Samsung is launching a new range of desktop computers that drop the traditional tower PC design for a more compact cylinder shape. The Samsung ArtPC is 12.2 inches high and has a diameter of about 5.5 inches across.
There’s also a built-in Harmon Kardon 360-degree omni-directional speaker on the top and a circular ambient light.
You can pre-order an ArtPC from Amazon for $1200 and up.
That price gets you a computer with a Core i5 Skylake processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of NVMe solid state storage, and AMD Radeon rx 460 graphics.
Or you can opt for a $1600 model with a Core i7 Skylake processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SATA hard drive (as well as the same 256GB SSD and Radeon graphics included in the cheaper version).
Wondering where the 1TB hard drive lives? In an expansion module. The product descriptions for the ArtPC computers mention support for removable modules… and the higher-priced computer comes with a 1TB HDD module.
Both models ship with Windows 10 software, include four USB 3.0 ports, DisplayPort, a headset jack, an Ethernet jack, and an SD card slot. Interestingly, all of those ports are on the same side as the power button and the power jack, which suggests that either the power adapter is supposed to come out of the front of this computer, or that all the ports and buttons are located on the back.
Overall, the ArtPC reminds me of HP’s Pavilion Wave desktop computer, which is another somewhat compact desktop PC with a speaker in the top. But the design of Samsung and HP’s systems is pretty different, as are the starting prices: the Pavilion Wave sells for $530 and up.
via MS Power User
