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The innovative technology running the show inside the COWs is encased in AOpen's 3-lb ultra Small Form Factor (uSFF) Digital Engines™ and XC Minis™. These Energy Star 4.0 miniPCs (MP45s) can pull the same Core™ 2 Duo payload as bulky traditional PCs but at a fraction of the energy consumption. Digital Engines™ and XC Minis™ also provide noiseless and low-heat operation, shock-absorption, Kensington® PC lock ports and VESA mount holes. Furthermore, their wireless Web and TV features allow a COW's classroom or meeting room to gain online access and conduct research as a group or see and discuss important real-time events together.
Plug'n Go: Download Files from Ignite!'s Online Media Library
FOR ACADEMIC PROJECTS ONLY: The COW contains thousands of multimedia content pieces across Math, Science, and Social Studies disciplines. Altogether with the provided print or optional paperless materials (teacher lesson plans and student activities), the COW provides classrooms with a powerful new tool for engaging students through rich media that includes educational movies, songs, interactive games, animations, charts, graphs and other multimedia elements that exchange passive learning for well-rounded, more holistic student experiences.
AOpen® Solutions | uSFF Expertise
Devon Price, Director of Marketing at Ignite! Learning, says that thanks to "the Ignite! curriculum using AOpen's [Digital Engines], schools are able to easily integrate the COW's technology with minimal or no support from their IT departments."
Price's statement holds true despite the number of unique innovative solutions (software, mounting, hardware and other) that were required to converge at the launch of the final product. As the world's leading strategic facilitator of integrated solutions for custom uSFF platforms, AOpen was glad to fulfill its role in the COWs' smooth transition from a great idea to great implementation by making certain that Ignite! Learning had all of their system integration bases covered.
high performance computing in ultra small form factor
President and CEO of Ignite! Learning, Alan Davis, relates his experiences in developing COWs with AOpen, "AOpen's management team understands Ignite! Learning's business and has been very supportive of our relationship. Their innovative products and top-notch engineering, logistics, and sales teams have allowed Ignite! to deliver unique solutions utilizing high performance computing in ultra small form factor."
Why AOpen?
Ignite! Learning was drawn to AOpen Digital Engines based on several win-win reasons that still remain unparalleled by others "dabbling" in the uSFF industry:
1) ultra Small Form Factor (uSFF) Expertise: AOpen's track record as a specialist in uSFF is driven by its commitment to offering mom’n pop quality customer service while also backing up its support staff with resources from its huge global parent, the Wistron® Group (of Acer®/Gateway® Computers)
2) Superb Energy-Efficiency: only 90W compared to the nearly 400W or more of many traditional desktop computers
3) Low Heat Production, Noiseless (less than 27db) Operation: AOpen's SilentTek™ CPU Coolers operate noiselessly for high quality of environment - it’s important in classroom and business settings that there be no unnecessary distractions such as mechanical noise or an annoying source of heat
4) Long Life Cycles: AOpen's open architecture and open implementation platforms lead to high versatility for 1000's of verticals AOpen's modular architecture leads to easy, cost-efficient maintenance plus ease-of-disassembly for recycling and/or proper disposal of electronics at the system's end-of-life
5) Core™ 2 Duo CPU Power packed into uSFF = easily handle major 720p/1080p HD multimedia files without wasting unnecessary hardware -> big cost savings
6) Famous Durability: Digital Engines (nicknamed "Core 2 Roaches") are shock and temperature-resistant - they survive where others will fail, revealing their true "nettop" natures as merely yesteryear's rehashed technology
Save Big on Energy Costs!
The superb energy efficiency of AOpen's Digital Engines™ (and XC Minis™) presents them naturally as investment buys that could pay for their price of purchase relatively soon thanks to the potential huge savings in energy costs over traditional computers - a statement that rings especially true in today's energy market.
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Greening the Platform |
Many Gov/Ed organizations, SMBs and enterprises that purchase COWs base their decisions on brand initiatives to procure green IT solutions that are aligned with positive green public images.
This is an increasingly important factor for administrators to consider as communities become more deeply aware of the environmental practices of their schools and nearby businesses. AOpen is committed to contributing green tech solutions to meet the highest environmental standards. In fact, AOpen's Digital Engines™ and XC Minis™ are all manufactured in compliance with RoHS and ISO 19011 international standards. MP45 XC Minis are available in Energy Star 4.0 compliant pre-configurations.
ABOUT AOpen
AOpen is the manufacturer of choice for barebone uSFF and Mini-ITX platforms and related vertical market solutions. We lead the industry in designing, developing and manufacturing transformative technology that will reshape IT solutions for digital signage, green PCs for Gov/Ed, embedded systems for data capture/POS, SOA platforms for interoperative workstation networks, nettops and space-savcing HTPCs
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