Zotac has announced the ZBOX Sphere OI520 in two forms. The Plus version comes with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 500GB hard drive while the standard version leaves the choice (and installation) up to the user. At the very least, that means it is user-serviceable. Its real draw is its "orb form factor" with decent, albeit laptop, performing components.

The ZBOX OI520, from behind.

Its actual system specifications are:

  • Intel Core i5 4200U
  • Intel HD Graphics 4400 (GT2)
  • HDMI and DisplayPort
  • Wireless AC (802.11ac), Gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth 4.0
  • 3x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.0, SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC Card Reader
  • Supports up to 16GB of RAM (2xDDR3L)
  • Supports one 2.5-inch HDD/SSD
  • Apparently, no OS pre-installed.

Pricing and availability are not yet announced. Obviously, that will be the biggest factor in someone looking for a barebones PC, like this one. Also, Intel graphics support on Linux is not the most pleasant, kind-of famously. Zotac claims full support for Windows 7 and Windows 8, of course, but you will probably need to factor that price in if that is the direction you want to go.