As commodity hardware gets faster and cheaper running embedded systems, especially embedded OpenSource platforms (see EmbeddedLinux) becomes more and more interesting. For everything from CommunityWireless routers, DigitalMediaManagers, a PersonalVideoRecorder, MameBox embedded solutions are a big win for size, power, noise and reliability reasons. The big problem is that the hardware is still significantly more expensive and specalized, and tends to have lower CPU speeds (486s are still quite common). Where your MameBox requies a decent video card it doesn't require the 3 ethernet NIC's that your wireless router does so it can be hard to find that perfect platform for your needs.
See also: EmbeddedLinux, OpenBrick
Custom Hardware
- Meshcube
- Very small box designed to run linux and act as a wireless router.
- OpenBrick
The ultimate solution because it's completley OpenSource. Last I checked it was still expensive and suffering from "committee" disorder but very promising.
- PC Engines
- A new player, boards aren't available yet, again router oriented and look cheaper then the Soekris boards.
- Soekris Engineering
Based out of SanFrancisoCalifornia they make router oriented hardware based on 486 motherboards. Good stuff, and they have been used widely by CommunityWireless groups the world over.
Generic Hardware
Commell - High end small motherboard with a P4 socket, disk on chip, PCI, 1 LAN, USB 2.0, IEEE1394 etc.
http://www.commell.com.tw/News/News/News_20030508_LV-670M.htm
http://www.bwi.com/scripts/site/site_category.php3/id/6050/action/configure/
Commodity Hardware
- Open AP
- An early attempt to get Linux running on old access point hardware. Quite sucessfull but limited because all the hardware they ported too was end of lifed by the vendors.
- Linksys WRT54G
The SeattleWireless crup up there has ported Linux to a Linksys WRT54G (need to check that, might have model number wrong). Very cool but early stages. There's also another enahanced firmware done by Sveasoft.