System76 is one of the few PC manufacturers with a focus on excellent Linux support, with a wide range of desktops and laptops. Now the company has brought back the "Meerkat," a compact PC built for Linux.

System76 first introduced the Meerkat in 2009, which was advertised as a "NetTop" (remember those?), and has gone in and out of production over the years with occasional hardware upgrades. The tiny PC is once again available for purchase, this time with your choice of 10th, 11th, or 12th Gen Intel Core processors. There are two sizes: a "short" model (1.42 inches tall) with only one M.2 drive slot, and the "tall" version (2 inches tall) adds a 2.5-inch drive bay for extra storage capacity. Both versions are 4.6 x 4.41 inches across.

The base model is priced at $499, and comes with a 10th-gen Intel Core i3-10110U processor, 8 GB of RAM (single channel DDR4), a 128 GB M.2 SSD (not NVMe), and a 1-year limited parts and labor warranty. That's a bit expensive for a PC with a processor introduced in 2019, though you do get the advantage of System76's dedicated support and pre-installed Pop!_OS or Ubuntu Linux. The PC can also be attached to VESA-compatible monitors for an ultra-clean setup.

System76 Meerkat from all sides
System76

If the Meerkat looks familiar, it's probably because it's a repackaged Intel NUC. Intel sells a wide range of NUC boxes through stores like Newegg, which usually just ship with the motherboard, case, and CPU -- you usually need to supply your own storage, RAM, operating system, and possibly even power cord. You might be able to get a cheaper build that way, and Linux compatibility should be identical to the Meerkat, but you'll be on your own for support.

You can buy the Meerkat from System76's website.

Via: Liliputing