Shuttle unveils X270V nettop running Linux

The X270V runs openSUSE 11 and starts at around £263

PC maker Shuttle has expanded its presence in the open source world with the release of a new nettop running the Linux operating system.

The X270V runs openSUSE 11 and is a complete system based on Shuttle's Barebone X27D platform. The small black box houses a dual-core Intel Atom 330 CPU running at 1.6GHz, and up to 2GB of DDR2 memory.

"The resource-saving requirements of Linux are ideal for nettops," said Tom Seiffert, head of marketing and PR at Shuttle.

The casing has enough space for a slim-line DVD drive and a single SATA hard drive, and its sleek appearance would make it suitable as a basic and affordable media unit in the home, or a desktop unit for office workers.

There does not appear to be any built in Wi-Fi support, but the X270V boasts the usual array of connection options, including Gigabit LAN, six-channel audio, six USB ports, and VGA and DVI-out.

Cheap and lightweight netbooks and nettops have proliferated in recent months, but the adoption of Linux on these systems has tapered off as the majority of users opt to sacrifice some performance for the familiarity of Windows.

Prices for the Shuttle X270V start at around €299 (£263) excluding VAT depending on configuration.