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Product summary
The good: The VoomPC M10000 Car PC Barebone comes with a beautifully designed case that performs as well as it looks. The included VIA EPIA motherboard is brimming with connectivity options.
The bad: The lack of documentation makes the VoomPC M10000 Car PC Barebone very difficult to install. Also, the lack of power and reset buttons on the case makes manual reboots difficult.
The bottom line: Although the VoomPC M10000 Car PC Barebone kit is difficult to install, the end result is well worth it. The case design is unmatched, and the power supply works like a Swiss Watch.
Specifications: Processor: VIA C3 (1 GHz) ; RAM installed: DDR SDRAM ; Hard drive: None. ; See full specs
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 04/07/2006
- Released on: 09/01/2005
The blue anodized-aluminum case is a study in form and function, taking stylistic cues from mobile audio amplifiers and integrating cooling fins, as well as a quiet, foremounted fan that draws air through the chassis from back to front. Although small in stature, the case does leave room for getting all of the basic components into the compartment without stirring up memories of college students jamming themselves into a phone booth.
The included VIA EPIA motherboard includes all of the gizmos expected from a much larger, full-size board. Along with basic features, such as a VGA, a serial, and two USB 2.0 ports; an Ethernet jack; and a full complement of audio connections, the VoomPC M10000 has a FireWire port, an SDPIF digital audio output, an S-Video output, a CompactFlash slot, and a PCMCIA slot--and that's just on the outside. Inside, there are jumpers for additional USB and FireWire connections, WakeOnLan, and another Com port. A bigger case would take better advantage of all the board has to offer, but in an automotive application, the VoomPC case is adequate. It's also light on powered USB ports, as most of the gadgets that make the VoomPC worth installing in a car run on USB: an external DVD drive, a USB TV tuner, a GPS antenna, a Bluetooth dongle, and USB storage devices. Although some of those devices can be moved into the PCMCIA and CompactFlash slots, the rest have to fight for voltage.
The VoomPC M10000 kit includes a DC-to-DC adapter, a special part that's unique to automotive computers. The M2-ATX Intelligent Automotive ATX Power Supply not only keeps the very sensitive motherboard from having a coronary during cold cranking but also deserves its Intelligent moniker. It knows to hibernate the PC when ignition power is cut, but it does it gently, putting it to bed in 30 to 45 seconds after the car is shut off. When the ignition is turned on, it wakes the PC from its slumber and restores it to its previous state. As well as it works--and it does so without any issues whatsoever--it would have been nice to have a power and a reset button on the case for those times when the computer needs a forced reboot.
Like a New York socialite, the VoomPC M10000 has looks, style, and class but also some baggage. The niceties of the VoomPC's function come only after putting it all together, and doing so is not for those who have never assembled a computer from scratch. Working on such a compact scale makes the work that much more difficult and potentially dangerous. As is the case with tight tolerances, the risk of causing a short is much higher. It's important to use good, crimped connections, heat-shrink tubing, and zip ties for keeping everything where it should be.
The VoomPC M10000 kit's lack of clear documentation is disappointing. There are no step-by-step instructions, how-to documents, or even checklists. Each part comes with its own guide, covering little more than descriptions and locations of jumpers. As a whole package, the assembly was confusing, and bridging the power supply and the motherboard was half prayer, half preparation.
Once assembled, the system booted right up. We had to use a PS2 keyboard at first to set the BIOS for a USB keyboard and have it boot from a USB CD-ROM. Windows XP installed without incident and did not require any fancy drivers to be loaded before it could start. The mounting tabs along the base of the enclosure make for straightforward vehicle installation, as does the snap-in power connector. Most similar systems require some sort of screw-down, semipermanent power couplings, but the VoomPC M10000's connector makes removal quite easy.
For all of its little quirks and difficult setup, the payoff is sweet. Few packages come with the VoomPC M10000's standard features, and none of them have a case as nice.
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