ThinCan

ThinCan

A first-generation ThinCan, based on the Geode SC2200
Manufacturer	Artec Group
Type	Thin client
Media	32 to 512 MB of flash
Operating system	LinuxBIOS
CPU	Geode
Memory	64 to 256 MB of DRAM
Connectivity	Ethernet USB ports

ThinCan is the name for a thin client manufactured by Estonian electronic design start-up Artec Group. The ThinCan remained relatively unknown outside Estonia until 2006, when a recent ThinCan iteration was selected as the hardware base for the Linutop, a network appliance that greatly stimulated the market for lightweight computing platforms. The ThinCan was also commercialized by SmartLink under the Revnetek brand name.

Functionally, all ThinCan production models offer similar features:

Aesthetically, the original ThinCan was an exercise in futuristic looks, with brushed aluminum end caps and a tubular aluminum shape that featured alternating patterns of decorative serrations along the surface of the tube. The tube came painted in one's choice of several transparent colors (black, dark blue, light blue, purple, red) for an authentic "Jetsons" feel.

After an early prototype based on a custom x86 core, supporting PS/2 keyboard and mouse, the platform was redesigned around an NSC Geode SC2200 supporting only USB peripherals. An optional on-board SmartCard reader attached to an internally mounted USB port made the original ThinCan an instant hit on the local market, due to an Estonian legislation dating from 2001 that mandated the issuance of a national Electronic ID card to all citizens and their use to access many public services.

Still, while the futuristic design received some attention in the IT press, the prohibitive cost of machining an extruded aluminum tube with intricate decorative serrations prevented the manufacturer from achieving commercial success with this early model.

In 2003, the company revised the design towards a simpler cost-effective flat boxy shape for their DBE60 model (initially commercialized as the ThinCan SE). Aside from the addition of a parallel printer port, the DBE60 is functionally identical to the original ThinCan and built around the same NSC Geode SC2200.

In 2005, this design was updated for the AMD Geode LX700-based DBE61 model, with USB 2.0 provided by a CS5536 companion chip. The parallel printer port was then removed, returning the design to an all-USB configuration. Linutop SARL retained this model as a starting point for their Linutop-1 product.

In 2007, the DBE61 design was upgraded with Gigabit Ethernet support. The manufacturer calls this the DBE62.

In 2009, the DBE62 design was reconfigured to use SO DIMM memory and IDE Compact Flash media. The manufacturer calls this the DBE63.