Back in August 2012, Via rolled out its ARM-powered APC computer board at a sweet $49 price point.
The board is somewhat analogous to the wildly popular Raspberry Pi in that DIY enthusiasts, modders and devs can use the APC in just about any device they dreamt up.
Well, Via has returned with an upgraded version of the above-mentioned dev board in two iterations. The basic board is dubbed the APC Rock and sells for $79, while the APC Paper carries a $99 price point.
The primary difference between the two? The Paper dev board is enclosed in a recycled cardboard and aluminum case which makes the device look like a book. Other than the enclosure, the two are pretty much the same.
The boards are powered by an 800 MHz VIA WonderMedia WM8950 chip paired with Mali 400 graphics, 512 MB of memory and 4 GB of integrated flash storage. There is also a microSD card slot for storage expansion, USB ports, VGA/HDMI output and an Ethernet port. If you opt for the Paper version, you will be giving up that VGA output.
The board is based on a neo-ITX form factor, measuring 6.7 x 3.3-inches for the Rock with the Paper being slightly larger at 8 x 3.9 x 1.1-inches.
Both the Rock and Paper boast JTAG headers, GPIO pins, and additional connectivity options. VIA is currently accepting pre-orders for both the Rock and the Paper, with shipments slated to kick of this March.
