Nettop is the generic name for a very small form factor, inexpensive, low-power desktop computer designed for basic tasks such as Internet surfing, accessing web-based applications, document processing, and audio/video playback.[1][2][3][4] The word nettop is a portmanteau of Internet and desktop.[5]
Compared to ordinary desktop computers, nettops are not only smaller and cheaper,[6] they also consume much less power. For example, CompuLab's fit-PC2 consumes no more than 8 watts of power[7] whereas a typical desktop would easily consume more than 100 watts of power. Consequently, nettops are often fanless with an external power supply. Some do not have an optical disk drive and use a solid state disk, making them completely silent. The trade off is that the hardware specifications and processing power are usually reduced[8] and hence make nettops less appropriate for running complex or resource intensive applications.
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Some nettops are designed to have stylish cases or run Windows operating systems in order to target the mainstream. Others are designed more towards business and experienced computer users. These models typically run a version of Linux to allow better customization and cut costs. The following list identifies some computers that are designed and marketed as a nettop.
| Manufacturer | Product | Chipset | Processor | Power consumption (Watts) | HDD | Wi-Fi | Video Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abaco | Dual | Atom (x86) | 35–45 W[9] | ||||
| Acer | AspireRevo | ION | Atom (x86) | 21–29 W[10] | Yes | Yes | |
| Acer | Veriton N260G | GN40 | Atom N280 | 65 W[11] | Yes | Yes | |
| Acropio | TE | x86 and RISC CPUs | 24 W[12] | Optional | 17" LCD | ||
| Aleutia | Aleutia T1[13] | 945GSE | Atom N270 (x86) | <25W | Optional | Optional | |
| Aleutia | Aleutia H1[14] | ION | Atom (x86) | 25–32 W | Yes | Yes | |
| Sony | x series | ION | Atom 550 (x86) | 25–32 W | Yes | ||
| ASRock | ION 330[15] | ION | Atom (x86) | 31–39.8 W[16] | Yes | Yes[17] | |
| Asus | Eee Box | 945GSE | Atom (x86) | 36 W | Yes | Yes | |
| Asus | Eee Box EB1012 | Nvidia ION (GF9400) | Atom 330 (x86) | 40 W[18] | Yes | Yes | VGA / HDMI |
| Asus | Eee Box EB1006 | ATI HD4530 | Atom 270(x86) | 36 W[19] | Yes | Yes | |
| Asus | Eee Box B202 | 945GSE | Atom N270 (x86) | <25 W[20] | No | Yes | |
| Asus | Eee Box 204, 206 | ION(?)[21] | Atom (x86) | 36 W[22] | Yes | Yes | VGA / HDMI |
| CherryPal [23] | CherryPal | 5121e | PowerPC | 6.9 W[24][25] | Yes | ||
| CompuLab | fit-PC | Geode (x86) | 6 W | ||||
| CompuLab | fit-PC2 | Intel US15W SCH | Atom Z550/Z530/Z510 (x86) | 1(standby)–8 W[26] | Optional | Optional | |
| CompuLab | Trim-Slice | Nvidia Tegra 2 (ARM) | 3 W[27] | Optional | Optional | HDMI, DVI-D | |
| Dell | Studio Hybrid 140G | GM965 | Core 2 Duo (x86) mobile | 65 W[28] | Yes | Yes | |
| Dell | Zino HD | AMD RS780G | AMD Athlon 64 | 29–40 W[29] | Yes | Optional | |
| ECS | MD100/MD110/MD120/MD210 | 945GC / ION / G41(C2D&Q) | Atom (x86)3L mini box | 65 W with 3.5 HDD / slim optical drive | Optional | Optional | |
| eMachines | ER1401 & ER1402 | nVidia nForce 8200 / Geforce 9200 / | AMD Athlon II Neo (ER1401: Dual Core K325 at 1.3Ghz; ER1402 Single Core K125 at 1.7Ghz) | Yes | Yes | VGA, HDMI | |
| Everex | gPC mini | 945GM | Core 2 Duo (x86) mobile | 25–33 W[30] | Yes | Yes | DVI, S-Video |
| Evo Technologies | ECOPC N.1 | 945GSE | Atom N270 (x86) | 10–16W with 2.5 SSD (18W with 2.5 HDD)[31] | Yes | Optional | VGA, DVI-D |
| FIC | ION A603 mini PC | Geode (x86) | |||||
| Foxconn | NT-a3500 | AMD HD6310 | AMD E350 (x86) | <23W | Yes | DVI / HDMI | |
| Garlach44 | Kilkenny | 945GC | Atom x86 | 20/35 W[32] | Yes | ||
| Genesi | Efika MX | Freescale i.MX515 (ARM) | 5W [33] | Yes | Yes | ||
| Giada | Slim N10 | Nvidia ION (GF9400) | Atom 330 (x86) | 20–26 W[34] | Yes | Yes | |
| Koolu | Works Everywhere Appliance | Geode (x86) | |||||
