It was June 2007 when we first got excited about the Mobile-ITX platform from VIA. It promised PC-like performance in a small and efficient motherboard and it looked like it would allow slicker, more efficient UMPC designs. Since then, Intel introduced the Menlow platform which does pretty much the same thing. It allows handheld, efficient, low-power small form factor computers. Over 2 years later, VIA finally announce that the Mobile-ITX platform will….actually it’s difficult to say. If you read the press release, it’s presenting information on a product that will be announced in Q1 2010. As for availability, maybe it takes another 2 years!
As least it will give Intel some competition and help to drive prices down but with UMPC operating system choices narrowing to Windows 7, this (1Ghz indicated) C7-based processing board (not complete motherboard) might be too little, too late for ultra mobile PC fans. Mobile-ITX looks like it will be a better fit in the place where VIA are aiming it; the embedded market.
via Pressemitteilung: VIA Mobile-ITX Referenzboard offiziell vorgestellt | Netbooknews.de – das Netbook Blog. [English press release and images available]
More information available from VIA here. White Paper [PDF] here.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:36 pm
The price alone of all these micro-motherboards is a strong indication that VIA is solely targeting the embedded market…
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December 2nd, 2009 at 3:53 pm
I almost thought it was dead and abandoned. Overall it’s slightly larger than the original 75mmx45mm Mobile-ITX boards. And I’m dissapointed it’s not geared towards the modder like the Mini-ITX and Pico-ITX series. It’s more like and industrial standard. But it’s still impressive!
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December 2nd, 2009 at 9:10 pm
I thought it dead too. Such a shame as Via would have been able to put Windows into the sub 4″ smartphone market way before Intel.
I can only hope the earlier projects will be back on course, like the amazing mTube and the Dr.Mobile slider. But I’m not counting on it..
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