VIA Technologies, a Taiwan-based developer of x86 processor platforms, this morning announced that it has sold all of its shares in S3 Graphics, a provider of graphics visualization technologies used in PCs, game consoles and mobile devices based in California.

The buyer is smartphone manufacturer HTC, which is acquiring all outstanding shares of S3 Graphics for a grand total of $300 million.

Once it obtains full ownership of S3 Graphics, HTC will not only gain the company’s experienced team but also quite some valuable intellectual property and a ton of know-how on building energy-efficient graphics and video solutions.

VIA Technologies acquired S3 Graphics in 2001 with the intention to accelerate integration of graphics capabilities with its processor and chipset products. S3 Graphics became undercapitalized in 2005, prompting VIA to add WTI Investment International as a new investor to help fund the operations and R&D initiatives.

Notably, WTI is a private investment company, in which VIA Technologies chairman Cher Wang is a significant shareholder. Update: Wang also co-founded HTC, by the way.

VIA will receive $147 million, while WTI will receive $153 million. VIA will recognize a capital gain of $37 million and paid-in-capital of $115 million in this transaction.

“The transaction would allow VIA to monetize a portion of its rich IP portfolio, yet retain its graphics capabilities to support the development and sale of its processors and chipsets,” said Tzu-mu Lin, Senior Vice President and Board Director of VIA.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions but is expected to close before end of 2011.

S3 Graphics recently made headlines with its patent infringement suit against Apple. The company filed an ITC complaint in May 2010, and an eight-day trial was held in March 2011.

Earlier this month, ITC Judge E. James Gildea ruled that Apple infringes US Patent 6,658,146 directed to systems and methods for compressing images and US Patent 6,683,978 directed to image data formats, both of which belong to S3 Graphics (and soon, to HTC).

Apple was found not to violate two other patents.

The chips are available now and should hit devices next year.

The VIA Labs VL750 is the first USB 3.0 compliant NAND flash controller of its kind in the market, featuring a 4-channel memory controller with interleaving support to offer blisteringly fast data transfer speeds of 100MB/s or more, depending on configuration. The VIA Labs VL750’s four channel design dramatically improves data throughput over dual or single channel designs by offering more bandwidth and improved parallelization.

The VIA Labs VL750 features USB mass storage class ‘Bulk-Only Transport’ for universal compatibility across platforms such as Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux, and adds USB Attached SCSI Protocol (UASP) support for additional performance. The VIA Labs VL750 is fully compliant with the USB 3.0 specification, and is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 standards, offering class-leading performance in USB 2.0 mode with transfer speeds of up to 35 MB/s.

PayPal haters now have another option to pay for junk online. It’s called payclick (all lowercase = money), and it was developed by Visa. They’re marketing it to teens and their families—“Safe & Secure purchasing for the family.” Basically, instead of using PayPal or directly using your credit card, you set up a payclick account then go to town.

You link your payclick account to a credit card or bank account (like PayPal), then select payclick at checkout.

By far the biggest online store using the system is iTunes. The other ones are here, if you’re so inclined.

It’s free to use for you and me, and sellers will have to pay “competitive” fees to participate.

The big idea is that parents can give their kids a payclick account, then keep the account flush with funds as they see fit. Kids can’t go around adding funds to their account without parental authorization.

Why did I just write a story about this? Oh, right: I’m killing time till the Spain-Chile game.

The Eken M001

Eken M003

FirstView PC707

G-Link A8

The hardware specs aren’t listed but for $150 or less, you can’t expect much.

[Via Gallery via SlashGear]

But we still don’t know when this is going to happen. Via hasn’t announced when we’ll actually see this chip make its way into any devices although we are getting in a 4-port USB 3.0 hub for review shortly, but we’re not sure if it contains this Via chip. Guess we’ll have to tear it apart to find out.

Via’s upcoming tablets are of course in response to the iPad and is a classic CE move. Instead of producing a quality product, a company, in this case Via, is outing a whole range of low-cost (and likely cheap) alternatives.

This move hopefully won’t earn 2010 the title of year of the tablet alone. In fact there’s a chance that it could harm the consumer’s interest in the slate form factor. The iPad isn’t perfect by any means, but it is showing the entire consumer electronic market that they want and need a tablet computer with its slick user experience. However, it’s still an elite-type device with the $500+ price tag and obviously a low-cost Via model will capture some sales of those looking to be part of the cool crowd. However if these tablets fail to provide a good experience, it might turn off an entire market segment to tablets in general.

