| Shuttle KPC K-4500 - A Compact PC with Price to fit your Budget |
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| Computers - Computers |
| Written by Matt Ryan |
| Saturday, 17 January 2009 15:57 |
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As technology increases, PC's are becoming smaller, yet more functional. The Shuttle KPC K-4500 is no exception. This compact PC offers an unobtrusive appearance, functionality that allows for day-to-day use, or even as a media center, at a fraction of the cost of other PC's.
As technology increases, PC's are becoming smaller, yet more functional. The Shuttle KPC K-4500 is no exception. This compact PC offers an unobtrusive appearance, functionality that allows for day-to-day use, or even as a media center, at a fraction of the cost of other PC's. This compact design only measures in at 7.5 (height) x 6.7 (wide) x 11 (depth) inches ? which makes it the perfect size to conceal by a television or on a desk. Surprisingly, the interior leaves plenty of room to upgrade the system and add cards into the free PCI, ATA-100, and SATA-300 slots. The KPC K-4500 also comes with 4 USB 2.0 ports, a parallel port, along with a serial port - all available on the backside of the unit. Regardless of its size, the KPC K-4500 still has a decent set of working parts, which include a 1.8GHz Intel Celeron D 439 CPU, 512MB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory, 224MB (shared) Intel GMA 950 graphics, 80GB, 7,200rpm hard drive, WiFi, and uses Foresight Linux as an operating system. This PC comes ready to use right out-of-the-box; however, codec files will need to be installed prior to running any audio or video files. The standard system comes with Foresight Linux as the operating system, typically running around $230. When the KPC K-4500 is ordered, with the operating system, you will also get messenger (Pidgin), web browser (Firefox), photo organization (F-Spot), desktop effects (Compiz), music (Banshee), and movie (Totem) player applications. The system is also available with no operating system, also known as barebones, for around $199. Purchasing the system barebones gives you the flexibility of operating systems and allows you to do as you wish with it. Unfortunately there are a few missing pieces to the K-4500. There is not an optical drive, no digital video or audio outputs, nor does the system ship with a keyboard and mouse. These may be minor issues; however, in order to install additional software / applications, you will need to use an external drive. The option of installing an optical drive is null-in-void, as the internal drive bays are not accessible from the outside. You will need an external drive to install any additional software. All software must be compatible with Foresight Linux in order for it to be functional; this means you may have to do extensive research in order to find what you're looking for. For those "tech-savvy" people out there, the KPC K-4500 is not a threat. As long as you know what you're getting into, this unit is definitely worth the price for an addition to your existing network. The average user, of computers, may need to pass on this exceptional deal. There are just enough quirks that this unit would cause a headache to someone who didn't have the knowledge or the free support, of the internal workings of the OS. Overall, what's offered in this small box, is a great deal as long as you know what you're getting into. About the Author: Author Matt Ryan can help you save money on PC Desktops. Visit MiracleShopper to research and get information and pricing on Barebone Systems. |