Introduction

As time has progressed and technology has changed, I've reviewed quite a few LIVA compute units from ECS. With each introduction of new technology on the CPU front, I get a new LIVA box on my desk, and this time is no different. I've now got this latest truly Mini-PC LIVA unit called the LIVA Core.

The word "Core" is a very apt moniker; we all need basic compute functions somewhere, even if you have not recognized where that may exactly be yet. It could be in the living room, your child's play space, or even perhaps the kitchen! For that purpose, ECS's LIVA Core is ready for those tasks. I know my wife was more than happy to have a screen and speakers close to the counter so she could look up recipes or listen to some music while cooking, if only because our kids were screaming at her for help with their homework! We have a strict "No Cell Phone Use in the House!" rule, and all our kids need the Internet to get through the day, never mind my wife and I. ECS's LIVA boxes have become a truly important part of our daily lives.

There's been a distinct progression in what ECS has offered with their LIVA devices, and they've offered better changes than the minute changes of cell-phone progression. ECS's LIVA Core now offers an M.2 storage device by default, bringing in the speeds of SATA 6 Gb/s drives and removing the relatively slow flash-based storage found in previous units. We've got a mic array, so Cortana functions are available without adding in a mic on a stand, and also new this time is the look of the LIVA Core; this little compute box truly looks elegant! Let's take a look!