This little guy packs just about everything possible into the tiny form factor. An affair of a 64-bit 1.2GHz VIA Nano processor and VIA VX855 media system processor is used to provide enough power to playback HD material and handle everyday tasks. It even the standard I/O ports of HDMI, Gigabit, five USB ports, and optional wireless 802.11 b/g and SD card reader.

Do you want to hold the future in your hands? Click over to the VIA Online store and order the ARTiGO A110 for only $243.

The M’SERVE also has a bootable CF socket, allowing you to install your OS on a compact flash card, and then boot from said card. A pretty neat feature. The S2100 also has dual gigabit LAN, and very low power consumption so you don’t have to feel guilty about leaving it on all the time. VIA hasn’t announced how much the M’SERVE is going to cost, or when it will be available.

From the press release:

Thanks to the VIA Nano processor and its 64-bit architecture and integrated hardware assisted virtualization technology, the VIA M’SERV S2100 is capable of hosting multiple virtual environments. In addition, the VIA VX800 single-chip media system processor provides support for SATA, USB, and a whole host of other essential functions.
The VIA M’SERV S2100 mini server is even smaller than most small form factor (SFF) desktop PCs. Its ultra compact size and whisper quiet operation makes it a perfect server for the home, or any place where space is at a premium or noise is an issue.

You know that thing about robots eventually taking over the world? Or computers? Or robots with computers in them and at first you’re like, “Hey cool, I’m friends with a robot and we play Scrabble together because he has a computer in him,” but after a while the robot gets all moody and you start to notice stuff missing from your room and all of a sudden the robot is, like, locking you out of your house and punching you in the upper arm for no reason? Maybe that robot would have one of these VIA Mobile-ITX boards in it. It’s small, is what I’m saying.

And sure enough, it seems that VIA has indeed already kowtowed to our soon-to-be robot overlords, as evidenced by this quip in the company’s press release:

“Mobile-ITX offers system designers a more compact, flexible and feature rich solution for a range of device designs and is especially suited for next-generation, ultra-compact applications in military, medical, robotics and transportation segments.”

Robotics, eh? I’m going to move in with that cave guy until this blows over. Before I leave, though, I’d be remiss if I didn’t list some of the features of the Mobile-ITX platform:

• Board size: 6cm by 6cm (2.36 inches by 2.36 inches)
• “Support for complete range of I/O standards including USB, CRT, TTL LCD, PCIe, SPI, LPC, Video capture (or COM), SDIO, IDE, PS/2, SMB, GPIO, Audio, DVI, LVDS (by Transmitter).”
• Low power consumption, 12-watt power supply, fanless design

It’d be nice to see this spill over into the consumer sector, though the importance of mere trinkets and gadgets seems greatly diminished when you’ve got robots after you.

VIA Mobile-ITX Form Factor [VIA.com.tw]

The processors range in speed from 1-2GHz and all feature an 800MHz frontside bus.

According to VIA’s press release:

“Based on the 64-bit superscalar ‘Isaiah’ architecture, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors deliver the most compelling thin and light notebook computing experience with their rich HD entertainment capabilities, including support for flawless playback of high bit-rate 1080p HD video, as well as low power consumption resulting in longer battery life.”

The new processors are currently available to system builders and are expected to show up in retail markets in the first quarter of next year, presumably to take on Intel’s upcoming line of PineTrail processors.

Here’s the full press release:

VIA Introduces New VIA Nano 3000 Series Processors

VIA’s fastest and most power efficient processors yet deliver richest mobile and all-in-one desktop computing experience

Taipei, Taiwan, 3 November 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms,　today introduced its new VIA Nano 3000 Series processors, bringing enhanced digital media performance and lower power consumption to Windows 7 thin and light notebook and all-in-one desktop PC markets.

Based on the 64-bit superscalar ‘Isaiah’ architecture, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors deliver the most compelling thin and light notebook computing experience with their rich HD entertainment capabilities, including support for flawless playback of high bit-rate 1080p HD video, as well as low power consumption resulting in longer battery life.

With a host of advanced features including 64-bit support, advanced CPU virtualization technology, SSE4 for enhanced multimedia processing, and the industry-leading encryption and security capabilities integrated in the VIA PadLock™ Security Engine, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors also provide a secure, high-performance solution for emerging cloud-based computing environments.

“With the VIA Nano 3000 Series, we are launching our fastest and most power-efficient processors yet,” commented Richard Brown, VP International Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “Coupled with our market-leading digital media chipsets, they enable the richest experience across a broad range of mobile and all-in-one system designs.”

