If you live in a cramped place like a dorm or studio, and you’re not exactly a power PC user, maybe a small form factor setup is the best fit for your computing needs. If you think there’s any merit to that notion, then perhaps you should check out the Zotac Zbox ID45, which to us looks a bit like a droid that’s beloved by many.
Anyway, the Zbox ID45 ships in one of two varieties: a barebones kit as well as a fully outfitted system. The skeletal rig – which doesn’t include memory (RAM) or hard drive – includes an Intel Core i3 3227 U dual-core processor clocked at 1.9 GHz, Nvidia GeForce GT 640 graphics with 2GB of RAM, a pair of DIMM slots with support for up to 16GB of RAM, a 2.5-inch hard drive bay, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0. Ports include HDMI, DVI, dual Ethernet, two USB 3.0 connectors, and a pair of USB 2.0 ports.
Meanwhile, the fully equipped Zbox ID45, dubbed the Zbox ID45 Plus, includes everything found in the barebones models while also adding in 4GB of RAM along with a 500GB 5400-rpm mechanical hard drive.
“Zotac has always married the capabilities of energy-efficient Intel processors with incredible Nvidia GeForce graphics since the first ZBOX shipped with Nvidia Ion,” said Carsten Berger, senior director, ZOTAC International. “The latest ZBOX ID45 series pushes that synergy even further with greater performance while maintaining excellent energy-efficiency.”
Though the ID45 is spearheaded by an Ivy Bridge processor as opposed to a newer Haswell chip, considering the ID45’s target audience (casual users/HTPC fans), we wonder whether that’d be an issue to begin with from a performance standpoint.
Pricing and release date information are currently unavailable. (Will it hit the list of best PCs under $100?) What do you think of the Zotac Zbox ID45? Sound off in the comments below.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.