Continuing its trend of creating itty-bitty computer parts, VIA has launched a new "DIY" nettop. The company describes its Artigo A1100 as a "sub-liter DIY PC kit for enthusiasts," which measures a mere 5.7 x 3.9 x 2 inches and weighs only 1.32lbs out of the box.

Despite its palm-sized package, the system is fully capable of handling the "most demanding HD video formats." Under the hood is a Pico-ITX board, a 1.2GHz VIA Nano processor along with a VIA VX855 media processor. External I/O includes HDMI, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, five USB ports, three audio jacks, and optional 802.11b/g and SD card reader modules.


The Artigo A1100 is able to run operating systems such as Windows 7, Vista, and XP, as well as various Linux distros. It's available right now through VIA's online store (currently down) for $243. Note, however, that the system ships sans RAM and storage. There's room for one DDR2 module and a single 2.5-inch drive.