Home | News Archive | May 2002

Bona uses Eden in growing range of Book Size PCs
May 30, 2002

A good source tells us Bona Computex is about to release an Eden CPU based Book Size PC, using the LTX form factor. Bona already produce several Book Size PCs, and being the pint-sized powerhouse that it is, Eden is ideally suited to their product range. They will also be producing a weeny (17cm x 18cm - Mini-ITX is 17cm square) socket 370 based design with a floppy port. We'll bring you a full review as soon as we get our hands on one.

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VIAArena Competition winner announced
May 28, 2002

"The top three designs will be displayed, with the design team's details at the VIA booth at Computex Taipei, 3-7 June 2002. The designer of the PC or appliance judged to be the best will be flown to Computex Taipei at VIA's expense. Accommodation for 6 nights in Taipei will also be paid for. Computex Taipei is arguably the biggest annual PC hardware show in the world." - THE LUCKY BUGGER!!

Read all about it here

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VIAArena Competition down to last three
May 27, 2002

VIAArena have been running a competition for "ideas for PCs and devices utilizing the unique possibilities that the VIA Eden Platform brings to the table." and they're down to the last 3 entries. We particularly like Gene Phipps' ideas - Gene, where can we buy Laser LED's? And what are they?

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Lost Circuits look at the Shuttle SS50
May 27, 2002

It looks like Shuttle have got another winner, but it's still a noisy little beast. Lostcircuits reviewed the SS50 on May 20:

"A very important issue is the noise generated by the unit, and here the SS50 is definitely at the upper end of the scale, meaning that particularly the noise level of the power supply borders onto what it acceptable. A redesigned grille or else different fan could work miracles here but that's up to the users how important quiet operation is. As a ballpark figure, it is about as noisy as any standard desktop - tower with a medium noise-level fan

Reviewing this unit has been an eye-opener regarding many performance parameters for me, it's been a pleasure and utmost fun working on this tiny system and if there were one single word to describe why the conventional desktop PC will die sooner or later, this word would be "SS50"."

Read the full review here

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VIA EPIA-800 Mini-ITX Motherboard reviewed at hitechmods.com
May 27, 2002

Hitechmods.com have reviewed the EPIA-800. They have included many pictures of the motherboard, size comparisons with an ATX motherboard, and CPU test results and temperatures.

"As Windows 98 is not used much now a days and most users are going with Windows XP my first choice of OS to try in it will be XP Pro. After getting all the hardware connected I inserted the Windows XP CD into the DVD Drive and booted the system up. I had to enter the Bios to edit the boot secquence and restarted the system. After the reboot the installation of Windows XP started, after the installation I was shocked to see after the final reboot of XP install I came to the desktop with perfect picture and sound, I even had network connection as well. Looking at the hardware all the drivers were installed for the motherboard. I still installed the drivers from the CD as they were more up to date and installed all Windows XP updates.. It was a perfect intsallation of XP without a glitch."

Read the full review here

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Interview with Richard Brown, Director of Marketing at VIA Technologies at prohardver.hu
May 27, 2002

prohardver.hu have a recent interview with Richard Brown, Director of Marketing at VIA Technologies where he gives his views on the state of the market and spills the beans on where VIA are headed in the coming months. Richard really knows his stuff, and seems to understand what customers want. He bought me a pint once, so I have to say that... ;)

"We'll also be rolling out our next generation Nehemiah processor (the core name is indeed C5X) this year, so we do believe that we can remain competitive at the entry level, in particular in low power, low noise applications. As for the features, Nehemiah will include 128kB L1 and up to 256kB L2 cache, two SSE units, and will deliver much improving multimedia and floating point performance. We should be sampling this processor in the middle of the year, with mass production scheduled at the end of this year."

Read the full interview here

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K-Systems Adopts VIA Eden™ Platform to Develop Windows Based Terminal
May 27, 2002

Taipei, Taiwan, 9 May 2002, - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced that K-Systems, a Russian developer of personal computers, servers, thin clients and notebooks, has adopted the VIA Eden™ Platform to power its line of Windows Based Terminals (WBT) as a corporate PC replacement system. Windows Based Terminals enable corporations to lower the costs of hardware purchases and substantially decrease the total costs of ownership, including the costs of system administration and system maintenance.

