Would You Buy a "Windows Mini" PC?

> But I'm curious: Would you buy a very small, relatively basic PC that ran Windows?

No, I would never buy any PC, nor any other item, under any circumstances, that ran windows.

RE: Would You Buy a "Windows Mini" PC?

A perfect example of supposedly intelligent
executives at Intel and/or Aopen witnessing
an event like the interest generated by the
Mac Mini, and coming away with a completely
erroneous interpretation.

Consumers aren't that interested in the size
of the Mac Mini. They're interested because
it's an affordable Macintosh.

Now, if those same bright executives were to
unveil a Power PC emulator capable of running
the Mac OS, then yes, THAT would be news. As
for the Windows Mini, it's a non-starter.

no, not at all. If I want a small Windows based PC, I'll put one together myself using a standard case for micro-atx or BTX size equivalent motherboards. I am looking forward to trying out a mac mini for my next 2nd computer replacement.

I have both Windows and OSX based machines. I am currently running two mini's in my business that we use for pretty much everything. We used to have shuttle's but found that, they were horribly expensive. Since the shuttle costed us almost $1800. I decided to take it home and give it to my family. And thats when I purchased the mini's. The size of the mini's is great for our expresso stands. They help us have more space so we can have more supplies on hand. They are also more then powerful enough to do everything we want. All the employees that have used tiger absolutly love the OS, and all show off the mini's to their friends when they come to the stands. The size also makes it easy for us to unhook them and take them home with us so that they don't get stolen. As the first shuttle pc we had got stolen. And with the last price tag that was a lot of money.

As a final opinion. I have no reason to want a mini intel pc. I just can't see the point. Mabye a media center PC, but thats it. No other reason.

If it's really cheap, I might consider using it as a server running linux for my home network, or maybe a thin linux client (heck, how about a dedicated media box). Nothing like great cheap linux boxes!

There's no way I'll buy it if it comes with Windows, though.

I more than happy to use Windows machines, so if the price were right I'd buy one in a second for the space savings.

i don't really see the comparision...there are many small PCs. but most cost 3 times more than the larger desktop equivilent. Mac Mini's major attraction wasn't the size, but the price and the fact that u can use old PC parts. so wat will Windows Mini offer in competion except for those who look for a PC that takes less space.

The mac fanboyism here really is quite amusing... but in my experience, all of the people I have spoken to who have expressed interest in the mac mini are interested precisely for the reason that it is compact. I think we will find that if a windows mini pc is released with comparable features and price point to that of the mac mini it will almost certainly sell as well if not better than the mac mini, because windows users won't have to learn a new operating system.

In light of Microsoft?s past, no I don?t think I would buy a Mini as long as Microsoft had anything to do with it. Apple creates an affordable Mac with the Mini, and people were grateful for an affordable Mac. Microsoft comes out with a mini PC, and you can?t help thinking that this can?t be much more than another ?pop shot? across the bow of Mac. Apple will always have a certain mystique about it, not to mention the undying loyalty of us who have always loved Apple?s whole approach to computing. Microsoft does not understand its customers; as Apple does theirs. Nor does Microsoft it thinks it needs to.

The biggest difference between the Mac Mini and a Windows mini is upgrades, (no reboots on Mac Mini), Virus software (no mac mini virus software needed yet), and applications (Windows Media compared to OS X is a joke). Really I have both systems and I work in the IT PC field so beleive me there is no contest, Mac Mini wins.

I bought my Mac Mini not because it was small, cute, or stylish, but because it was a Mac for the price of a PC. I have had it now for 3 1/2 months and it is my computer of choice. I still have 3 Windows PC's but I will definately be buying more Macs to replace them.

