MintBox Mini 2
press release
MintBox Mini 2 is small, friendly and modular
Yokneam, Israel 27-Jun-2018 – Compulab and Linux Mint introduce MintBox Mini 2 (MBM2) – the 4th generation of the popular MintBox product line of ready-to-use Linux Mint miniature fanless PCs.
MBM2 is based on the quad-core Intel® Celeron® J3455 and ships with the latest Linux Mint 19 “Tara” Cinnamon pre-installed.
Compulab provides 5 year warranty on MBM2. Of each MBM2 sold, 5% is donated to Linux Mint.
Open-source software
Linux Mint Cinnamon is considered by many as the most user-friendly desktop-oriented Linux distribution. MBM2 ships with clean Linux Mint Cinnamon so the buyer can start using Linux in minutes. MBM2 can be easily installed with other Linux Mint variants, other Linux distributions or other operating systems like Windows 10 or FreeBSD or hypervisors like ESXi.
Basic features of MBM2
MBM2 is based on Compulab fitlet2 – a miniature all-metal fanless PC measuring just 11 x 8.5 x 3.5 cm.
- The CPU is a quad-core Intel “Apollo Lake” Celeron J3455
- 4 GB RAM are pre-installed in MBM2, 8 GB in MBM2 Pro. RAM is upgradable up to 16 GB
- Storage is an upgradable M.2 2260 SATA SSD (64 GB pre-installed in MBM2 / 120 GB in MBM2 Pro)
- Networking consists of dual Gbit Ethernet and 802.11ac WiFi + BT
- MBM2 has dual 4K display (HDMI + mini-DP)
- 4 USB ports (2x USB 3.0 + 2x USB 2.0)
- Front audio jacks, micro-SD, RS232 port and programmable front LEDs
Extended functionality
MBM2 is the first Mintbox that enables the user to enhance the hardware functionality. MBM2 accepts fitlet2 FACET-Cards (Function And Connectivity Extension T-Cards) which are available as stand-alone kits for DIY upgrades. FACET-Cards are easy to install and fit seamlessly inside MBM2. Some of the available upgrades are:
- Extra two Gbit Ethernet ports (4 overall) with FC-M2LAN
- A 3rd Gbit Ethernet port that allows powering MBM2 through Power-over-Ethernet and preserve WiFi with FC-POED
- 4G modem + WiFi + M.2 2280 SATA SSD with FC-PCI or FC-CEM
- 5” SATA HDD/SSD (up to 15mm / 5TB) with HDx
- Extra four USB ports (for a total of 8) with FC-USB
- Extra RS232 / RS485, GPIOs and CANbus with FC-SCG
Additional FACET-Cards are currently under development by Compulab, including a FACET-Card supporting 2x 2.5” HDD/SSD + M.2 SATA and a FACET-Card with an SFP+ port for optical LAN.
MBM2 is compatible with all fitlet2 accessories and external add-ons, among them
- fit-Uptime miniature Li-ion UPS that can power MBM2 for up to 3 hours
- fit-statUSB fingernail-size programmable USB multi-color LED indicator
- fit-Headless family of products of display emulators for headless operation
- VESA and din-rail mounting brackets
MBM2 extensions and add-ons are available for purchasing directly from Compulab and through Amazon.com
About Compulab partnership with Linux Mint
MintBox Mini 2 is the result of a close partnership between Compulab and the Linux Mint team that goes back to 2012. The goal has always been to provide an out-of-the-box user-friendly Linux experience on a small and robust PC. As before, Compulab and the Linux Mint team worked together on product definition of MBM2.
5% of the price of MBM2 is donated to the Linux Mint team for continuing making Linux Mint better.
“We believe MBM2 manifests the features users like about MintBox” said Irad Stavi, Chief Product Officer at Compulab. “Small size, reliability, silent operation, good performance and capabilities. MintBox users tend to be tech-savvy so many of them may appreciate MBM2 open design that invites tinkering and modding. Compulab is grateful for the opportunity to partner with Linux Mint. We appreciate most the team’s continuous refinement of Linux Mint user-experience, caring for users’ wishes and respecting user privacy.”
“MBM2 is a fantastic unit” said Clement Lefebvre, Project Leader at Linux Mint. “It’s tiny, silent and full of connectivity. It’s a real treat for us to run our operating system on such a cute little box. MBM2 is the latest product from our partnership with Compulab, with whom we’ve forged an amazing relationship since 2012.”
MBM2 Specifications
CPU: Intel Celeron J3455
RAM: 4 GB in MBM2 | 8 GB in MBM2 Pro
- Supports up to 16 GB, 1x SO-DIMM 204-pin DDR3L Non-ECC DDR3L-1866 (1.35V)
Storage: 64 GB in MBM2 | 120 GB in MBM2 Pro
- 2 M-key 2260 | 2242 (SATA3 6 Gbps)
- micro SD socket is also available (bootable)
- External USB storage is supported (bootable)
Display: Dual head mini DP 1.2 4K @ 60 Hz + HDMI 1.4 4K @ 30 Hz
LAN: 2x Gbit Ethernet Intel i211
Wireless LAN: Intel 8260AC 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.2 (2x RP-SMA antennas)
USB: 2x USB 3.0 + 2x USB 2.0
Audio: Stereo line-out | Stereo line-in / mic | HDMI & DP audio
- Codec: Realtek ALC1150 audio codec
Additional features: Auto-on | Indicator LEDs | Removable RTC battery | Kensington lock | Power plug twist lock
BIOS: AMI Aptio V
- Supports PXE boot | Wake-on-LAN | Wake-on-timer
Operating system: Linux Mint 19 (“Tara”)
- Compatible with other hypervisors and operating systems (e.g. Windows 10, ESXi, FreeBSD)
Power: Input voltage range 7V – 20V, power consumption 5W – 15W
Temperature & humidity: 0°C to 45°C, Relative humidity 5% – 95% non-condensing
Dimensions & weight: 112 mm X 84 mm X 34 mm, 350 gram
Housing & cooling: All metal housing
- Aluminium | zinc die cast parts
- Fanless convection cooling through the housing, no vents
- User serviceable
Price and availability
MintBox Mini 2 is offered in two models:
- MBM2 with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB SSD sells for $299.
- MBM2 Pro with 8 GB RAM and 120 GB SSD sells for $349.
Both models are immediately available for ordering from Compulab with first shipments scheduled for mid July 2018.
MBM2 models will be available for ordering through amazon.com in August 2018.
For more information
https://fit-iot.com/web/products/mbm2
Media kit: https://fit-iot.com/web/products/mbm2/mbm2-gallery
Contact
Compulab sales: sales@fit-iot.com +972-4-8290168
Press contact: Irad Stavi irad@compulab.co.il +972-4-8290168