"We are very excited that K-Systems chose the VIA EPIA Mini-ITX mainboard with the VIA Eden™ Processor to build their Windows Based Terminal," said Dmitry Bobrov, Sales Representative Russia/CIS at VIA Technologies, Inc. "VIA supports this project very strongly, as an ideal application for our VIA Eden™ Platform."

The WBT client runs all the applications and stores all the data on the server, using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) for connectivity between server and terminal. Additionally the special shell application, WBT Shell, configures the terminal to the server connection. Customers have a choice of server software from MS Windows NT 4.0 Server Terminal Edition or MS Windows 2000 Server to CITRIX Metaframe. Every client that connects to the network receives a special virtual area on the server that can be used as a standard Windows-based computer. WBT also facilitates autonomous Internet connection through integrated Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5, without any additional software required.

Read the full press release here

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VIA Epia All-in-One review at accelenation.com
May 27, 2002

accelenation.com reviewed the EPIA-5000 on May 8 2002:

"It's kind of difficult to tell you what to do with the EPIA as there are so many possibilities with this platform thanks to the low power, small size, fanless design. The EPIA is quite a different product for the computer enthusiast market and could be a risky one by VIA but I'm sure there are many people with plenty of ideas for the EPIA just as there were for the Shuttle SV24 barebones system."

Read the full review here

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Hexus take a look at the C3 933MHz
May 27, 2002

Hexus join the quiet craze and review the C3:

"Coupling a C3 with a Shuttle SV24 or even the recently released SV25 is definitely a option available to those looking for a home theatre setup or even just a silent PC to sit in a bedroom without waking you up in the middle of the night.

The C3 just works as is. No fans, no gimmicky watercoolers just a plain old heatsink. Try it, you won't be disappointed."

Read the full review here

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ZDNet UK review the VIA VT6010 Mini-ITX motherboard
May 27, 2002

In April, ZDNet UK reviewed a reference version of the VIA VT6010 Mini-ITX Motherboard running a C3 at 733Mhz:

"This reference design board has been created to show off the new Mini-ITX form factor, created by VIA. At 17cm x 17cm, it's meant for use in minimalist PC designs, such as set-top boxes and information appliances. Certainly the performance of this board isn't going to threaten any full-sized desktop PCs, and you're not going to be playing games on systems built around this board either. However, it has enough performance for everyday tasks such as email, Web browsing, word processing and MP3 audio. Under Business Winstone 2001, which measures mainstream application performance, its score of 18.4 is around 30 per cent of the current state of the art."

Read the full review here

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Industrial Computer Adopts Eden Platform
May 27, 2002

Taipei, Taiwan, 23 April 2002 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced that Industrial Computer, the Ukrainian developer of advanced industrial PCs, industrial servers and software solutions, has adopted the VIA Eden™ platform to power its new line of energy efficient, high-performance web servers.

Web servers from Industrial Computer typically draw less than 30 watts of power, less than one quarter of the power consumption of traditional servers, and generate far less heat with practically no difference in performance. This not only results in significant savings in energy costs, but also increased hardware reliability, reduced risk of power failure problems, and benefits to the environment.

"With the growing popularity of Internet in the developing countries, the need to develop a cost-effective web-server solutions becomes more and more apparent," said Dmitry Scherbakov, Director of DV Industrial Computer Ltd. "Our solution saves space, energy and can be run in server rooms without air-conditioning, which brings even more savings to our customers".

Read the full press release here

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VIA Boasts Growing Support for the C3 in Russia
May 27, 2002

Moscow, Russia, 23 April 2002 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced growing support for its VIA C3™ processors from leading system assemblers in Russia.

With its leading-edge 0.13-micron manufacturing processes and boasting the world's smallest x86 processor die size, the VIA C3™ processor is the coolest running processor on the market today and delivers ultra low power consumption and world class levels of stability. Other features include 128KB Level 1 and 64KB Level 2 full speed cache, as well as support for a 100/133MHz Front Side Bus. Speeds of up to 933MHz and support for MMX™ and 3DNow! multimedia instructions ensure robust levels of performance for all the most popular mainstream software and Internet applications.

