VIA's VMPC: Bolt a Computer to Your Monitor

Ah, I love this! Via is releasing a set of low-power PCs that can be clipped to the back of LCD monitors using the industry-standard VESA mounts—they're calling them "VMPC". None of these units are going to be gaming-capable machines—they're using power-sipping VIA processors after all—but they'll be more than enough for watching video and browsing the web.

The end result is far more clunky than a fully-integrated solution would be, certain to bristle with cables, but I adore things that bolt onto other things to create a sort of Serial Experiment LAIN spaghetti-be-damned monstrosity.

Introducing the VIA VESA Mounted PC [Technovoyance.com (?) via CrunchGear]

Product Page [via.com.tw]

[#1 posted by Halloween Jack , October 9, 2007 6:57 AM]

Homemade iMac, anyone?

[#2 posted by dculberson , October 9, 2007 7:24 AM]

Neat-o!

[#3 posted by Anonymous , October 9, 2007 7:48 AM]

The only problem being it'll likely be $1,299.

[#4 posted by jitrobug , October 9, 2007 12:26 PM]

It's like an imac, but you can upgrade it and hit has no chin...

(except, yes, cuz it's one of those little via setups, you kind of need to upgrade it)

[#5 posted by Jemaleddin , October 9, 2007 1:51 PM]

They've been selling brackets for a while that will allow you to do this with a Mac mini:

http://www.compwave.com/

[#6 posted by Anonymous , October 9, 2007 5:38 PM]

norhtec has had something like this for awhile:
http://www.norhtec.com/products/mcjr/index.html

[#7 posted by theRat , October 9, 2007 5:49 PM]

I lol'ed at the Lain reference, I still long for the day when modding my computer will take up all of my bedroom space, with giant liquid cooling tanks and cables everywhere

[#8 posted by Anonymous , October 9, 2007 6:22 PM]

looks like a good cheap way to replace industrial pc s. Replace the existing crt with a flat screen and a pc. Great for running high tech equipment on a budget

[#9 posted by Jemaleddin , October 10, 2007 6:28 AM]

Of course, with the Mac solution, you get an actual usable computer. The Via and MicroClient Jr. mentioned above are more like thin clients.

[#10 posted by Anonymous , October 11, 2007 7:10 AM]

I've seen full fledged iMAc style PCs. They have a few at my university in one of the advising offices for some reason. They aren't just bolt-on, they fully encase the PC and LCD to make a cable-free system.

[#11 posted by dculberson , October 11, 2007 8:16 AM]

The Via isn't a thin client; it has a hard drive and all needed interfaces. It's slow but not thin if that makes sense.