comes with only 256MB onboard, without any way to add memory.
If this is the case, then it is very limited.
Limited memory is much more critical then the power of the CPU, because it limits what you can run on it, while a slow CPU only causes it to run slower.
For $250 countries in development can have a celeron d 2.8 Ghz, 256 Ram, 60 HD (and the screen can be bought repaired for $25-$35 at 15") including mouse speakers and keyboard. And this prices are true if said country does not "make" such parts... Yup, we import them here...
It's then a matter of "increased value" to say to your customers "We could preinstall an OS for free if you do not want to spend at least 150 on Windows and at least 150 more on Office"... Wait, thats right, that software is more expensive here (try three times its real price).
Or, if needed, you could buy a used laptop or pc for less (100 bucks can get you a somewhat usable laptop, albeit packing w98, but you can always upgrade to linux right?).
Being that you have to pay for the online service and the internet service as well this could mean that this box is very over said price!
Try a miniitx.
How about one of these...even less expensive and no subscription required.
http://www.norhtec.com/products/mcjr/index.html
I love this little machine.
It does what it supposed to do. Beeing an easy to use everday PC.
I can read Email, stream music in the background and skype at the same time and If i want i can write a letter too.
YEs, there are limitations, but on the other hand I have the no hassle feeling that my PC is just working. No viruses or malware I have to worry about.
Video streaming in the wmv format is not a problem at all, so even my wife is now using the zombu.
When we need the high powered (and energy consuming) windows machines, we still have them. But for most of the time our little Zonbu does the job just perfect.
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