[Pixelman]

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery:

www.silentpcreview.com

or

http://www.addict3d.org/index.php?pa...e=news&ID=7135


Pixelman

[Franz Josef]

An Intel inside and it doesn't even look pretty now that's hard to come back from.

[RIP Jack]

[.Hack]

All I can say is bleh. Apple did it back then with the Cube, now they've done it with the Mini. It's futile for intel to play this off as a breakthrough, Apple beat 'em. Sorry Intel, nobody is impressed...

[CobaltFire]

Wow, talk about blind hate here. Intel has NOTHING to do with this. This is by AOpen, a rather unoriginal company (in some respects) that nevertheless has been pushing smaller/queiter desktops for a while. It is no surprise to me that they decided to copy a Mini. It actually makes good sense in some ways. Also, to be honest, the Mini is as much of a ripoff of ASUSTek's Cappucino machines as an original idea (besides styling). Flame away...

Oh, yeah, intel has also said that the PentiumM architecture is it's future, as netBurst is a dead-end. Given the success of the Mini and that statement, this actually looks like a smart idea.

[.Hack]

Wow, what blind stupidity! It's a joint project by Intel and AOpen! Read the articles buddy! These machines have been made at the request of Intel, they're trying to show off their product while putting it in a mini clone, read it here . So why don't we crawl out from under our rock before you act like an idiot?

[thegelding]

not as pretty as the mini...but would be "ok" for a pc

what would be apple's reaction?? i know apple was not the first to make a mini, but that is pretty damn close in looks and apple shut down the iMac bondi imitations

g

[Mugge]

I've heard people were talking about that the WinXP and Pentium M components would make it more expensive than the mini.

Sounds like it's going to be hard to sell then.

[MCQ]

Originally Posted by Mugge I've heard people were talking about that the WinXP and Pentium M components would make it more expensive than the mini. Sounds like it's going to be hard to sell then.

Yeah, something like that probably would be pricier than the mini.

Pentium-M processors sell for what, $200?
Win XP is $80?
Case + Mobo is maybe $150?

Already at $430 there... still have the HD, slot load media drive, and memory to add in.

[Dave.m55]

just came on AN to post this very thread =)
good job intel/AOPEN ,whatever --> /slap.

[pv2b]

Originally Posted by MCQ Yeah, something like that probably would be pricier than the mini. Pentium-M processors sell for what, $200? Win XP is $80? Case + Mobo is maybe $150? Already at $430 there... still have the HD, slot load media drive, and memory to add in.

Windows XP would probably be cheaper OEM.

[CobaltFire]

lol, I did get that one thing wrong. Sorry about that, I was half asleep when I posted. I DO think Apple has done a much better job than anyone else on a Mini size computer, but they were not the first. But you obviously just ignored anything else I had to say, or possibly just didn't have a response.

On a lighter note, PentiumM processors and chipsets are not cheap, but with a mass produced desktop they would get a lot cheaper due to volume (thats the only reason they cost so much). Windows for $80 is about OEM price actually, for high volume maybe $60.

Please just let this topic lie anyhow (where I am concerned at least). I love this forum, but I HAVE noticed a rather large bias (hmm, I should expect that). Just take this as what it is, an attempt to cash in on the Mini's success. I honestly don't think it will go anywhere, and wouldn't buy it anyhow.

[ghoti]

The nice thing is that all the reports on this Intel/AOpen box that I have seen have either called it a Mini-clone, or have at least mentioned the Mini. So this announcement could actually produce more marketing value for Apple than for Intel ...

[julesstoop]

This machine offers quite a bit extra in terms of horsepower compared to the mini. Apple has the brand recognition but has some catching up to do before september.

[Luca]

Yeah, a Pentium M would significantly outperform the Mac mini's 1.25-1.42 GHz G4. The 1.7 GHz Dothan model has a several hundred MHz advantage, in addition to having an amazing FOUR TIMES the L2 cache (2 MB vs. 512 kB) and a 400 MHz frontside bus. NewEgg's price for the 1.7 GHz version is about $265. The 2.1 GHz version is over $600!

A Windows box with that form factor and a Pentium M would be in a bit of a different category than the Mac mini. The mini is meant to be cheap and low end, just good enough to get the job done. A Windows box with that configuration would be more expensive and a lot faster. I guess there could be a version with an AMD Sempron or a Celeron M instead. Either of those would give decent performance (on par with the Mac mini) and they'd bring down the cost by a lot.

I don't see a form factor like this really getting popular with the Windows crowd, though. I could see a low-end version selling to people who want Mac mini chic but are too afraid to actually buy a Mac ( ), but among enthusiasts, small form factor systems that use all desktop components should remain popular.

[ghoti]

But how much power do people really need? If you only do some web surfing, write emails and edit the occasional photo, you don't need a big friggin' tower with lots of whirring fans and fast, loud harddisks. A Mini (or low-powered PC) is totally sufficient for many, many people. I think that many are realizing now that they can get rid of the noise and save some money and space by going for a smaller, more appropriate box.

[Pixelman]

Originally Posted by ghoti But how much power do people really need?

Yeah you try talking sense to the PC-gaming crowd. They're all wetting their pants over PCI-Express cards with SLI, having two $600 graphics cards running in tandem, cases with internally lit fans etc.

They beauty of a Mac Mini is that it is just right - no more, no less than the average user needs and at a price that just makes complete sense. Add the good looks, small form factor and low noise - a winner.

I think it's great that PC's are getting smaller. The machines are as big now as they were in 1982 - you'd think nothing has happened


Pixelman

[ghoti]

Of course there are people who want and/or need a lot of power, expandability, etc. But they probably are a minority. It's a lot more efficient and logical to buy what you need, and not have all kinds of options that you will never use anyway (but that involve costs, monetary or other).

[Luca]

I know, that's why I entertained the possibility of a cheaper model with a Celeron M or AMD Sempron. Performance would be similar to or just slightly higher than a Mac mini, and cost should be roughly equal.

People who want more performance in a small package should be buying a Shuttle or equivalent small form factor (SFF) system. Those can use a PCI card, expandable video (able to handle even high-end video cards), and full sized optical and hard drives. If you have essentially a desktop-ized laptop, its use will be very limited. Two of the greatest advantages of PCs is their expandability and their power for the price, especially when it comes to gaming. A "PC mini" is throwing away both those advantages. Without expandable graphics, and with its reliance on a built-in GPU solution, it won't ever be a great gaming machine. Thus, the power provided by a higher-end Pentium M will only go to use for things like video editing, where the video card doesn't matter.

But as we both know, Macs kick PCs' asses at content creation if only for their ease of use. Integrated, non-upgradable graphics isn't a big drawback for the Mac mini because Macs suck at games anyway. And while the Mac mini is pretty pokey for video editing and so forth, it's helped along by its low price and OS X's ease of use.

In short, there isn't much of a market for a PC mini-clone. It's SFF and laptops all the way, baby.

[dusanyu]

that dose not look like a Mini looks like some one left some dung on the desk.

[.Hack]

Originally Posted by dusanyu that dose not look like a Mini looks like some one left some dung on the desk.

TRANSLATION: My oh my! That ugly piece of crap does not look like the Mac Mini, manufactured by Apple. Personally, I think that picture of the mini clone looks like someone crapped all over a wonderful piece of office furniture!

inspiration for the translation was brought to you by the creative minds behind the "Boo Got Shot" sound clip! :smokey:

[Luca]

Actually it looks just like a Mac mini.