VIA Nano 3000 Series
VIA Nano 3000 Series processors are built on the successful 64-bit, superscalar architecture that powers the VIA Nano 1000 Series and 2000 Series processors, which have been adopted by leading OEMs worldwide for a growing number of market-leading mini-note, small form factor desktop, and energy-efficient server designs.

Available at speeds from 1.0GHz to 2.0GHz, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors deliver up to 20% higher performance using up to 20% less power than current VIA Nano processors and boast a number of new features including support for the SSE4 multimedia instruction set and VIA VT virtualization technology.

Fully compatible with all Microsoft operating systems, including the new Windows 7, as well as all popular Linux distributions, the VIA Nano 3000 Series processors use the NanoBGA2 package, making them pin-to-pin compatible with VIA Nano 1000 Series, VIA Nano 2000 Series, VIA C7, VIA C7-M and VIA Eden processors for easy upgrades of existing designs.

VIA Nano 3000 Series Availability
VIA Nano 3000 Series processor samples are currently available for OEMs and motherboard vendors, and will enter mass production in Q1 2010.

VIA’s got a new Mini-ITX setup that ought to appeal to HTPC builders, as it features a dedicated GPU capable of handling 1080p video, four distinct video outputs (two HDMI, DVI, and VGA), RCA audio output, and a quiet, cool 1.6GHz VIA Nano processor.

The platform is collectively called the VIA VB8003 and, according to VIA, “is the world’s first Mini-ITC board to feature discrete on-board graphics, delivering 1080p HD content through a range of multi-display configurations.”

Here’s more from the press release:

“The VIA VB8003 takes advantage of the ‘VIA Trinity’ platform, the codename for a unique combination of 64-bit VIA Nano processor, VIA VX800 media system processor and a dedicated S3 Graphics processor; producing a perfect blend of Hi-Def video playback, DX10.1 graphics and multiple display connectivity, all within a ruthlessly low, industry-leading thermal envelope…

…The VIA VB8003 Mini-ITX board is powered by a 1.6GHz VIA Nano processor coupled with the VIA VX800 media system processor and the S3 Graphics 435 ULP graphics processor. Supporting up to 4GB of DDR2 system memory, the VIA VB8003’s dedicated GPU can take advantage of 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory.

On-board I/O includes dual HDMI, a DVI port, VGA port and two RCA jacks, dual Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, serial and PS2 ports. Storage includes two S-ATA ports, a 40-pin IDE and a type 2 Compact Flash slot.”

No word on pricing or availability for regular consumers but since it’s part of VIA’s “embedded” line, we may see it directly integrated into complete systems offered by various resellers.

VIA VB8003 [VIA Embedded]

Netbooks are too underpowered, notebooks are too bulky and expensive – “SILENCE!” shouts VIA. All hail the new “NetNote” category, if you please. We’re basically talking netbooks with 10- to 12-inch screens that can handle 1080p HD video without breaking stride.

There’s more:

“NetNote devices not only boast the full functionality and larger keyboard and screen sizes more commonly found on standard notebook devices, but also incorporate innovative features such as an integrated, externally controlled MP3 player that doesn’t require the user to boot the OS, an extendable aerial used to receive digital video broadcast from both satellite and terrestrial transmitters, and the ability to act as an FM transmitter allowing users to tune in car radios or cell phones to pick up NetNote broadcasts.”

These NetNote systems are “turnkey” in the sense that manufacturers can choose between ultra low-voltage VIA C7-M processors or VIA’s newer Nano processors, then add up to 2GB of RAM, mobile broadband chips, and Windows or Linux operating systems.

All the systems will use VIA’s VX855 Media System Processor, which is an integrated graphics chipset that offers hardware-based video acceleration for popular video codecs like H.264, MPEG-2, and MP4.

Here’s a look at some of the available hardware options:

The whole setup is known as the “Surfboard” platform and will draw as little as 2.3 watts of power in the interest of battery life. No actual systems, pricing, or availability yet but a bunch of stuff will be shown off at VIA’s Global Mobility Bazaar Alliance event in China on the 25th.

VIA NetNote Turnkey Systems [Product Info]

VIA Surfboard NetNote Edition Platforms [Product Info]

VIA Unveils SurfBoard Platforms and Turnkey Systems for New NetNote Category [Press Release]

Quick Version: The Lenovo IdeaPad S12 represents one of the first netbooks to feature VIA’s Nano platform as a configuration option. You’ll gain some extra horsepower over Intel’s Atom setup while saving about $70 off the total system price, making the Nano a good option for those of you who want to watch 720p video. All that power comes at a price, though: decreased battery life, as the included six-cell battery only manages a little over four hours.

