ZOTAC today announces the new ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray series mini-PCs — the world’s first shipping mini-PCs with an integrated slot-load Blu-ray drive and slim and stylish design. The new ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray mini-PCs combine a powerful graphics processor with an energy-efficient system processor, premium integrated features and class-leading expansion capabilities to form mini-PCs capable of deliver premium high-definition video playback online and offline.

Next-Generation NVIDIA ION graphics technology with 16 unified shaders and 512MB of DDR3 memory enables the ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray series to deliver stunning high-definition Blu-ray video playback at resolutions up to 1080p. Hardware-accelerated Adobe Flash video support enables smooth playback of streaming high-definition content.

A new dual-core Intel Atom D525 processor delivers a performance punch for daily use while sipping minimal amounts of power for energy-efficient computing with the ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray series. Intel HyperThreading™ technology enables the ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray series to process up to four threads for superior responsiveness for everyday use.

A built-in slot-load Blu-ray drive capable of 4x Blu-ray, 8x DVD and 24x CD speeds enables playback of Blu-ray and DVD movies and ability to write to DVD±R/RW and CD±R/RW discs with the ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray series. A Blu-ray ready copy of Cyberlink PowerDVD 8 is included with the ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray series to let users instantly take advantage of high-definition Blu-ray playback with Microsoft Windows 7 and Vista operating systems.

Two USB 3.0 ports are available on the ZOTAC® ZBOX Blu-ray series for external expansion and enables connection to external storage, video peripherals and other devices at speeds up to 10-times faster than USB 2.0. Internal expansion capabilities of the ZBOX Blu-ray series include one mini-PCI Express slot, two 200-pin DDR2 SO-DIMM slots and room for one 2.5-inch SATA hard drive or SSD drive.
Integrated dual-stream 802.11n WiFi technology enables lightning-fast network transfers up to 300Mb/s without the hassle of wires when networking the ZOTAC® ZBOX Blu-ray series. When using wired networking, the ZOTAC® ZBOX Blu-ray series supports speeds up to 1000Mb/s.

The ZOTAC® ZBOX Blu-ray series are shipping in two models – the ZBOX Blu-ray HD-ID33 and HD-ID34. The ZOTAC® ZBOX Blu-ray HD-ID33 is a customizable media mini-PC that lets users install their own memory, hard drive and operating system to build the perfect mini-PC while the ZOTAC® ZBOX Blu-ray HD-ID34 ships with 2GB of DDR2-800 memory and a 250GB 5400RPM hard drive preinstalled – the user only needs to install an operating system.

It’s time to play with the ZOTAC® ZBOX Blu-ray series.
General details
• ZOTAC® Announces World’s First Mini-PC with Integrated Blu-ray Drive
ZOTAC ZBOX Blu-ray series combine stylish looks with energy-efficiency, high-performance and integrated slot-load Blu-ray drive
• ZBOX Blu-ray HD-ID33
o 2 x DDR2-800 SO-DIMM slots
o Support 1 x 2.5-inch SATA 3.0 Gb/s HDD/SSD
• ZBOX Blu-ray HD-ID34
o 2GB DDR2-800
o 250GB 5400RPM HDD
• Intel® Atom™ D525 processor (1.8 GHz, dual-core)
• Intel® NM10 Express chipset
• Next-Generation NVIDIA® ION™ graphics processor
o 16 unified shaders
o 512MB DDR3 memory
• NVIDIA® CUDA™ technology
• NVIDIA® PureVideo™ HD technology
• SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology
• 1 Mini-PCI Express expansion slot
• Slot-load Blu-ray drive
o 4x Blu-ray read
o 8x DVD / 24x CD read/write
• Blu-ray ready Cyberlink PowerDVD 8 included
• Onboard 802.11n WiFi (300Mb/s)

Microsoft proves the gadget is alive and well by unveiling the Arc Touch Mouse, the first mouse designed to flatten for portability and pop up for comfort. The new mouse features Microsoft’s first touch scroll strip for easy navigation — just move a finger slowly for controlled scrolling or flick for hyperfast scrolling. Windows-based PC users will love packing up their laptop bags without the added bump of a mouse, as the Arc Touch Mouse flattens with just the touch of a finger.

As the computing landscape evolves to offer new ways of interacting, such as touch screens and touch pads, the mouse is also evolving but holds true to its core purpose: providing comfort and precision to users when navigating the PC.

People today are using mobile computers more than ever, and they still want comfort and control when using them. In fact, one-third of mobile PC buyers also purchase a mouse with their new notebooks or netbooks.1 And, at less than 15 millimeters thick at its widest point, the Arc Touch Mouse was designed to deliver ultimate portability to easily slip into a bag, purse or pocket. It also goes from curved to flat with one simple movement, so working on the go is easier than ever — just collapse the Arc Touch Mouse to turn it off, and pop it up to turn on. It’s also extremely durable, tested to ensure years of performance.

With the Arc Touch Mouse’s touch strip, consumers can take control of their scrolling with a flick of a finger. Using a capacitive sensing technique and sensor pads, the strip corresponds to each position and velocity change to give users accurate, controlled scrolling no matter how fast or slow the movement. Move a finger slowly on the strip for controlled scrolling, or flick a finger for hyperfast scrolling that can be stopped with just a simple tap. The strip also has three tap “buttons” for added functionality: page up, page down and the middle click area, which is reprogrammable for whatever mouse function the user needs most.2 Switching from a scroll wheel to a touch strip is made easier with haptics, a vibration technology that simulates the bumps users would feel while using a traditional scroll wheel.

The Arc Touch Mouse is equipped with BlueTrack Technology, letting consumers track on virtually any surface, and a tiny magnetic snap-in Nano transceiver stores conveniently on the bottom of the mouse. Two AAA batteries give the Arc Touch Mouse more than six months of battery life, and the two-color battery life indicators let people know when the power is running low.

Arc Touch Mouse will be available for the estimated retail price of $69.95 (U.S.). It is available now for presale on Amazon.com, BestBuy.com and Buy.com, and it will ship in early December in time for the U.S. holiday season. It will be broadly available online and in stores in January 2011.