The Mac Mini was a brilliant move by Steve Jobs and the marketeers at Apple!

simple answer, no. who cares if the wintel mini wannabe boxes have greater performance specs than the mac. they are entirely missing the point, which mac has been trying to make all along, that technology doesn't have to be in direct contrast with aesthetics. if I want power I'll buy a powerful computer. if I want to run word and check my email it'd be silly to go out and buy a xeon or a g5. 300mhz should be sufficient for most users.. gamers buy gamer pcs, artists buy a boxx or a g5. but until the wintel computers start resembling something roughtly aesthetic I'm not going to dare support the development of them. unless, or course, they can produce a nice headless box for under $200, which they really should be able to do.. ;)

Gee, I think I'll buy a Chevy Geo... its about the same size as a MINI Cooper and it's cheaper. Yeah, MINI Coopers are sporty BMW-built machines with a Tiger of an engine and easy handling (at a lower price than a typical BMW), but heck, a Geo has windows - yeah it breaks down often and is ugly, but who cares so long as the sticker price is a little less and its made by the largest company in the industry (its very important to buy from the biggest you know - don't want to be left with no spare parts or no roads to drive on - as I'm sure that BMW will). Apples and Oranges you say?... it could be apples and lemons as far as I'm concerned - it's fruit and I don't know the difference.

How about a big boring Intel based PC that ran Tiger. That would be interesting.

Good stuff.. the Mac mini is aimed at switchers who have keyboards and monitors etc..

Whats the point of a.. er.. Windows MIni PC..

Great.. it's small.. it's still infected with Sober Virus and 5 years out of date.. damn

And PCWORLD, please don't drag the Mhz Myth into this article.. please..

"How about a big boring Intel based PC that ran Tiger"

Maybe then we could actually start talking about OS X's marketshare...

"The mac fanboyism here really is quite amusing"

Agreed. It's only a computer ferchrissakes. Nice, compact, looks like an ideal solution for a home server but swap it for my games monster PC? No way!

Macs are great for ease of use, PC's for flexibility. However, it's the apps that run on the things that are more important. If a platform can't do/run what what you want it to do then it's a waste of time buying it. I use Windows OS-X & Unix almost everyday and have to say it's the depth & variety of applications & hardware that keeps me favouring the PC despite OS-X being a more elegant OS to Windows.

Sorry mate but Microsoft has nothing to do with the mini PC, it's Intel (and AOpen). Windows just happens to be the most popular OS that can run on that system.

Who cares about Windows Media or the 'entertainment' extras on OS-X. I want real apps that do real jobs, not toys to play with (games are a different matter). I don't think your comment about viruses is right either. Unpatched Macs do have vulnerabilities and there's more than a few Mac viruses floating around.

I've never been a Mac owner, but they've always kinda intrigued me. Macs are always so nice looking (elegant etc), and very simplistic from what I can see. And naturally I've always wanted to try one for a home computer, but the cost was kinda a deterring factor.
I agree though that the size is the 'biggest' issue here. However, the fact that this new mini PC looks almost IDENTICAL to the Mac mini leaves me somewhat disappointed. I was hoping for maybe a little more originality? Because I already have a PC - so if i REALLY wanted something different I have to say I'd probably go with the Mac.

what is the diffrence between this and a PC in a small form case?

Sure, if the price was right. It is convenient to have one or two small, quiet PCs around the house for routine stuff like mail. I liked the Mac mini form factor when I saw it, but don't like the OS, so I had no reason to get one. Something that size with Windows is interesting, though.

It's a great idea, I would like to buy a mini windows pc. Make them more reliable please. Upgrades should include: 512 mb ram, an outstanding sound card with sweet souding speakers, and duel optical drives.

"Who cares about Windows Media or the 'entertainment' extras on OS-X. I want real apps that do real jobs, not toys to play with (games are a different matter). I don't think your comment about viruses is right either. Unpatched Macs do have vulnerabilities and there's more than a few Mac viruses floating around."

So, how many is a "more than a few"? One is one, two is a couple, so would it be safe to say that a few is approximately 4 (four)? And if Macs do have vulnerabilities that could allow "more than a few" viruses, then give me that, compared to THOUSANDS of viruses for Wintel/Microsloth. Isn't funny how, when you call tech support, they are ALWAYS SO QUICK to have you disable Antivirus software to try to fix a problem?

