Form-breaking netop on the Shuttle palette

The X50 has a portable design.

With barebones, Shuttle, which already has significant experience in miniaturization, appears to be looking to gain a foothold in the netop market segment as well: their X50 is only somewhat innovative in its design, building on the hardware-based Intel Atom platform. Regarding the outer rail, no radical changes are to be expected either, but the possibility of using the element supporting the machine as a handle in the basic case really opens up new perspectives. While some of the product photos suggest bag-like use, we find it hard to believe that even a single lady would risk a light morning bus ride with a 3,6-pound machine in her hand. Nevertheless, if we look at the device as a classic netop, Shuttle's novelty may be a good choice: a dual-core Intel Atom 330 processor, up to 2 GB of system memory, a 160 GB hard drive and an Intel GMA 950 graphics core for a multimedia-friendly combination it seems just as justified by the manufacturer to use a 15,6-inch display with a touch-sensitive design. The 802.11n-compliant WLAN controller and the 1,3-megapixel webcam were not left out of the set, as is the usual multi-format card reader in the snow-white engine room.

Debuting at a purchase price of around $ 499, the X50 could hit the market later this month.