Dell Inspiron 400HD Zino
Alternative System

Before the Zino was announced I was designing a media playback node based on the Intel Atom processor. Here is the parts list I was just about to buy, for comparison and historical interest:

Motherboard

Intel D945GCLF2D mobo with Intel Atom 330 CPU installed, and CPU fan. $79 at Fry's. D945GCLF2F has an S-Video port for $85. Mini-ITX (170mm / 6.7in square). Atom 330 basic specs: dual core, 1Mb L2 cache, 1.6GHz clock, 533MHz FSB, 8W max power, no virtualization, 64bit arch, execute disable. I wonder what the total mobo power draw is.

Case

Antec (http://www.antec.com) ISK 300-65 (in ISK product series) for 170mm square ITX mobo. $100 at Newegg. 80mm 3 speed fan (and a cutout for a second fan), Includes 65W external power brick and ATX DC-DC converter board (internal). Drive bays: 1 5.25in slim optical drive, 2 internal 2.5in bays. Vertical and horizontal clearance for 1 half-height expansion slot. Front ports: 2x USB, 1x eSATA, 2x audio (phones, mic). Rear ports: what the mobo provides. External dimensions: 96h x 222w x 328d (millimeters) or 3.8 x 8.7 x 12.9 inch. Includes a stand for vertical mounting.

Memory

Kingston KVR533D2/1GR. From Amazon, $28.

Disc

OCZ Solid solid state disc, 30Gb. $121 from Tiger Direct (order through Amazon); $125 at Newegg.

Optical Disc

(Research not done yet.)

Speakers

M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 Powered Speakers (14 watts). From Amazon, $133.72 (on sale). Purchased; these are being used on the Zino.

Display

These days the emphasis is on BIG monitors. On Amazon I spotted the Boss Audio BV7HR 7-inch Headrest TFT Monitor. I think the idea is to mount it in a car on the front seat headrest, so a rear seat passenger can watch movies. $71 at Amazon. Pedestal stand included. Resolution: 1152 x 234px (that's what they say), brightness 450 NIT. 1 customer review; he likes it.

Also at Amazon: Pyle PLMN7SD 7 inch TFT/LCD Monitor with SD card reader and builtin stereo speakers. $85. With stand and remote control.

While I would like a small, low power display, I'm going to defer these items.

The total cost (excluding optical disc, speakers, display, tax and shipping) is $338, about $100 more than the Zino. Dell purchases in high volume, and from vendors that an individual has no access to or could not develop trust in.