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'Zonbu' is a technology company responsible for the development of a computing platform that combines a web-centric service, a small form factor PC, and an open source based software architecture to create an affordable, hassle-free, and environmentally responsible computing environment.

Contents

History

Hardware

Service

Software architecture

Applications

Environmental benefits

Limitations

See also

References

External links

History

Zonbu was created in 2006 by Grégoire Gentil and Alain Rossmann.

Hardware

Zonbu hardware is sometimes called Zonbox. The first hardware generation is identical with eBox-4854 DMP's ebox-4854 hardware model of DMP Electronics (Taiwan). The miniature desktop computer measures 6 ¾” x 4 ¾” x 2 ¼” and is Flash based, fanless, and completely silent.
Specifications:^[1]

★ 1.2 GHz Via Eden CPU (C7 Esther core)

★ VIA CX700M chipset

★ 512 MB RAM

★ Ethernet 10/100 Mbit/s

★ PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports, VGA display port and 6 USB 2.0 ports

★ 4 GB CompactFlash local storage

★ Graphics up to 2048 x 1536 with 16 million colors – hardware graphics and MPEG2 acceleration

Service

The Zonbu subscription service includes:

★ Automatic application upgrades to new versions

★ Security updates, continuous data backup

★ Unlimited Internet support

★ Online storage space

★ Pre-shipped, free device replacement
The subscription is designed to eliminate most of the chores commonly associated with managing a PC, such as hardware repair, software installation, update, and upgrade, data back-up, disk defragmentation, virus checking, data migration, and system corruption recovery.^[2]

Software architecture

The Zonbu OS is a version of Linux based on the Gentoo distribution. The architecture combines a transparent overlay filesystem (pioneered by Linux Live Distributions) with an on-line continuous backup service to create a self-healing architecture.
User data is locally cached on Compact Flash Card, then transparently encrypted with 128-bit encryption and transported to remote storage servers using Amazon S3 from where it's also accessible from any Internet-connected device.

Applications

Zonbu comes pre-loaded with 20 open source applications – including Internet applications, productivity, multimedia and publishing – and 30 casual games. ^[3]

★ Internet applications:

★
★ Firefox web browser

★
★ Evolution email and calendar

★
★ Pidgin instant messenger (formerly Gaim)

★
★ Skype internet phone

★
★ P2P clients supporting BitTorrent, eDonkey and eMule protocols

★ Productivity applications:

★
★ OpenOffice suite – word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, draw, database, math

★
★ Adobe Acrobat PDF reader (not open-source)

★
★ GnuCash personal finance manager

★ Multimedia applications:

★
★ Banshee music library

★
★ MPlayer media player

★
★ F-Spot photo organizer

★
★ Sound Recorder and Recording Level Monitor

★ Publishing applications:

★
★ GimpShop image workshop

★
★ Scribus desktop publishing

★
★ Nvu web page editor

Environmental benefits

Zonbu is a carbon emission neutral computer thanks to a low power design and regulatory grade carbon offsets purchased by Zonbu from Climate Trust, a carbon offset provider. The ENERGY STAR compliant device consumes only 15 watts, compared to 175 watts for a typical desktop PC.
Zonbu has received the EPEAT gold rating ^[4]. EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) is a product classification standard created by the Green Electronics Council, a nonprofit group.
The Zonbu manufacturing process complies with the standard of the European RoHS Directive.
The small size of the device also means that less energy is used during the manufacturing process. Zonbu provides a free take-back program to minimize environmental e-waste.

Limitations

As a thin-client product striving to minimize the amount of power used, Zonbu had to trade off some features $99 Desktop Comes With Too Many Catches :

★ Zonbu does not include a large hard disk. Instead, a 4Gb memory card caches documents locally before synchronizing and storing them in the online company's servers. This provides automatic backup, but you have to pay extra for this backup service and the high-speed broadband to transport these files over the Internet.

★ It does not come with monitor, keyboard, mouse, WiFi adapter, speakers or optical drive.
Also, with the default OS, the user is not allowed to install any third-part software, only those applications provided by Zonbu. An alternative version of the OS is available [1] that allows other software to be installed.

See also

★ Linutop Linux PC

★ Thin_client

★ ThinCan

★ Wyse

★ Jack_PC

References

1. Zonbu official website
2. Zonbu official website
3. 22 Things to Know About the Zonbu Linux PC
4. EPEAT gold rating for Zonbu

External links

★ Zonbu official website

★ Zonbu community edition

★ Real Life with the Zonbu Mini-PC

★ Zonbu First Look Video

★ Clean Air Cool Planet

★
★ A Consumer’s Guide to Retail Carbon Offset Providers

★ Climate Trust

★ Engadget: Zonbu launches subscription-based PC, service plans

★ $99 Desktop Comes With Too Many Catches