(Click here for a larger view of the Planar DS15)The DS15 has a compact form factor just 2.8 inches deep, and weighing 13 pounds. Its 15-inch display provides 1024 x 768 resolution, a 500:1 contrast ratio, and 550-nit brightness, the company said.
The device uses Intel's 855GME northbridge and ICH4 southbridge. These are teamed with an 1.5GHz Celeron M processor, 512MB of memory -- expandable to one gigabyte -- and a 2.5-inch, 80GB hard drive. Only wired Ethernet is standard, but wireless networking can be added via the DS15's Mini PCI.
Other expansion possibilities and interfaces include three serial ports, four external USB ports, audio I/O, and a PS/2 keyboard connector. Also available are a "field-installable" magnetic stripe and Smart Card readers.
Specifications listed by Planar for the DS15 include:
- Processor -- Celeron M clocked at 1.5GHz
- Memory -- 512MB, expandable to 1GB
- Display:
- 1024 x 768 resolution
- 500:1 contrast ratio
- 550-nit brightness
- Storage -- 2.5-inch, 80GB hard drive
- Networking:
- 10/100 Ethernet port
- 802.11b/g via Mini PCI slot
- Other I/O:
- 4 x USB (external)
- 1 x USB (internal, for Smart Card reader)
- 1 x PS/2
- audio line-in, line-out, and mic-in
- 2 x RS232 serial ports
- 1 x RS232/422/485 serial port
- Expansion:
- PCMCIA Type I/II slot, supporting 32-bit CardBus
- Mini PCI slot
- Dimensions:
- 16.1 x 12.8 x 2.8 inches (410.5 x 323 x 70.4mm) with card reader
- 15.4 x 12.8 x 2.8 inches (392 x 323 x 70.4mm) w/o card reader
Planar touts the DS15's ability to use "standard marketing assets" based on Flash, Shockwave, Quicktime, and JPEGS. The device is cited as running Windows XP Professional, though some other Planar products have employed Windows XP Embedded.
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