Features and Specs:

• VIA Nano ULV 2250 1.3 GHz CPU (800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 cache)
• Windows XP Home
• 12.1-inch LCD (1280×800 resolution)
• 1GB of RAM
• 160GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
• Six-cell battery
• 802.11b/g wireless
• Three USB ports, card reader, VGA out
• Weighs 3.24 pounds
• MSRP of $429

Design: The Lenovo IdeaPad S12 feels a bit more substantial than your average netbook. Granted, it’s got a 12-inch screen so it’ll naturally be a little larger, but the computer itself is relatively heavy at almost three-and-a-half pounds and thick at 1.25 inches. It feels well-built, though, like it could take some light abuse without being much worse for wear.

The lid of the computer is a glossy surface covered in a pattern of little circles. It picks up fingerprints somewhat, but not as noticeably as to detract from the overall look and feel. In the photo above, the S12 is blasted with light from a halogen lamp — dust and fingerprints aren’t nearly as noticeable in regular light. The chassis consists of a standard black plastic and the screen’s hinges on either side feature decorative metal rings. All in all the S12 is understated, if perhaps a bit boring. Pretty standard for Lenovo, though.

Performance: To be honest, I’ve been impressed with the VIA Nano platform so far. Despite this machine only coming with 1GB of RAM and the CPU only being clocked at 1.3GHz, it feels more like a standard laptop than a netbook. While the Atom N270 CPU features a faster 1.6GHz clock speed, the Nano CPU in this machine has a faster frontside bus (800MHz versus 533MHz) and double the L2 cache (1MB versus 512KB).

I’d personally upgrade the RAM to at least 2GB, though, as once I started opening multiple tabs in Google Chrome, things slowed down a bit. After I popped in an extra 1GB stick of RAM, everything starting humming along quite nicely.

As for watching video, HD Flash video is a no-go since it relies heavily on the CPU, unfortunately, as is most full-screen Flash video (low-quality Hulu worked okay, high-quality stuttered) but the S12 was able to play most everything else I threw at it.

Here’s a list of what worked full-screen in Windows Media Player:

• 720p WMV
• 720p DivX
• 720p XviD
• 720p QuickTime
• 720p MP4 (footage from HD Flip Mino Ultra)
• 480p MP4 (footage from Samsung Camcorder)
• 480p XviD

Note that the actual QuickTime application requires a minimum of a 2GHz CPU. QuickTime files played inside the QuickTime player stuttered but when using the K-Lite Codec Pack for Windows Media Player to play QuickTime files, they played just fine.

Finally, the S12 tends to run hot. When using the machine on my lap for an extended period of time, my left leg would get mighty toasty. Not uncomfortable to the point where I’d want to move the computer to a tabletop, but hot enough that I definitely noticed it and would try to shift around somewhat. Just something to keep in mind.

Display: One of the stronger points of this machine, the S12′s LCD gets plenty bright with nice color saturation. It’s glossy without being very reflective at all, and the viewing angles are relatively wide. You’ll enjoy watching movies and looking at pictures. The 1280×800 resolution is a godsend, too, especially if you’ve been using a 1024×600-resolution screen in the past. Text is crisp and clear and the 12-inch panel makes everything very readable without having to sit too close to the screen.

Battery Life: Ah, the great netbook tradeoff — battery life versus performance. With this machine, you get performance. While Atom-based netbooks are now clearing 8 hours using six-cell batteries, the S12 will manage about half that. Lenovo includes its own power management application that allows you to choose between Performance, Balance, Low Power, and Super Energy Saver. I was able to manage almost five hours with Super Energy Saver but found that regular computing was much more enjoyable using the Balance setting.

Still, figure about four hours to be on the safe side. That’s enough for a long flight or train ride or perhaps an entire workday of off-and-on computing.

Keyboard and Trackpad: The keyboard is okay, not great but not bad either. I would have preferred that it stretched end-to-end to make use of all available space but the keys aren’t too bad for typing. I found the space bar to be a bit squishy, sometimes requiring an extra press to get the keystroke to register. As netbook keyboards go, I’d put the S12′s in the upper-middle tier. Better than most but not truly outstanding by any means.

The trackpad works well, no complaints there. There’s a nice, identifiable vertical scroll area with slightly-raised bumps on the right-hand side and the two mouse buttons are easy to click. The entire area of the trackpad isn’t huge, by any means, but it’s overall a serviceable way to move the cursor around the screen.

