Your Virtual World Is Getting Smaller

You are looking at the latest revolutionary advancement that is shaking up the computer industry. This tiny cube of a computer packs a behemoth punch of computing power crunching at least 420 million transistors within 40 square inches, while consuming only 20 watts. That’s good for you, and good for the environment.

We have come a very long way in 31 years since IBM first introduced the first  monstrosity Personal Computer 5150 PC in 1981. (Just so you tech buffs don’t start arguing amongst yourselves as to the original PC specs were, here they are: CPU: Intel 8088, 4.77MHz, RAM: 16K,(640K max), Display: 80 X 24 text, Storage: dual 160KB 5.25-inch disk drives, Ports: cassette & keyboard only,OS: PC-DOS v1.0.)

Xi3 has managed to truly re-design the PC from the ground up. Gone is the run of the mill single motherboard design concept we are all used to seeing in both desktops and laptop form. Instead, they use a modular back plane architecture concept. When you look under the cover, you will see three boards interconnect, like a single motherboard was divided and turned into a U shape. Because the Xi3 architecture separates standard system components, such as processor and memory, from customer or special application requirements, the Xi3 design approach allows for rapid and inexpensive development of new and innovative technologies.

This is the first architecture to separate the SouthBridge chip of a chipset solution from the core processor and the NorthBridge chipset. This innovative “SouthBridge agnostic” design means that any number of SouthBridge chips can easily be developed into a working product regardless of the processor or NorthBridge in the “core” design.

What does that mean to you? Consider a tiny sleek all aluminum cube computer maxed out with specs like this: 1.8 Ghz Dual-Core 64-bit 3400e, 1MB L2 Cache, supported by the 780E NorthBridge and SB710 SouthBridge chipsets, 2GB DDR2 memory, with dual 2560X1600 display outputs, eSATA 3.0, 2.5 and 1.5 support, USB 2.0 support, up to 129GB mSATA SSD. If that’s not cool enough, how many other computers can survive you driving your car over them?

The environmentally conscious, and large corporations alike, will certainly appreciate that it sips 20 watts of power, large scale businesses will enjoy the fact it will keep their power bills down.

Xi3 has basic entry level systems for general all around computing, advanced systems for hardcore gamers, and micro servers for businesses. In fact, they have also turned the world of servers upside down with their mobile data center, which holds 224 micro server cubes, effectively replacing the equivalent of 5 racks of servers in a data center. This means businesses, governments, could have mobile data centers and position resources anywhere in the world with very short notice. Check out the video of the data center here. This may well signal the end of permanent data center installations, and usher in an era of truly mobile technology,  mobile devices, and mobile servers.

The perfect computer doesn’t exist. There are positives and minuses with all of them regardless of manufacturer, make, model, or brand. With that in mind, here are some downsides to consider with the Xi3 system. While being highly versatile, the hardware and components are strictly proprietary… you won’t be going down to your local electronic store to get a replacement part or upgrade. This means you have to rely on buying from the manufacturer, and paying the price they set. That being said, it really isn’t a negative to immerse yourself into an exemplary implementation of technology such as this.

What do you think?

I would love your thoughts and comments. You can Email me directly at drtechblog@gmail.com and I will reply to as many of your messages as possible, maybe using some questions and answers in a future post.

You can also catch me on Twitter @DrTechCo or on Facebook.com/DoktorTech

J. D. Redmond  ~ “Dr. Tech” ~ http://www.DrTech.co

Jacques Redmond

About Jacques Redmond

I'm an I.T. Security Professional, Technology Analyst, Consultant, & Tech Writer Protecting You From Viruses, Malware, Trojans, Hackers, and other Cyber Threats. I enjoy taking complicated subjects, and putting them in a way that's easy for everyone to understand. My site INFORMATIONWARFARE.US gives free advice to combat threats to your system.