OSNews was tipped off that OEone (previous stories: 1, 2, 3), creators of the desktop HomeBase SUITE (based on Linux, X and Mozilla's APIs), now are moving to server space. Next week they are going to announce an exciting new product (under a new brand name: "Axentra Rumba Server") which puts Linux back to the server space, but with the form of a user-friendly and cute-looking appliance. *Updated*
The device has a mini ITX mobo, VIA C3 800 MHz CPU, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB hdd, USB 1.1, 2 LAN ports and in 1 WAN port (extra Wi-Fi USB device required). The device is useful as an Internet Gateway (DNS, IP filtering, Port forwarding, NAT firewall) and as a network service (web server, file server, WebDAV, IMAP/SMTP, Samba, Content/Spam Filtering, photo album). All its administration is done by web pages directly from your computer.
To better understand the product and see a bigger picture of it, download its PDF presentation (mirror here -- webmasters, please don't link directly to the PDFs). OSNews also found out that the new Axentra company is planning a whole family of such "multi-function server appliances".
Unfortunately, we don't know the price for this first model. Similar products like NetWinder's and Sun's Cobalt Qube were priced above $1500 US dollars which of course didn't make them look attractive to home users. We hope Axentra has managed to bring the cost-per-unit below $400-500 US. Update: It's retail price in US is $500, check the shot here.
Googling around, we even found a test server for the Axentra Rumba Server. Go on, give it some stress testing!
Update: Google is your friend. Here is another test server of the "Axentra Application Center" this time. The web master of that site says to "check the mid-October TigerDirect catalog" for its release and price.
