Just an update to what I settled on: Zotac IONITX-B-E motherboard (Atom 230 processor, Nvidia graphics, SPDIF and HDMI) 2 GB RAM LG DVD Drive (it was on sale) 80 GB 2.5" Western Digital HDD Ubuntu 10.04 xbmc Antec MI-008 Mini-ITX case I found the motherboard on eBay and liked that it has no problem ...

Thanks, that mobo looks like it fits the spec; I'm also concerned about noise so I would love to go fanless if possible. Going larger usually means a power supply with a fan, and I'd like to avoid that. I'm wondering if I need a dual core processor for "passing through" media from my WHS. I'll have ...

I'm unhappy with the UI on any of the media extenders I've seen (the best for me is the WDTV Live, which still has its problems). I want to duplicate the usability of the great interfaces you see with software like Media Portal. I am serving music, pictures and video from my WHS (an HP EX485) via a ...

1.8GHz Pentium M is actually quite beefy for its age. It should have no problem keeping up with your application. Possible concerns, though: I see only VGA out -- does your TV support this? Noise -- CPU and Case Fan look like little buzzy things. Shouldn't be too loud given the low power footprint ...

I know this is a late reply but . . . I use these: Mini-ITX-1-8GHz-iGoLogic-i3368G-LF-CPU-HTPC-Computer These use the p4 mobile chip so they are low wattage. Mine run around 32w with a hard drive. It has room in it for 1 hard drive and perhaps a slim cd. It also boots off the cf card just fine. It ...

I'm not a very discerning consumer of sound, I guess. Those Bose systems have always sounded horrible to me ... then I find forums full of audiophiles who agree with me. Turns out I'm a genius. Until I question certain speaker combinations, etc. Our perceptions color everything we do, which is why t...

Hello, Aptera claims that it's crashworthiness (if that is a word?) is excellent: they use composite materials similar to those used in Formula 1m and there is a 40"+ crush zone in the front. Check out the video I linked to (that is on their main page) -- there are a number of details about this an...