X-bit labs

Biostar Barebone Systems: Minimal Size Maximal Functionality (page 3)

Category: Mobile

by Vasily Melnik

[ 06/12/2005 | 02:05 PM ]

The iDEQ 210P was the first to be extracted from the box and thoroughly examined. The striking thing about the device is its weight. The chassis and the external casing are made of aluminum (the front panel being the only plastic detail here) and the barebone is almost weightless. The device’s appearance corresponds to the slogan on the box: black panels and a minimum of LED indicators or any other embellishments.

Soberly designed in black, the barebone looks very modest.

The top moveable cover on the front panel conceals a bay for 5.25” devices and a multi-format card-reader. A group of interface connectors (USB 2.0, FireWire and audio) are located under the bottom flap panel. The moveable cover is a right solution because now it’s the user who decides what’s more important: nice looks or quick access to the optical drive and card-reader. As for the interface connectors at the bottom, I don’t think they should be covered at all. It’s not quite convenient to open the panel up each time you want to plug in a USB flash drive, for example.

The moveable cover is a very lucky solution.

The back panel is quite typical for devices of that type. There are vent holes of the power supply at the top, with an exhaust fan a little below. At the bottom of the rear panel there are interface connectors. Not quite comprehensibly, the manufacturer put two COM ports there, although this interface is evidently obsolete today and is used but rarely. It would be better to have two more USB ports instead one COM there.

The back panel of the iDEQ 210P offers the standard menu
of connectors, but with two COM ports.