"The VIA C3™ processor provides manufacturers with the right platform to bring to market small, quiet and fanless designs," said Richard Brown, Director of International Marketing at VIA Technologies, Inc. "This is possible thanks to the unique features of VIA C3™ processors: ultra low power consumption and heat dissipation. Extensive feedback from the market proves this very well."

Read the full press release here

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VIA Boasts Growing Support for the Mini-ITX Form Factor from Motherboard and Chassis Manufacturers
May 27, 2002

Taipei, Taiwan, April 12, 2002, - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced growing industry support for its ultra compact Mini-ITX form factor, with the introduction of a range of exciting small footprint chassis designs and Mini-ITX motherboards from leading case and motherboard manufacturers.

The ultra compact Mini-ITX form factor was introduced by VIA in November 2001 as part of VIA's open industry-wide Total Connectivity initiative. The Mini-ITX is more than 33% smaller than the FlexATX form factor and VIA launched its own VIA EPIA Mini-ITX mainboard in March this year following the phenomenal interest and excitement over the fanless VIA Eden™ Platform and the VIA Mini-ITX form factor. The VIA EPIA Mini-ITX comes with a rich feature set that includes a low power x86 processor, onboard AGP graphics and audio, TV-Out, Ethernet networking and USB 1.1 that are currently not available on other small form factor motherboards.

"With the availability of the Mini-ITX, manufacturers now have the right platform to bring to market uniquely small, quiet and fanless designs that were previously inconceivable," states Richard Brown, Director of International Marketing at VIA Technologies, Inc. "The positive feedback from motherboard and chassis designers and manufacturers demonstrates the growing momentum behind the Mini-ITX and VIA Eden Platform designs."

Read the full press release here

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Shuttle's SS50 Barebones System
May 27, 2002

Shuttle launched their SS50 Barebones System in April. Although louder, larger, hotter and more expensive than an Eden system, it is also a lot more powerful. VIA will be looking at this one with interest.

"The SS50 offers support for the latest high-speed processors, including the new Intel® Pentium® 4 2.4GHz. Coupled with up to 2GB of high speed DDR-SDRAM, the SS50 provides incredible performance for business, content creation, and gaming applications."

Read the full press release here

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VIA Platform Solutions Division Introduces Ultra Compact VIA EPIA Mini-ITX Mainboard
May 27, 2002

Taipei, Taiwan, 3rd April 2002 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced the worldwide availability of its ultra-compact, highly-integrated EPIA Mini-ITX mainboard through the VIA Platform Solutions Division (VPSD).

Offering the choice of a VIA Eden™ ESP processor for fanless systems with power sensitive requirements, or a VIA C3™ E-Series processor for more multimedia rich applications, the highly integrated VIA EPIA Mini-ITX mainboard features integrated 3D graphics, AC'97 audio, Ethernet and TV-Out connectivity. Measuring only 170mm x 170mm, it is the perfect platform for developing the next generation of small footprint Digital Information Appliances and Entertainment Devices.

With an operating voltage of only 1.2V, the recently launched VIA Eden ESP processor expands on the acclaimed low-power consumption and heat dissipation qualities of the VIA C3™ processor, offering lower power consumption than any other x86 processor on the market today. Furthermore, the VIA Eden ESP processor does not require a fan, opening up endless possibilities in the design of silent PCs and other quiet running devices.

Read the full press release here

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VIA Showcases Innovative Low Power VIA Eden™ and Mini-ITX Embedded Platforms at CeBIT 2002
May 27, 2002

Taipei, Taiwan, 11th March 2002 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced that it will display the full range of Total Connectivity platforms and devices at its booth (Stand D23 in Hall 19) at CeBIT 2002 in Hannover, Germany, from 13 - 20 March 2002.

In addition to the highly integrated, low power VIA Eden™ Embedded System Platform and the new ultra compact Mini-ITX motherboard form factor, highlights include the Company's Information Station, Set Top Box, Tablet PC, and Web Pad reference systems, as well as innovative embedded platform and system solutions from leading industry partners such as Nexcom, Advantech, AAEON, ECS, and Microstar.

