Acer R1600

I haven’t really done much in the way of tech posts lately, so today I discuss my newest addition to the HTPC front.  I have been watching for some time with interest the Nvidia ION platform.  It is essentially the graphics and processor on one board which promises a super-compact package which performs media operations extremely well.  One of the applications so far is inclusion in the tiny Acer Aspire Nettop which is to date, one of the smallest full function desktop computers.  I picked up the AR1600-U910H from Best Buy for the bargain price of just $199.99.  I purchased this with hope I could finally have a Windows Media Center which had the advantage of the Apple TV’s tiny footprint.  I am pleased to report I have achieved this very goal.

Cracking open the case

The Acer R1600 comes in the box with a USB keyboard and mouse, and a power brick you would typically expect for a laptop.  The specs are very minimal, using the Intel Atom 1.6 ghz processor, Nvidia Ion video with HDMI Video / Audio out, VGA out, 1 gig 800 mhz, DDR2 DIMM, 160 Gig Hard drive.  The packaged operating system is Windows XP, SP3 home.  The software load includes all the normal junkware which I spent 3 hours removing in order to do a quick image backup.  Once the backup was complete, it was time to get Windows 7 on this thing and start enjoying a Media Center PC.

Simple Layout

The first task was opening this unit up to put more RAM in.  After a couple of days trying to find instructions on how to do this, I came up empty handed.  I took my chances and removed the one small screw in the cavity where the stand goes.  There is a white plastic band around the perimeter of the computer with a visible seam.  As with most of these CE devices, it’s held together by a series of plastic clips (as seen in the photos).  I carefully pried the case open, unsnapping the clips until the top cover came off.  Inside, I was pleased to see a very simple main board with the hard drive, RAM expansion slots and mini PCIE slot in plain view.  I pulled the 1GB DIMM and swapped in two matched 1GB DIMMS in it’s place from my old laptop.  I had a wireless G mini PCI-E from my retired laptop, so placed that in the empty slot.  After a few photos, replaced the top cover, replaced the screw and powered up to load Windows 7.

Size compared to Apple TV

The Windows 7 install went very easily (using external DVD drive, none included with this budget PC).  Once Windows 7 came up for the first time after the install, I installed the Windows 7 drivers for chipset and video found on the Acer support site.  This system is super snappy at this point.  Another thing to note, it’s practically silent.  No noise from the WD hard drive and the fan is running slowly and quietly.  I continue my install by plugging in my Hauppauge 980 USB HDTV tuner and installing its driver.  Without walking you through all the painful details on configuring the power management, scanning for channels, and all the other items, I finished the configuration.  Now for my thoughts / impressions of this platform for a Media Center PC.

New HTPC in action

WOW!  This thing is NICE!  With the built in HDMI, connection to the TV was flawless.  The new Acer with Windows 7 detected my 32″ LG Tv at its native resolution and looks beautiful.  Turning on the Media Center software and tuning to an HDTV program rewarded me with smooth animation and flawless (no jitters, stutter) video.  I have never had such an easy time getting such a knockout video stream with an HTPC.  I think I can probably thank the ION platform for this, as it uses the Video Processor to offload all decompression tasks from the CPU for video playback.  12 mbps HD video at 720p and 1080p is perfect.  This looks as good as any consumer set top box I have ever used.  Netflix even worked flawlessly.

In conclusion, with all the features available in Windows 7 for the TV DVR functionality, my AppleTV 3.0 is now my device to watch Internet podcast video.  The Acer unit drives my TV for day-to-day programming.  Apple should consider allowing a TV tuner in the Apple TV, because with this new addition to the Windows market, Acer with Windows 7 is the perfect package.  Size, function and price are just right.  Sure, there are extra costs such as the purchase of Windows 7, USB tuner, memory, etc.  I had the hardware components I was able to put to use from components I had sitting around.  Still, this is a bargain price for what you receive in the way of the Media Center experience.

TJD

Near Toxaway Trailhead

Idaho is such a great state to live in for so many reasons, mostly for the outdoor enthusiast.   As a life-long resident of this beautiful state, I am continually humbled by the immeasurable beauty of the landscape.  On a recent camping trip I had the opportunity to lead a small group on a couple of very short but beautiful hikes in the Sawtooth Wilderness, which is part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area in south-central Idaho.

The Sawtooth Mountains (referred to as ‘The Sawtooths’) are a collection of mountains which are home to at least 39 high mountain lakes.  The most well known of these are Stanley, Sawtooth and Redfish Lakes.

