A Linux server that fits in your palm
By siliconindia   |   Monday, 05 October 2009, 15:09 IST   |    2 Comments
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A Linux server that fits in your palm
Bangalore: Plat'Home, a Japanese company, has come up with a Linux web server that weighs eight ounces, consumes 8-watt and is so small that it can fit into your hand. The OpenBlockS 600 is 5.2-inches-by-3.1-inches in size and 1.2 inches thick. The OpenBlockS 600 is powered by a 600MHz powerPC CPU and has 1GB of DDR2 SDRAM and a CompactFlash slot and three USB 2.0 ports for internal and external storage. It comes installed with Plat'Home's own embedded SSD/Linux distribution by default. Customers can also request others such as Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Java SE for embedded and NetBSD. The OpenBlockS 600 is the latest in Linux 'micro-servers' which were first introduced in 2000. So far the company has sold more than 50,000 OpenBlockS devices. According to a spokeswoman, OpenBlockS 600 is well suited for small-footprint web server as a more-secure alternative to sending their data outside to a cloud or web service. Customers for OpenBlockS 600 will include banks telecom firms and universities. Its 8-watt draw is about a tenth of even the most-efficient rack servers, claims the company, and lets the device run without a fan. To emphasize the OpenBlockS 600's green strategy, Plat'Home is also donating money to a wind energy project in India to offset 1,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The server is encased in a tight aluminum-alloy shell to protect it against drops, cold temperatures and fluctuating humidity and it starts at $600.

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