Speakers: The speakers actually get plenty loud, which is nice. And at full volume, there’s no distortion. The low-end is a bit weak but, in general, the speakers are above average as far as netbooks go.

Upgrades: Pretty straightforward. There are two bottom-side panels, one for the RAM and wireless chips and one for the hard drive.

Overall: The Lenovo IdeaPad S12 with the VIA Nano platform hovers in an interesting category. It’s a little more than an Atom-based netbook as far as power is concerned — perhaps closer to the CULV (consumer ultra-low voltage) range than anything else.

The price is absolutely wonderful for what you’re getting — at $429, it’s a solid deal for a well-built, relatively powerful netbook-style computer. However, the short battery life along with the overall weight, thickness, and so-so style of the machine leave a bit to be desired. From a purely computing standpoint, though, you’re getting a nimble little portable computer that can play back most video files and handle most tasks with ease. I’d upgrade the RAM but that wouldn’t be totally necessary for most average, everyday use.

All in all the S12 is a good early offering from Lenovo and VIA, especially for anyone looking for a little more punch than you’d normally get from an Atom-based netbook.

Lenovo IdeaPad S12 [Lenovo.com]

Yes, yes, yes. Check out this prototype from VIA. It’s a hybrid tablet PC netbook. The screen pops out of the main body and functions as an Android tablet and when docked back into the body — in this case, an HP Mini 1000-series netbook — it runs XP.

Per VIA (via VIA?):

Here’s a quick look at a prototype device that combines an ARM based tablet PC inside a HP Mini-note. The tablet PC runs Google’s lightweight Android OS while the main body of the Mini-note is using good old XP. This device is developed by Taiwan’s III.

Hot diggity, let’s make this one happen for real. I’d buy one. You?

VIA’s “How To Be Mobile” blog takes a look at the Dr. Mobile FreeStyle 1300n series of netbooks powered by, of course, the VIA Nano 1.3GHz CPU. The 1300n is an 11.6-inch machine with a 1366×768 resolution, weighs just under three pounds, and is less than an inch thick.

Other specs include up to 4GB of RAM, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G and WiMax options, integrated card reader, webcam, and choice of XP or Vista Home Basic.

All in all, this line looks pretty standard although the higher resolution screen is definitely a plus. It’d be interesting to see how this machine performs against the new similarly-equipped 11.6-inch Acer with Intel’s Atom chipset.

According the above video, these netbooks should hit the market in about a month and will definitely make an appearance at Computex in June. Check out the video for more info, but keep in mind that it’s sponsored by VIA so they’re naturally going to be positive about everything.

Other features include:

• 1.0GHz VIA Eden ULV CPU
• VIA CX700M2 Unified Digital Media IGP chipset
• Up to 1GB of RAM (one socket)
• VIA UniChrome Pro II GPU with MPEG-2/4 and WMV9 decoding
• TV-out, V-Cam, A/V in, and IR receiver
• Onboard GPS, Bluetooth
• FM transmitter
• Can operate between 32 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit at up to 95% humidity
• Measures 4.5” x 7.3”
• Runs embedded OSes (XP Embedded, Linux, WinCE)

That built-in FM transmitter feature is pretty cool. You’ll notice there’s no built-in Wi-Fi, which probably isn’t a huge deal breaker, although it’d be cool to be able to sit in your driveway and transfer a bunch of songs to your car PC over your home network. Of course, you could add a USB Wi-Fi connection. Most people might opt for a mobile data connection as well.

No word on price or availability yet, although “VIA is currently offering samples of the VIA IVP-7500 board to project customers,” so a full release shouldn’t be too far off.

Here’s the press release:

New VIA In-Vehicle Platform for Driving Next-Generation Car PCs

VIA IVP-7500 board with advanced multimedia features offers system integrators the perfect in-vehicle PC platform

Taipei, Taiwan, 19 March 2009 – VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today released the VIA IVP-7500 board, the first in a series of dedicated x86 in-vehicle platforms for developers of car PCs and intelligent transportation devices.

The continued evolution of the PC as a multimedia playback device for audio and video entertainment means that car owners are now demanding access to their digital media library whilst on the road. In-vehicle PCs offer access to intelligent global satellite positioning services for accurate location tracking, route planning and navigation. 

Today’s cutting-edge consumer can employ in-car mounted cameras for video assisted parking and highway surveillance recording, while commercial customers can have access to license plate recognition, fleet management, digital tachograph, odometer and security applications.  

