Marvell announced today its Plug Computing initiative. The Plug computer, not much larger than many power adapters, is designed to run all the time and power network-based
services that normally require a dedicated personal computer. It consumes less than 5 watts, making it a power efficient alternative to typical PCs for any number of applications.
Unlike other embedded networking products, a plug computer is designed to offer PC-like performance. The plug computer simplifies the porting of existing applications and the development of new ones.
The SheevaPlug uses a 1.2GHz Marvell Kirkwood processor and comes with 512MB RAM and 512MB of flash memory. It runs on Linux and can potentially run any service required of it. It connects to a network using a Gigabit Ethernet and comes with a USB port, the latter allowing developers to do some simple debugging and reprogramming. The whole thing comes in a plastic case that also contains a universal power supply.
Marvell hopes that its Plug computer will be used by other device manufacturers to offer a host of applications and services, including digital content sharing and management. For example, you could easily plug an external hard drive to it. You could just as easily plug a webcam into it.
If you want to experiment for yourself, the SheevaPlug development kit (with included plug computer) is available for US$99 through www.marvell.com.