| Lemote | Fuloong 2F | Loongson (MIPS) | 10 W[35] | ||||
| Lenovo | IdeaCentre Q100/Q110 | ION | Atom (x86) | 14–45 W | Yes | ||
| Linutop | Linutop 2 | Geode (x86) | 8 W[36] | VGA | |||
| Linutop | Linutop 3 | Atom N270 (x86) | 16 W | VGA/DVI | |||
| Linutop | Linutop 4 | Atom N270 (x86) | 14 W | VGA/DVI | |||
| MSI | Wind Box | 945GC | Atom (x86) | 30–35 W | |||
| Packard-Bell | iMedia XS 3610 | NVIDIA MCP7A ION | Atom 330 (Intel), 1.6 GHz | Yes | VGA / HDMI | ||
| Prestigio | ION 230 Super Slim [37] | Nvidia MCP79 | iAtom 230 | 20 W | Yes | Yes | |
| Prestigio | Super Slim Nettop on Kubuntu [38] | Nvidia MCP79 | iAtom 330 | 20 W | Yes | Yes | |
| SAPPHIRE Technology | SAPPHIRE Edge-HD Mini-PC [39] | Nvidia ION 2 | Atom D510 | 22W | Yes | Yes | HDMI, VGA, DVI via HDMI2DVI Adapter |
| Shuttle | X50 | Intel 945GC + ICH7 | Atom 330 | 30 W[40] | Yes | Yes | |
| SOL Industry | Solmate | Atom 230 | 40 W[41] | Yes | Yes | ||
| System76 | Meerkat | Atom (x86) | 84 W | ||||
| ViewSonic | VOT120 PC Mini | 945GSE | Atom (x86) | 30 W[42] | Yes | ||
| ViewSonic | VOT132 PC Mini | ION | Atom 330 (x86) | 65 W[43] | Yes | Yes | |
| WDL Systems | Ebox-3300 | Vortext86DX | MSTI PDX-600 (x86) | 10 W | Optional | ||
| WDL Systems | Ebox-4300 | CX700M | Eden ULV 500 (x86) | 15 W | Optional | Optional | |
| WDL Systems | Ebox-4800 | CX700M | Eden Esther 1.2GHz (x86) | 20 W | Optional | Optional | |
| DMP electronics | Ebox-3310MX | Vortext86MX+ | Vortext86MX+ (x86) | 10 W | Optional | Optional | |
| Zareason | Ion Breeze 3770 | ION | Atom (x86)[44] | ||||
| Zonbu | Zonbu Mini | VIA Eden (x86) | 10–15 W | ||||
| Zotac | Mag[45] | ION | Atom 230/330 (x86) | 24–28 W | Yes | Yes |
There are three platforms that are primarily intended for nettops and netbooks:
Some nettops have also adopted system-on-a-chip designs. Although many major parts such as chipsets, video cards and storage devices can also be found on desktops, the CPUs that are put inside nettops are the fundamental component that differentiate them from normal desktops. The list below contains a range of hardware components that a typical nettop may be assembled from.
Intel's Atom processor has been adopted by several hardware manufacturers, such as ASUS, MSI, and Sony, for nettops. Nvidia has also released its first generation ION platform, which puts GeForce 9400M Motherboard GPU alongside the Atom processor to provide better high definition video playback ability and lower power consumption.[49] In addition, Nvidia has announced that its will support VIA's CPUs this year.[50] To further reduce the manufacturing cost and improve power efficiency, many manufacturers and start-up companies have chosen to use CPUs that were originally targeted at embedded computing devices such as AMD's Geode and ARM Cortex-based CPUs.
Many net-top models are x86-processor-based and as such are capable of running standard PC OSs. There are also operating systems designed specifically for nettops and other machines in the same performance class. Linux distributions of this type include Moblin, Ubuntu Netbook Edition and Joli OS. Windows XP has been one of the popular choices as its hardware requirements match nettop capabilities. Some high-end nettops and upcoming models are capable of running Windows Vista and Windows 7.[51] Linux has also been adopted by some nettop manufacturers as it costs little to no money to install and supports a wide range of CPU architectures. Google's Android Linux distribution is another option. Although Google's Android was originally designed for smartphones, it has also taken a seat in the nettop market.[52]
Nettops fall into Intel's category of "Basic PC", which usually cost from $100 to $299.[53] Intel describes nettops as a large potential market. Nettops can be the affordable first computer for people in developing countries and an environmentally-friendly choice as a secondary computer for people in developed countries.[54]
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