Designed from the ground up for the rigours of in-vehicle computing, the VIA IVP-7500 is a versatile, scalable and highly power-efficient processor platform with strong multimedia performance. Customers have the option of fanless design implementations for industrial and grade stability. The flexible VIA IVP-7500 measures 114mm x 185.5mm and can be employed in a variety of dashboard implementations, including one or two DIN designs as well as discrete, in-seat and headrest designs.

“Intelligent transportation devices are making the transition from an enthusiast to mainstream audience,” said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded, VIA Technologies, Inc. “The VIA IVP-7500 carries our expertise in developing stable, compact, energy-efficient systems to this high-growth sector, bringing with it faster product development cycles and the flexibility to offer consumers more than just a car PC.”

About the VIA IVP-7500 Board

The VIA IVP-7500 is powered by a fanless 1.0GHz VIA Eden processor and supports up to 1GB of DDR2 system memory. A range of display technologies are supported including an LCD (TTL) panel interface, TV-out and VGA outputs and camera ports including A/V (via mini-USB) and V-CAM for monitoring applications.

Storage includes IDE 1.8” hard drive support with FFC cable and SD card support. HD audio is provided with optional SPK (R+L) and Mic-in connectors.

Communications technologies include a GPS module with IPEX antenna, an FM stereo transmitter and Bluetooth. Two USB 2.0 ports plus a COM port are included as well as an infra red adapter for hands-free applications.

VIA is currently offering samples of the VIA IVP-7500 board to project customers. For more information please visit: 

http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/mainboards/motherboards.jsp?motherboard_id=790

The small size is possible because the MSP integrates the North and South bridges, resulting in what VIA claims to be a 46% reduction “of silicon real estate compared with competing twin-chip core logic implementations.” The chip’s size and low power requirements allow it to run inside a fanless system, which ought to make it a good option for home theater PCs and ultraportable computers.

The VX855 is compatible with VIA’s currently-available Nano, C7, and Eden CPUs so it should only be a matter of time before we see systems with the new chipset available on the market.

Here’s the full press release:

New VIA VX855 Media System Processor Brings Power-Efficiency to 1080p HD Video Playback

VIA VX855 MSP offers hardware H.264 video acceleration in a tiny, highly integrated single chip package with an ultra low TDP of 2.3 watts

Taipei, Taiwan, 12 March 2009 – VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA VX855 Media System Processor (MSP) – an ultra power efficient, all-in-one chipset that addresses the key performance and entertainment requirements of today’s small form factor and mobile PC systems.

Increasingly, content is being filmed in high-definition (HD), with movies, TV shows and sporting events taking advantage of the smooth playback, extraordinary picture clarity, and brilliant colors that HD video offers. However, until now the high bit-rates associated with quality HD video have posed a real challenge to the processing capabilities of power efficient PC systems such as those found in small form factor and mobile devices.

Set to be Microsoft® Windows® 7-ready, the VIA VX855 MSP solves the problem by offering support for full hardware acceleration of the widest variety of leading video standards including H.264, MPEG-2/4, VC-1 and WMV9, greatly reducing the workload and thus the power consumption of the processor.

“For the first time, system developers have an ultra low power media system processor that delivers high bit-rate HD video to small form factor and mobile devices,” said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “The VIA VX855 opens up exciting opportunities for several PC segments, particularly the mini-notebook category that will now be able to offer true 1080p HD video playback.”

Compatible with the ultra compact VIA Nano™, VIA C7® and VIA Eden™ processor families, the VIA VX855 MSP integrates all the cutting-edge features of a modern chipset’s North and South bridges into a 27mm x 27mm single chip package that saves over 46% of silicon real estate compared with competing twin-chip core logic implementations. This miniaturization, combined with extensive power management technologies and the ability to run fanlessly within a tiny 2.3 watt power envelope, enables system builders to design ever smaller, lighter, and more portable systems.

About the VIA VX855 Media System Processor

The VIA VX855 MSP integrates a high performance DDR2 memory controller, a 400/800MHz FSB processor interface, and extensive I/O capabilities (such as 6 x USB 2.0, SDIO, UART, SPI, LPC and SMBus) in a single chip. Support for the integrated VIA Chrome9™ HCM Graphics Processor, HD audio controller, and a host of display interfaces in its in-built LVDS transmitter, CMOS LCD and CRT interfaces, allows for more flexible multimedia playback options.

An advanced graphics experience is powered by a high frequency 2D/3D graphic engine, while the high performance image processing features include support for hardware decode acceleration of leading video standards as well as up to three audio streams of up to eight channels each, with 32-bit sample depth and sample rates up to 192kHz.

