You also got the right internet connection that promises you fast internet access that’s always connected.

But what about your desktop computer?

Let me guess, you have a desktop computer that looks like what most people own -- a tower desktop bigger than a 14-inch CRT monitor. And your whole PC setup is on top of your table that is too crowded now. (Honestly, this is how my PC setup at home looks like.)

To change this in just one step, all you have to do is get an ASUS NOVA PC. If I’m not mistaken, this was one of the company’s highlights in the recent CES 2008 at Las Vegas, Nevada. A few days after CES, our editor was given a NOVA during a business trip in Taiwan.

It’s not really a league of its own; but it sets the new trend in barebone PCs. "Barebones," as geeks would call it, are a complete computer setup that is compact in size and shape. Previous barebones have looked as big as shoe boxes (rectangular in shape). Currently, there is what is called "network-attached storage" device that kinda looks like a barebone PC, but is actually not (that topic is reserved for another day).

But with the NOVA, it may look like an external slot-in optical drive because of its square shape. To believe that it is a PC, it has to be hooked to a monitor (an LCD display if possible), a keyboard, and a mouse.

It can be placed flat on any surface or it can be placed on it side like a gaming console with a supplied stand. But in our case, we just hooked it to a 46-inch plasma TV.

Once plugged in, lightly tap the touch sensor buttons and the Nova boots up silently.. Since it already has Windows Vista Home Premium installed in it, all you have to do is just add other applications that you intend to use it with.

Since the Nova came with a compatible remote control, we didn’t bother (yet) installing office applications like Microsoft Office 2007 or graphics applications like Adobe. We instead added VLC media player and downloaded additional plug-ins for the Windows media player.

After that, we took some videos and got mesmerized. The remote control works as if you were using a regular DVD player. On standby, pressing the button with the Windows logo located on the remote automatically opens the Windows Media Center application. From here, you know pretty much what to do (play DVD videos or view online streaming videos from the net, view slideshows from your photo collection, and even burn media files).

In case the built-in Hi-Fi speakers are not enough to satisfy your hearing pleasure, you can always hook this with any speakers with a 3.5mm stereo jack.

"What is/are the drawback/s of the NOVA?" you might ask. Well, just a few things, really. As small as this, upgrade is either zero or minimal and you won’t even dare to open this up even if you are good with desktop PCs. Also, hardware may be hard to find since it is still new.

I also noticed that when there are too many applications running, the system tends to stop for a while but definitely doesn’t hang. It just needs a little time to process everything. Perhaps RAM still too low for Vista? Or is it the heat issue? I can only guess.

Another thing is that ASUS should have included at least a small USB mouse to go with the NOVA (no PS/2 connection here) even without a keyboard. I’m also taking note of the slot-in optical drive since sometimes the disc does not eject quickly. You have to try it for several times and, unlike the slot-in optical drive from Samsung, you can’t use a trusty paperclip in case of emergency.

The keyword here is multimedia -- whether it is photos, videos, music, or live streaming. ASUS really thought of maximizing possibilities with minimum space. But this may not be the final cut of the NOVA P22. We’ll wait for the improvements to come (and probably a new unit to review).