So what is considered a "real job"? Your comments are quite, frankly, stupid and certainly uneducated. Anyone that says a Mac cannot do any real work has got some serious issues. Look at most magazines printed. What was used? Uh, Macintosh. Sure a Windows powered Pooter has a place (games are a DIFFERENT matter). After all, there are thousands of GAME titles for Wintel machines compared to Mac games. So sorry mate, you are wrong. G'day.

I wish that PC makers could try to come up with their own unique designs instead of rehashing what has already been done.

I think the viruses/spyware risk is often exaggerated as far as an average household consumer is concerned who knows few things about windows. I have been using windows from the beginning and my experience says that if you be bit careful and use even the freewares availaible you wont have any major spyware/virus problems. Adding to that windows gives you immense flexibility and choice that nobody here can argue.

Bottom line is if you aren't newbie or mac fanboy or a senior citizen, you dont need an over hyped, over priced mac. Windows maynot be best but does the job effectively and affordably.

A lotta people up there forget one diff between the Mac and the Wintel world. The Wintel world is about choice. I could buy all the hardware and put together a mini-itx. I could run Windows or GNU/Linux on it. I could put one together for less than US$ 500 including my OS (GNU/Linux is my choice).
But the Mac mini I buy comes with everything locked. No monitor, keyboard or mouse. I can't take a screwdriver to it I am given to understand. Also I have an issue with Apple over MacOS X. It is free BSD given a make over, because ol' Steve didn't wanta deal with the GPL. Both MS and Apple are companies that stand/profit on the honest work of others. Not people I would like to deal with.

I switched a few months ago from PC to a Mac-Mini. Take my word for it -- no more PC products for me. Ever.

To the anonymous guy who says "never"... Never say never. But I do not care as much about the price as I do about quality, performance, and expandability.

My minimal entry point for a new computer is 64-bit, 2GB RAM of the fastest DDR2 memory, and a kick ass video subsystem.

All of which are missing from any Apple at any price.

Who cares about OS/X? It's just a subset of Unix with a fancy GUI. We all know where the real Unix lives -> Linux. Want real-time? go for QNX. Want emulators? For anything? It's all there already, for the PC (VMware). Of course my day-to-day OS is Windows NT 5.x/6.x (which everybody knows W2K is NT5.0, XP is NT5.1, and W2003 is NT5.2. Longhorn? NT6?)

So would I buy a small form PC? Yes, I might, but the small device must be powerful enough, and COMPLETELY silent (not a single fan), so I can use it as the home theatre PC.

I find it interesting that whenever the Windows vs. MacOS debate comes up, those who would argue for Mac have used both systems and made a choice based their experiences.

Those who argue for Windows (or against Mac, it often seems) haven't used a Mac and speak in generalizations and perceptions ... not actual experience.

I haven't yet tried Mac OSX but am intrigued by the debate. If I was to be keeping score based on justified opinion, the 'switchers' would be ahead by a mile. Perhaps I should pop out and buy a mini and see for myself.

My biggest gripe about macs is that I am a person that likes to tinker, and fiddle, and above all, upgrade. If I even THOUGHT about changing the hardware of a mac not only would I void any warrenty, I am pretty sure they would come after my house, my car, and my first born child. Generally I am of the opinion that macs are for yuppies that don't want to have to use any part of their brain to use the computer. I enjoy the ability to alter both my software and more importantly my hardware. a mac is to computers what AOL is to internet browsing. It is computing for dummies. The ability to make choices and desicions and problem solve, and learn is something we all have, why would anyone want to throw that all away by purchasing a mac?

Good point, Mr. Steele-- I am in the former category. I am currently a computer tech and k-8 computer teacher with a Windows lab, but I use OS X for my personal use, recommend it to all my family and friends, and will leave the teaching job soon because I am sick of fixing spyware and virus problems instead of teaching. The school tried to save money by buying Windows computers, but they cannot keep computer teachers due to all the work it takes to keep them working with kids on broadband and all the goofy spyware and virus-laden sites they visit.

