Zonbu
|
Company type
| Private Startup
|
---|
Industry
| PC
|
---|
Genre
| Computer
|
---|
Founded
| 2006
|
---|
Founder
| Gregoire Gentil and
Alain Rossmann
|
---|
Fate
| Discontinued
|
---|
Headquarters
| Palo Alto, California
,
USA
|
---|
Products
| Zonbu Box and Subscription
|
---|
Website
| Zonbu.com
|
---|
Zonbu
was a technology company that markets a computing platform which combines a web-centric service, a
small form factor
PC
, and an
open source
based software architecture. Zonbu was founded by
Alain Rossmann
(previously Founder and CEO of
Openwave
) and Gregoire Gentil (previously co-founder of
Twingo Systems
).
Hardware
[
edit
]
The first-generation Zonbox hardware was the eBox-4854
[1]
sold by DMP Electronics of Taiwan.
Called the Zonbu Mini, it was a
nettop
computer measuring
6
+
3
⁄
4
in ×
4
+
3
⁄
4
in ×
2
+
1
⁄
4
in (171 mm × 121 mm × 57 mm). It is
flash
based,
fanless
, and thus effectively silent. The official specifications for the device in 2007 were:
[2]
1.2 GHz
Via
Eden
CPU
(
C7 Esther
core),
512 MB RAM,
Ethernet over twisted pair
10/100 Mbit/s,
PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports, VGA display port and 6
USB
2.0 ports,
4 GB
CompactFlash
local storage, and
Graphics up to 2048 x 1536 with 16 million colors ? hardware graphics and MPEG2 acceleration.
Disassembly by Zonbu owners has shown that the Zonbu includes options for internal expansion:
[3]
Mini PCI
slot (for an optional
wireless card
),
IDE
connector, with room in the case for a 2.5"
hard drive
, and
serial
and
parallel
ports.
Service
[
edit
]
The Zonbu subscription plans
[4]
include online storage (using
Amazon S3
), automatic upgrades, online support and remote file access. The subscription service is promoted as reducing the hassle of typical computer maintenance tasks, such as hardware repair, software installation, updates and upgrades, and malicious software removal.
Software architecture
[
edit
]
The Zonbu OS is a customized version of
Linux
based on the
Gentoo distribution
using the
Xfce
desktop environment.
[5]
It is geared towards non-technical users, and the
user interface
focuses more on simplicity than advanced features.
The filesystem architecture combines a
transparent overlay filesystem
(pioneered by Linux
Live Distributions
) with an
on-line backup
service.
[6]
User data is locally cached on Compact Flash Card, then transparently encrypted with
128-bit encryption
and transferred to remote storage servers at
Amazon S3
.
Applications
[
edit
]
Zonbu comes pre-loaded with a number of software applications.
[7]
These include the
Firefox
web browser
,
OpenOffice
productivity suite and
Skype
IP phone service, and 30 casual games.
With the default OS, the user is not allowed to install any third-party software. The default set of applications is supposed to fit the needs of non-technical users or of a second home PC. However, Zonbu provides instructions to unlock the operating system and install additional software.
[8]
The procedure is technical and intended for a minority of users (Standard for many linux users, unlocking GRUB, root, and install with emerge/portage).
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"DMP's ebox-4854"
. Archived from
the original
on August 31, 2013.
- ^
"Zonbu: Good things come in small packages"
.
Official website
. Archived from
the original
on October 2, 2007
. Retrieved
October 16,
2011
.
(Mini no longer on website)
- ^
"Zonbu Live enthusiast site"
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
"Zonbu official website"
. Archived from
the original
on September 8, 2008.
- ^
"Zonbu: Open Source Community Member"
. Archived from
the original
on June 27, 2007
. Retrieved
November 16,
2023
.
- ^
"Zonbu: Desktop Deja vu"
. Archived from
the original
on June 27, 2007
. Retrieved
November 16,
2023
.
- ^
Lam, Brian (May 23, 2007).
"22 Things to Know About the $99 Zonbu Linux PC"
. Archived from
the original
on May 20, 2011.
- ^
Zonbu Documentation: developer_edition
Archived
February 2, 2013, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Notebook-style computing appliance runs Linux - News - Linux for Devices
Archived
February 20, 2009, at the
Wayback Machine
External links
[
edit
]
Media
[
edit
]
|
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Computers,
components
| Nettops
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Netbooks
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Tablets
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Networking
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Storage
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Other
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Accessories
| Multimedia
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Handhelds
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Phones
?
| |
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Consoles
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Handheld consoles
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Historic
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