News Release

VIA EPIA SP13000 Quietly Powers World’s First Low Profile, Fanless Media Center PC by Tranquil PC

New fanless Tranquil PC T2e.MCE2005s Media Center 2005 continues the trend towards near silent computing in ever smaller, lower profile and more eye-catching VIA EPIA Mini-ITX mainboard based systems

Taipei, Taiwan, January 31, 2004 - VIA Technologies, Inc., a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions and Tranquil PC Ltd., a boutique company specializing in the research and development of compact, stylish PC systems, today announced the availability of the compact Tranquil PC Media Center 2005, powered by the latest VIA EPIA SP13000 mainboard and Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.

Optimized for the living room, the Tranquil PC T2e.MCE2005s is the world’s first low profile fanless Media Centre PC system boasting an aesthetically pleasing small footprint and near silent operation for the discerning user. Tranquil PC’s unique noiseless processor and north bridge cooling system eliminates the need for noisy and bulky cooling fans on the processor, power supply and case, leaving the spindles of the storage and optical drives as the only moving parts in the whole system.

"The Tranquil PC Media Center 2005 sets the standard for stylish, quiet and low profile digital entertainment devices running Microsoft® Windows® Media Center Edition, that not only address the issue of unwanted PC noise, but also exhibit the personal electronics design values required for the living room," commented Richard Brown, Associate Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "VIA processor platforms continue to inspire exciting new areas of application as innovators look beyond the standard tower design to expand the PC market."

At the heart of the system is the low profile VIA EPIA SP13000 Mini-ITX mainboard that targets enhanced digital media applications in the living room and other noise sensitive areas. Tranquil PC's latest twin-piped passive cooling system helps to enrich user enjoyment of the 6-channel surround sound and flawless DVD playback enabled by the VIA EPIA SP13000 Mini-ITX mainboard.

"The Tranquil PC T2e.MCE2005s was inspired by the tiny VIA EPIA Mini-ITX mainboards with their low power consumption and unrivaled levels of integration," said David Thompson, President of Tranquil PC Ltd. "No other platform allows the same levels of functionality with the freedom of design that has enabled the Tranquil PCs low profile, small footprint and aesthetic appeal. With the added benefits of the latest VIA EPIA SP13000 mainboard, the system now benefits from dual digital tuners, integrated graphics and overall performance from the 1.3GHz VIA C3 processor. All in a cost effective and appropriately styled case, this is surely one of the best and most appropriate platforms for the Microsoft Media Center Edition 2005 application.”

The addition of the latest Tranquil HDD cooler caddy on anti-vibration pads - which also reduces shock damage - means that there is much less vibration and noise, and provides the added benefit of the hard drives running much cooler, extending their life considerably.
All components used in the system are of the highest quality to ensure long-term reliability, as well as excellent value for money, style, silence, and performance for Microsoft® Windows® Media Center Edition 2005.

The Tranquil PC measures a mere 330mm (13)" length x 255mm (10") depth x 63mm (2.5") height and is available in black or silver with a highly polished clear front panel softened by blue back lit tones that can be appreciated anywhere.

Tranquil PC Pricing and Availability
The Tranquil T2e.MCE2005s will be available from March 2005 for approx £849.00 (fully configured model, DVD-R + Dual DVB-T tuner etc). It weighs in at a mere 7.1KGs – and is a very solid unit. Further information on the Tranquil PC may be found at: http://www.tranquilpc.co.uk.

About the VIA EPIA SP-Series Mini-ITX Mainboard
The VIA EPIA SP-Series Mini-ITX mainboard introduces the VIA CN400 Digital Media Chipset to the Mini-ITX form factor for the first time, extending the feature set of the VIA EPIA Mini-ITX family to include support for DDR333/400 and even greater digital media performance. VIA also brings the the highest processing capability with the 1.3GHz VIA C3® and the fanless VIA Eden™ ESP 8000 processors to the EPIA series, squarely targeting even the most demanding personal electronics applications

Smooth digital video playback is enabled through the Chromotion CE Video Display Engine of the S3 Graphics UniChrome™ Pro IGP graphics core features hardware-based MPEG-2 decoding and MPEG-4 acceleration for smooth playback of the most popular video formats, together with Adaptive De-Interlacing and Video De-Blocking advanced video rendering functions for unequalled image crispness and clarity on a full range of standard definition digital TV displays.

Additionally, the VIA EPIA SP supports an impressive range of high-speed storage and connectivity options, such as Serial-ATA, IEEE 1394 (Firewire), USB 2.0 and 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet. The VIA EPIA SP also offers support for various LVDS embedded LCD panels, has a PCI slot for expandability options, and is compatible with a full range of Mini-ITX power supplies and chassis, as well as FlexATX and MicroATX enclosures

More information on the VIA EPIA SP Mini-ITX mainboard can be found at: http://www.viaembedded.com/product/epia_sp_spec.jsp?motherboardId=261

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