As for Khan Md Ashraf's comment above: "I have an issue with Apple over MacOS X. It is free BSD given a make over, because ol' Steve didn't wanta deal with the GPL. Both MS and Apple are companies that stand/profit on the honest work of others. Not people I would like to deal with."
For crying out loud, do your research before spouting such nonsense. FreeBSD is not GPL, it is licensed, and Apple pays a fee to use it. For starters, Try this link: http://63.249.85.132/fbsd_index.html

And Ken: "The ability to make choices and desicions and problem solve, and learn is something we all have, why would anyone want to throw that all away by purchasing a mac?"
It may surprise you to learn that most people just want to use a computer as a tool to get things done. They don't care about making choices and decisions and problem solving. It is much like owning a car-- most people do not even change their own oil-- they own a car for the tasks related to transportation.

I have used both Mac and Windows, and quite frankly, if you're using the newest of each system, it all comes down to what I'm planning on doing with them. When I fell like customizing something or playing games then Windows, if I just want to do simple tasks or play with media then Mac. I personally see no reason to get a mini anything, I prefer larger upgradable boxes to mini ones with no room for expansion and crappy parts to begin with. Thus, I'd say whoever has the more powerful AND upgradable mini computer will most likely be the winner.

"Unpatched Macs do have vulnerabilities and there's more than a few Mac viruses floating around."
Absolutely untrue. Your ignorance of the fact that there is no OSX virus in existence and no in-the-wild exploit of any OSX vulnerability label you as yet another troll.

Mac mini hands down, growing up in public schools and attending a public university Mac OS machines have always been around. Nothing is more annoying than getting a blue screen of death while working on a paper or project. We finally have a Mac that is somewhat affordable. I would have bought a G4 box then, but I am recent college grad lets see $750 for a modest functional PC or $2000+ for a Great G5 box now... but wait Mac has the answer stable, functional, and under $700!! Dam*t where was the Mac mini two years ago would have bought one instead of another Windows mini-tower.

"I am of the opinion that macs are for yuppies that don't want to have to use any part of their brain to use the computer"

Your comment is flat-out stupid, and I say this as a Microsoft-certified IT professional who secures and maintains Windows networks for a living. The alpha geeks listed below all use Macs, and they're not exactly what I'd call brainless yuppies. As for you, try growing a brain before you post next time, okay?

- Tim Berners-Lee - invented the Web
- James Gosling - invented Java
- Bill Joy - wrote BSD Unix and co-founded Sun Microsystems
- Richard Clarke - former Infosec Chief, U.S. Government

If it was a Aopen mini, no... Gateway, Dell yes.... I will never buy or used a Aopen ever again...

The only advantage of a Windows box over a Mac box is upgradability. With the ultra compact dimensions of the new Aopen it is very doubtful there will be any room (pardon the pun) for the hobbiest to tinker. It then comes down to the software to determine a winner. Last week I added an iMac running Tiger to my home business that is mainly Windows XP. My first experience with OSX. The OS is great and iLife is fabulous. With that advantage, buying Mac mini over a windows competitor is a no brainer.

The only advantage of a Windows box over a Mac box is upgradability. With the ultra compact dimensions of the new Aopen it is very doubtful there will be any room (pardon the pun) for the hobbiest to tinker. It then comes down to the software to determine a winner. Last week I added an iMac running Tiger to my home business that is mainly Windows XP. My first experience with OSX. The OS is great and iLife is fabulous. With that advantage, buying Mac mini over a windows competitor is a no brainer.

This is always the problem... Why don't you all start saying, "My Dad is bigger than your Dad?"

People will buy what ever they want.

As someone has already pointed out... If it does the job, then that's good! If not, then no. Some people might buy a Mini PC, if all they want is something that does simple stuff like word, and internet. If these Mini PCs and Mini Macs cost around the same price then most people don't know or care about the MHz wars.