"With our ultra low power VIA Eden™ Platform and the highly compact Mini-ITX motherboard form factor, VIA is spearheading the development of an exciting new breed of fanless, quiet running small footprint 'Total Connectivity' devices," commented Richard Brown, Director of Marketing for VIA Technologies, Inc. "The large number of innovative solutions we have on display at CeBIT clearly demonstrates the growing momentum of this high potential segment of the market."

Read the full press release here

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EPIA-5000 reviewed at rolotech.com
May 27, 2002

rolotech.com reviewed an early version of the EPIA-5000 back in March 2002. It features plenty of pix (extreeeme close up!) and benchmark results:

"Does VIA have a potential gold mine on their hands? Absolutely.

However, the success of project Eden will depend to a large extent on how effective VIA’s is at marketing this cpu/motherboard combination. We’ve all seen previous internet appliances such as 3Com’s Audrey and NetPliance’s I-Opener fall flat on their faces, and thus many potential buyers may still be sceptic of such hardware solutions.

However, the recent success of Shuttle’s barebones SV24 kit (which, by the way, is the ideal candidate for a Eden motherboard) is proof enough that there is a market for mini-ATX pieces."

Read the full review here

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Overclockers.com try out the Eden 1400 (533mhz) as a multimedia player - with great results.
May 27, 2002

This is more like it, a practical look at the Eden, instead of stale benchmarks:

"The Via Eden 1400 is an integrated motherboard, which has an on-board Via Eden ESP 533 MHz, built-in video and TV-out, sound and LAN. But the most important thing to my eyes - the footprint. God, this board is small: 170x170mm. This, in conjunction with other moves, would allow me to drastically reduce the size of the multimedia player (the motherboard used before, the CUSL2-M, was 240x210mm).

I opened the case to find out that the ATX power connector, strangely, was not connected. It must have been the work of some mystic being roaming around the room (probably the spirit of some dead CPU).

Anyway, I have to say I had a blast designing and building it. Aside from watercooling, it was my first do-it-all project. I have to say I'm quite satisfied with the overall result."

Read more here

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Pre-production Eden System reviewed at VIAHardware
May 27, 2002

Back in February VIAHardware reviewed a pre-production Eden system. It's a shame VIA decided not to keep the firewire port...

"Eden is a platform; it’s a combination of technologies to bring a low cost performing integrated solution. I prefer to call Eden a platform instead of a motherboard because its so much more then a motherboard. VIA would love for motherboard makers to start producing Eden platforms, but that will remain to be seen. Eden platforms should sell for under $100 which is a bargain considering that is the motherboard, CPU, LAN, sound, and video. "

Read the full review here

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PC Powerzone revisits the Eden CPU for some accurate temperature testing
May 27, 2002

It seems the usual tools like Motherboard Monitor have a hard time with the EPIA motherboards right now - hopefully new versions will report the correct temperature!

"Now if you use Motherboard Monitor within Windows (as I did), the MBM program reports some wildly inaccurate readouts...

I found that at idle the ESP5000 sat at 44 degrees Celcius, under full load the max. temp was 52 degrees Celcius, which is not too bad at all. Hopefully this is a better indication of the temps"

Read the full review here and part two here

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The earliest Eden EPIA review we could find
May 27, 2002

We don't have a clue what they think about it because it's in Brazilian (thanks to Nuno Ahlers for pointing this out.. 8 months later), but we're sure it's all good. We're just annoyed we couldn't get ours last June!

Read the full mini-review here

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Genesis: X-bit labs look around CeBIT 2001
May 27, 2002

This is where it all started (possibly). CeBIT 2001. The launch of the C3, a peek at the (unreleased) ITX reference motherboard, and some thoughts from VIA on where they were headed a year ago. Looks like they decided the ITX was a little too bulky...

"Together with the announcements of its new processors, VIA keeps pushing forward the devices, where these CPUs can be successfully used. We mean Information PCs and Set Top Boxes. We have to mention that VIA's positions in this market sector are pretty strong so far. At the show VIA introduced a new ITX form-factor (215x191mm) and a reference mainboard designed in this form-factor and based on VIA PLE133 chipset, which is intended for Information PCs and Set Top Boxes in the first place."

Read the full report here

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