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ZOTAC ships its Zbox mini PCs with Windows 8.1 with Bing

by Mark Tyson on 8 August 2014, 11:14

Tags: ZOTAC, Windows 8

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qachj5

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ZOTAC has started to ship a quartet of its mini-PC models including Microsoft Windows 8.1 with Bing pre-installed. We have covered a few releases of ZOTAC's Zbox mini PCs here on HEXUS over the last couple of years. These very compact PCs are often sold as barebones or fully kitted out 'PLUS' models including RAM and a fixed storage device. Now, thanks to Microsoft's Windows 8.1 with Bing 'promotion' it looks like ZOTAC will be able to ship "an instant out-of-box computing experience," without the usual Windows installed price premium one might expect.

The four models initially shipping with Windows 8.1 with Bing are shown in the specification table below. You will notice that these are all 'everyday computing' targeted mini PCs. Some if not all are fanless designs and there isn't an Intel Core processor in this bunch. Also they are all supplied with just 2GB of DDR3 RAM and 64GB of SSD storage to get you started. Probably this is more or less the best spec ZOTAC could manage to qualify for Windows 8.1 with Bing free (or reduced) pricing from Microsoft.

Tony Wong, CEO of ZOTAC International said "Users requested we include Microsoft Windows with the ZBOX mini-PCs so the system is ready to use right off the shelf". He went on to explain that "We've been listening and thanks to Microsoft’s introduction of Windows 8.1 with Bing, we’re able to give buyers the full Windows experience in a mini-PC form factor at an excellent value".

These mini PCs will be shipping worldwide and available with language packs included as follows; English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese and Korean. However we are told other languages will be downloadable if not included in that list. Also ZOTAC will provide appropriate regional power outlet adaptors.

We don't have pricing details from ZOTAC but these will have to be sub US$250 retail products to qualify for Microsoft's Windows 8.1 with Bing special offer.



HEXUS Forums :: 5 Comments

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Nice. These are fanless too.
I think the most important question is… can I put Linux on it ;-)
gagaga
Nice. These are fanless too.
And someone is selling them on Amazon for Ā£131 inc VAT n delivery.

I like this a lot!
JonathanWilson
I think the most important question is… can I put Linux on it ;-)

indeed. although i'd really like to see a CA320 SKU with the A6-1450 Temash chip updated to a 4.5W Mullins equivalent.

more performance in a lower TDP, and with AMD trustzone should make for an even better linux home-server.

Zbox's also only seem to have a single RAM slot, which is no problem for Temash/Mullins APU's, but it may well be a bottleneck on for SKU's with Intel's Bay-Trail based CPU's.

Yes please: A10 Micro-6700T 4.5W 2.2GHz A6-1450 8W 1.4GHz 57%
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7974/amd-beema-mullins-architecture-a10-micro-6700t-performance-preview/2
I've been looking at their Zotac Zbox Nvidia with the maxwell Gtx 860m as a way to get my 17 year old off the Xbox One and onto Steam.