Along Parks Peak

The 12.5 mile hike began only 8 short miles from our group campsite, at Pettit Lake.  At 7000 feet with crystal clear water and stunning views of beautiful McDonald Peak we headed West along Pettit Lake quickly making it to our first of several creek crossings.  I found it was much easier (and safer, wearing trail runners) to simply wade across these streams rather than hop on slippery rocks.  The trees eventually give way to a dense rock field about 1.7 miles into this hike.  Full exposure to the sun and incredible vistas dominated the hike to Alice.  The trail conditions were fantastic considering the number of people making this hike even on the day that we visited.

Distant White Clouds

Around the 4 mile mark, we got to a final switchback with a great view of the White Cloud Mountains to the North-East, and proud, El Capitan (9,901 ft) to the South.  Once to this point, it was a very short hike to Alice Lake, which sits at approximately 8590 feet above sea level.  When we “turned the corner” and got our first glimpse of Alice Lake, I was struck by it’s crystal clear, bluish green color and the majestic backdrop of jagged, glacier carved mountains surrounding the lake.

El Capitan near Alice

Alice Lake marked the turn around spot for this moderate day hike.  We made our way back along the same path we had taken to Alice, and was a much faster trip due to it’s gentle 9% grade from the 8600 foot high-point.  Before escaping to the vehicle for the short drive back to camp, I took time to take in the beauty of Pettit Lake one last time.  This hike was just the beginning of several more years journeys back to this beauty of a mountain range.

Pettit Lake, goodbye for now

TJD

I have had a few email requests for printable maps of some of the hikes I have gone on lately.  From the main page of my blog at http://NWEoutdoors.com, you click on the Maps tab.  A direct link is http://nweoutdoors.com/maps/

I hope you find them useful.  Check back from time to time, as I am still building the library.

-TJD

In my quest for useful paperless Topo maps, I downloaded another app from the Apple App Store, Topo Maps App. This application, like others, attempts to augment the need for compass and paper quads by making use of online free USGS map quads. I recently reviewed another app, Topos2go which had similar function and ease of use. What made Topo Maps App stand out are the availability of higher quality maps and an improved method of downloading them to my iPhone and Ipod Touch.

When you load the application you are presented with a satellite view of the United states. The user then uses the standard swipes and pinches to navigate the map and zoom in on an area of interest. As you zoom in, a yellow grid appears which has the names of the quadrangles which cover the area you want to dowload. With a simple half second press on the screen, you have an opportunity to rapidly download the map. If you have previously downloaded the map, the grid will have been filled in with a green fill. Pressing on the green area will automatically load that particular map. If you have previously downloaded the map and you are at the trailhead, pressing the find location button will automatically open the map which covers your current position.

In addition to the standard navigation you can expect from any of these maps, the feature I really enjoy are the shadows. Along with the map, bump maps are downloaded which overlay the quad which give it some depth. You can even configure the sun’s position so perhaps you can plan your hike to keep you shaded as much as possible.

As for the glaring omission in this app, it would be the inability to import or place waypoints. The developer is working on this functionality. I look forward to that feature! I would consider this app a good buy for the outdoors oriented people out there. It is not a street navigation app, so it’s purpose is somewhat limited.

Tjd

– Post From My iPhone

Last night I picked up another really cool app for my iPhone which allows me to take high quality 1:24k maps with me. The application is called Topos2go, and get this, it was only $3.99 in the app store. What’s so great about this application are the high quality USGS quads you can download on the Desktop computer, or directly to the iPhone itself. The quads you download are high resolution scans of the actual Topos which have been geocoded and saved as geotiff images.

For fun, I downloaded the quads for all my major hikes coming up and loaded on the iPhone to have a look. Trinity mountain is what you can see in the above sample. It allowed me to import ( or easily create my own) waypoints from my desktop route planning software. They landed in the correct positions, thankfully. I also downloaded the quad for my part of town and drove to the store. I turned on the internal GPS tracking. It followed the road as printed on the quad perfectly! Naturally, you can zoom in or out to get the view you want to see.

With all the quads I wanted to have downloaded on the device, I can hit the locate button. The program then automatically reorders the quads on my device by their distance from my current location. This makes it really easy to find the right quad when you arrive at the trail and are ready to navigate.

Topos2go is a wonderfully simple app which performs a task only available on the most high end of dedicated GPS receivers at a very minimal investment under $4. The iPhone still doesn’t replace my need for a dedicated navigational device, but it’s a welcomed addition to my pack each time I head out on a hike.

TJD
– Post From My iPhone