Make Projects: Small Form Factor PCs--New From O'Reilly

For Immediate Release
For more information, a review copy, cover art, or interview with the
author, contact:
Mary Rotman (707) 827-7119 or maryr@oreilly.com

Make Projects: Small Form Factor PCs--New From O'Reilly
Build a Computer That Fits Inside Anything

Sebastopol, CA--Chances are you love playing music on your computer. And
if you've ever longed to build a dedicated digital audio jukebox, now you
can by following the instructions in an exciting new book from Make
Projects--"Small Form Factor PCs" (O'Reilly, $29.99)--can show you how. 

Developed by the creative team that brings you Make--the groundbreaking
magazine devoted entirely to DIY technology--and authored by Matthew
Weaver and Duane Wessels, this latest title presents clear, easy-to-follow
instructions for making your own easily customizable geeky devices by
learning how to build and customize small form factor PCs from scratch.

"We want to show you how they work, how they look (inside and outside),
and how you can use them," write Weaver and Wessels. "We've written this
book for people who like to tinker with both computer hardware and
software."

The book is also written for those of us who think smaller is better when
it comes to computers.  As Wessels elaborates, "Nobody wants a large,
noisy, 200-Watt computer sitting on their entertainment center. And why
use a full-size computer for your network firewall when a much smaller
computer gets the job done while using only 1/10th the power? We want
people to see how easy and fun it is to turn a small form factor computer
into something that you can use in your home or workplace."

The projects devised by Weaver and Wessels include all the necessary
details for building eight different systems, from the shoebox-sized
Shuttle system down to the stick-of-gum sized gumstix.

Thorough illustrations and step-by-step instructions make creating these
projects easy:

- Digital Jukebox. Play your music collection with this Mini-ITX system
that will fit anywhere

- Digital Video Recorder. Record and watch live television using a Shuttle
ST62k-based system

- Network Appliances. Create and configure your own router and network
monitor using embedded computers from Soekris 

- Wi-Fi Extender. Extend the range of your Wi-Fi network with the Access
Cube

- Portable Firewall. Protect your computer from unknown networks with a
USB-powered firewall based on the OpenBlockS

- Handheld Wi-Fi Console. Turn the ZipIt Wireless Messenger into a
go-anywhere, text-only, wireless handheld

- Tiny Bluetooth gizmo. Use the Bluetooth-powered gumstix computer to talk
to cell phones, PDAs, and more

Shoebox sized and smaller, small form factor PCs can pack as much
computing muscle as everything from a PDA to a full-sized desktop
computer. Even better, they consume less power, have few or no moving
parts, and are very quiet. Whether you plan to use one as a standalone PC
or want to embed it in your next hacking project, this new
up-to-the-minute resource from Make Projects is a must. 

About the Authors
Duane Wessels became interested in web caching in 1994 as a topic for his
master's thesis in telecommunications at the University of Colorado,
Boulder. He worked with members of the Harvest research project to develop
web caching software. After the departure of other members to industry
jobs, he continued the software development under the name Squid. Another
significant part of Duane's research with the National Laboratory for
Applied Network Research has been the operation of 6 to 8 large caches
throughout the U.S. These caches receive requests from hundreds of other
caches, all connected in a "global cache mesh."

Matthew Weaver has 10 years of experience in software development and
system administration. He's given many tutorials to technical audiences,
and currently works with Nedernet Inc, a wireless ISP in the Rocky
Mountains. He helped Nedernet see the value in using small form factor PCs
for an array of devices, including remote outdoor access points and
solar-powered servers.

For more information about the book, including table of contents, index,
author bio, and samples, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596520762/

Make Projects: Small Form Factor PCs
Duane Wessels, Matthew J. Weaver
ISBN: 9780596520762, $29.99 US
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000
http://www.oreilly.com
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol, CA 95472

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instruction. 

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