Let's get small: Computer makers are pursuing a bloated form of minimalism. Stripped-down, shrunken machines such as the Asus Eee PC subnotebooks are the great new trend. Less is more and small is the new big.
Taiwan-based computer maker Shuttle Inc. has taken this concept up a notch (or down, depending on how you look at it) with its minimalist D10. The device is a simple black cube that shuns some essential computer assets, including a keyboard and a mouse. Instead, the 7-inch screen on its front face is a touch-screen. The interface is suited to the machine's prime purpose as a media center, with its ability to play music, movies and videos, as well as surfing the Internet. Augmenting the screen is a remote control.
What it also lacks is a hard drive, although the user can install one of their own choice, or an optical drive, for which there is an empty bay and an eject button above the touch-screen.