There are a handful of Operating Systems out there, but really there are only two which are commonly used today and they are none other than Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS. If only Linux, which is mainly relegated to geeks’ use, were easier to work on, then perhaps the world will have another “less controlled” option. Actually, we don’t need to wish cos’ a startup known as Panther MPC has taken on the challenge to make computing more enjoyable and affordable and the company’s first product, Panther Alpha Micro PC, here to do just that.
This sleek, palm-sized personal computer is a full-fledged computer that will let you do just about everything you do using a regular Windows or Mac computer while avoiding today’s threat like backdoor viruses and whatnot. Panther Alpha runs on a Linux-based custom OS called, well, Panther OS, which is driven by a capable ARM 64-bit quadcore processor running at 2GHz, bolstered by 2GB DD3 RAM and touts 32GB eMMC for storage. It has no fan, no traditional HDD and therefore it is dead quiet and thanks to the energy efficient ARM chip and the custom OS, it draws on a fraction of the energy than it would on a regular PC to do the same exact thing.
While it may be small, it is not lacking of features which include mouse and keyboard input, a microSD card reader, a 1000 Mbit Ethernet port, dual-channel WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, HDMI output, 3.5 mm audio, as well as USB ports. Panther Alpha even rocks built-in VPN support because, nobody should stick their noses in your business. And if you’re into open source movement, you’d be glad to know that Panther OS is an open source custom Linux OS and it comes preloaded with a host of essential apps, including chat, email, productivity, music, movies, editing, web and more. Did I mention it also has its own app store too? Yep. It does.
Panther MPC’s proposition is attractive, but I seriously doubt many will jump into it as their primarily machine. Likely, if folks buy, it would be to ‘test water’, so to speak, but hey, at just $89-109 a pop (excluding display, mouse and keyboard, of course), it might just be worth the dive.
Images courtesy of Panther MPC.