More information about the VIA VX855 MSP may be found on the VIA website at:
http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/chipsets/v-series/vx855/index.jsp

Quick Version: Much more functional than a NAS hard drive but not as expensive or large as most home server boxes, the VIA ARTiGO A2000 threads the needle between performance and price. And it looks good, to boot.

Features

• 1.5GHz VIA C7-D CPU
• VIA VX800 Unified Digital Media IGP chipset
• Single RAM socket takes DDR2 notebook RAM up to 2GB
• Two slots for 3.5-inch SATA hard drives
• One CompactFlash socket
• Three USB ports
• One Ethernet port
• One VGA-out port
• Dimensions: 5.3” wide x 4.5” tall x 10.2” long
• MSRP: $299.99

Setup

Devin shows us how to set up the ARTiGO A2000 through the magic of video!

Overview

The VIA ARTiGO A2000 is a compact system that’s meant to act as a backup computer for your home or small business. You’ll need to add a hard drive, RAM, and an operating system but that’s about it. The first thing that popped into my mind when I opened the box was, “Ooooh, hello tiny media center PC for my living room.” It’s a nice glossy black finish that’d fit right in next to your TV.

Unfortunately, it’s not meant to be a media center PC — it’s billed as a storage server. You might be able to get a super light Linux distro running on it and pull off some full screen videos but it struggled to play even standard-definition content in Windows 7 Beta. As for HD, both 720p and 1080p were out of the question as there was just too much stuttering.

As a storage server, though, and as a computer for basic web surfing and running simple apps, the A2000 worked like a charm. My setup included the previously-mentioned Windows 7 Beta as an operating system, a 500GB 7200 RPM Seagate hard drive, and 1GB of notebook RAM.

The actual motherboard itself is tiny, maybe about 25% bigger than a graham cracker square.

You can hook up two SATA drives simply by sliding them in along the case rails, which fits them right into the sockets. Then just add the screws and you’re done.

Software and Performance

I installed Windows 7 Beta and it performed quite nicely for simple web surfing, Skype, and older games like SimCity 3000 but not for HD video or newer games. As for video, YouTube worked fine and most standard-def stuff worked okay (some of the audio and video was a bit out of synch depending on the codec used) but I wouldn’t use the A2000 to watch video regularly.

There’s no optical drive, so I installed Windows 7 using a USB thumb drive (see instructions here). VIA also includes three pieces of software: StrongBox, Tru-Delete, and System Management Tool. You’ll likely use StrongBox the most, as it allows you to create password-protected drive partitions so, for instance, multiple users can have their own space on a single hard drive.

Tru-Delete can be used to delete all the data on a hard drive “with confidence” and the System Management Tool relayed system temperature, voltage, fan speed, and stuff like that.

Performance was decidedly low but, again, it’s a simple server. GeekBench returned a score of 490, which is on par with Mac G4 systems and even HP’s 2133 Mini Note.

The system wouldn’t return a Windows Experience Index rating.

For simple operations, though, the system runs fine despite its low benchmarks. It’s not really meant to be used as a regular computer as much as its meant to sit and collect files. I used it primarily without a monitor, keyboard, or mouse hooked up. I had a weekly backup task set up to copy files from my desktop computer to the A2000 and when I needed to access it for some reason, I’d connect to it using the Remote Desktop Connection program from my main PC.

As far as noise is concerned, the thing is whisper-quiet. I’ve had it sitting on the far corner of my desk and it produces no discernable noise throughout the day. It runs very cool, too, so you could stash it just about anywhere without worrying about it.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for something a little more robust than a NAS hard drive but you don’t want to lay out $500+ on a home server unit, the VIA ARTiGO A2000 is a great choice — especially if you’ve got an old hard drive and some RAM on hand. There are plenty of free OS options, too, or you can load up your favorite flavor of Windows if that’s what you’re comfortable with.

Product Page [VIA]

There aren’t going to be any cases meant to use this setup for a while (and likely they’ll be first-party to begin with, like VIA’s Artigo), but it’s a cool idea and one of which you can immediately see the benefits. We have a form of this in our consumer mobos in the form of unused USB pinouts and such for expansion boards, front panels and so on, but having it hardwired would be a lot nicer (my front ports aren’t high-speed USB because of the way I had to set it up).

Of course, these Em-ITX boards will be in embedded and proprietary devices first (it’s quite small), but let’s hope some of the design decisions make their way into some more consumer-oriented gear.

