VIA OpenBook: Laptop Design Released As Open Source Project

Via Technologies released the hardware design for a low-cost laptop with WiMAX support under an open-source license. The designed released as the actual raw CAD files under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 license which is a brilliant first step that clearly and legally allows others to emergently build upon VIA’s open innovation. This laptop will provide alternative to Asus EEE laptop computer:

Via Hardware Specifications

• Processor: 1.6GHz VIA C7-M ULV Processor
• FSB: 800MHz
• Chipset: VIA VX800
• Memory: DDR2 SO-DIMM up to 2GB
• HDD: 80GB Hard-Disk or above
• LCD Panel: 8.9″ WVGA 1024X600 LED screen
• Graphics: VIA Chrome9 HC3 DX9 3D engine with shared system memory up to 256MB
• Video Decoding: MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VC1 and DiVX video decoding acceleration
• Audio: Realtek HD Audio codec, 2 speakers
• Networking: 10/100/1000 Mb/s Broadcom Giga NIC Ethernet Solution
• Wireless: Broadcom 802.11b/g or GCT 802.16e
• 2in1 (WiFI+ Blue Tooth) default module
• 3in1 (AGPS+WiFI+ Blue Tooth) upgrade module

OpenBook Video

(Video 01: Why Via OpenBook?)

Other features

• I/O: 4 in 1 embedded card reader
• 1 D-Sub Port
• 3 x USB (Ver. 2.0 Type A Port)
• 1 Mic-in audio jack
• 1 Headphone out
• Webcam: 2.01 megapixel dual headed rotary CCD camera
• Dimension: 240(W)x175(D)mm
• Thickness: 36.2(H)mm ( at battery)
• Weight: Under 1kg
• Operating System Support: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista and all popular Linux distributions.
• Status Indicators Power on, battery and HDD LEDs
• Battery: 4 Cells, 2600ma
• Options: USB interface DVD Dual RW
• Leather Cover

For further information visit the official via open book website.