No surprise here, but VIA’s issued a press release officially announcing that Samsung’s NC20, the 12-inch successor to the NC10 netbook, does indeed have a VIA Nano CPU – a fact that’s been known for quite some time now. Along with the news, we’ve got some official specs for the soon-to-be-released computer, although we still don’t have official pricing or launch dates.

First, the specs:

• 12.1-inch LED WXGA (1280 x 800) screen
• VIA Nano™ ULV Processor U2250 (1.3+GHz, 800MHz)
• Integrated VIA Chrome9 graphics
• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
• 1GB DDR2 RAM (1*SODMM)
• 160GB HDD (9.5mmH 2.5”HDD, SATA)
• 1.3 MP web camera
• Ethernet/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth
• Three USB ports, 3-in-1 card reader
• Six-cell battery good for up to 6.5 hours
• Weighs 3.3 pounds

Hopefully that RAM is easily upgradeable. The Nano chipset can apparently handle up to 4GB of RAM and people might want more than 1GB to play with. Also – and I never thought I’d say this about a laptop – that 3.3-pound weight actually seems a bit heavy for a netbook. It’s probably a small price to pay for a six-cell battery, though, if you’re looking for almost day-long computing without needing to recharge.

Again, no official word on pricing and availability here in the US, although Amazon UK has the machine listed at £379.54 (just under $550 US) with a March 1st in-stock date.

Here’s the full press release:

Samsung Adopts VIA Nano Processor for the Samsung NC20 12.1″ Mini-Notebook

VIA Nano processor platform enables the Samsung NC20 to deliver superior performance and battery life in a sleek 12.1″ mini-notebook form factor

Taipei, Taiwan, 27 February 2009 – VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced that Samsung has adopted the VIA Nano processor in the new Samsung NC20 mini-notebook.

Combining the power efficient 1.3+GHz VIA Nano™ processor with the highly-integrated VIA VX800 system media processor, the Samsung NC20 also features a stunning 1280×800 12.1″ display, ensuring an outstanding video experience and enabling a full-size 12″ notebook keyboard with optimized 18.5mm key spacing and larger touchpad in a highly portable device that weighs just 1.52kg.

Mobility is enhanced by 802.11b/g and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and a six-cell battery that provides up to 6.5 hours of use independent of any power supply, while storage options include either a solid state disk or a SATA hard disk drive. Other features include an integrated 1.3 mega pixel digital motion camera, 3-in-1 memory card reader and three built-in USB ports.

“We are delighted that Samsung has adopted the VIA Nano processor for the Samsung NC20,” said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “This is a truly ground-breaking product that sets the new industry standard for consumer mini-notes and clearly demonstrates the advanced performance of our VIA Nano processor platform.”

Samsung NC20 Mini-Notebook Specifications

Screen:              12.1″ LED WXGA (1280 x 800)
CPU:                  VIA Nano™ ULV Processor U2250 (1.3+GHz, 800MHz)
Chipset:              VIA VX800 Unified Digital Media IGP Chipset
Graphics:            Integrated VIA Chrome9™ with DirectX 9.0 3D graphics support and hardware video acceleration
OS:                     Microsoft○R Windows○R XP Home Edition
Memory:            1GB DDR2  (1*SODMM)
Storage:            160GB HDD (9.5mmH 2.5”HDD, SATA)
Webcam:           1.3 Mega pixels web camera
LAN:                   10/100Mbps LAN
Wireless:            Atheros 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth:           2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
I/O Ports:            USB2.0 x 3, Ethernet LAN, 3-in-1 card reader
Battery:               6 cells Li-ion Battery Standard
Dimensions:      292.4mm x 217mm x 30.7mm
Weight:              1.52kg
Special
Features:            6.5 hours battery life
Colours:              White

About the VIA Nano Processor Platform
The first 64-bit, superscalar processors in VIA’s x86 platform portfolio, VIA Nano processors have been specifically designed to revitalize traditional desktop and notebook PC markets, delivering truly optimized performance and security for the most demanding computing, entertainment and connectivity applications. The VIA Nano processor is coupled with the VIA VX800 system media processor with support for full Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0 3D graphics, high definition video and audio playback, and up to 4GB of DDR2 system memory.

The VIA Nano processor family leverages advanced 65 nanometer process technology for enhanced power efficiency, and augments that with aggressive power and thermal management features within the compact 21mm x 21mm nanoBGA2 package for an idle power as low as 100mW (0.1W), extending the reach of power efficient green and silent PCs, thin and light notebooks and mini-notes around the world. For further information on the VIA Nano processor family, please visit the VIA website at:
http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/processors/nano/