It's like the days of yesteryear with betamax and VHS. Betamax was better, but because VHS was easier to remember they sold.

If it fits the needs of the customer who's buying it, who should care apart from them?

Some people just want to use a phone, and some want a PDA/phone/games thing... it comes down to choice, so stop moaning you horrible lot! :P

This is always the problem... Why don't you all start saying, "My Dad is bigger than your Dad?"

People will buy what ever they want.

As someone has already pointed out... If it does the job, then that's good! If not, then no. Some people might buy a Mini PC, if all they want is something that does simple stuff like word, and internet. If these Mini PCs and Mini Macs cost around the same price then most people don't know or care about the MHz wars.

It's like the days of yesteryear with betamax and VHS. Betamax was better, but because VHS was easier to remember they sold.

If it fits the needs of the customer who's buying it, who should care apart from them?

Some people just want to use a phone, and some want a PDA/phone/games thing... it comes down to choice, so stop moaning you horrible lot! :P

only reason right now... solid asterisk pbx on intel mini... (using linux) waiting fo really good version of asterisk on the mac... so until then- yeah I'll buy it, as long as it doesn't come with windows... and it's cheaper than the mac mini.

>> "A lotta people up there forget one diff between the Mac and the Wintel world. The Wintel world is about choice." <<

With hardware maybe, but have you noticed that all the Microsoft Windows users use Microsoft Word for word processing, Microsoft PowerPoint for presentations, Microsoft Excel for spreadsheets, Microsoft e-mail clients etc etc etc. Whereas on the Mac, you've got Word or Pages or Nisus or Mellel or Mariner Write or even AppleWorks hanging around as viable word processors...

Some folks want choice in hardware, but I'd guess many more want hardware that works well as is so that they can concentrate on choice in software. And, with the exception of the gaming category, the WinTel experience is no longer about choice in software.

I've used 'Windows Minis' off and on for the past decade - only they've been called sub-notebooks and ultralights....

Repackaging the technology into a trendy shape does not make it 'new'.

"Repackaging the technology into a trendy shape does not make it 'new'."

An excellent point. The mac mini, and I assume the intel mini, are just repackaged notebooks without the keyboard & screen.

But packaging is a vehicle to deliver a product. The product Apple is selling is their OS, and the mac mini is just the cheapest way to get their OS in your hands.

I'm not a mac person, but I can see the marketing angle - Apple's just using a flashy, inexpensive way to attract new people to their software. As for PC folks buying the intel mini, why would they? Why not just buy an inexpensive notebook?

It would certainly look more attractive if it were packaged with Windows Media Center and marketed as the ultimate core of a sitting-room multimedia experience. Small, unobtrusive, yet attractive and capable. Give it 5.1 audio out, a slew of video-out options, and a DVD player, and you may be on to something.

At least, that's what I'm looking for personally. :D

Ah yes, repackaging to market an old item has saved many a company - be that a toaster, a car, a wireless service or any product from Apple.

Meanwhile, I read that to really make the Apple Mini worthwhile for most users, it requires upgrades that take it within a few bucks of a better-featured iBook.

But the Mini sure looks cool....

On the HW:

I don't care about Size, do care about Silence.

I like smaller but not too small, still want some expansion capability and most importantly, want to use standard size components for things like HD. Using laptop HD makes for smaller size, lower performance and higher price.

One thing the Mini has going for it, is Silence, it is one of the quietest computer choices out there right now.

I definitely want my next computer to be quieter than my current. All computers are now fast enough for me, the thing I will be looking for is quiet enough.

On the SW:

I have never used OSX, but I use Unix daily. I am also getting tired of Windows flakeyness and OSX is getting Raves. I would love OSX on x86, I would switch in a heartbeat and keep a small dual boot to windows to support some old legacy stuff. But switch to PPC and abandoning it altogether may be tough. I don't really want two machines, so the mini is no switcher machine for me.

In the end I will buy neither of these. Both too small.

I am looking for a real switcher machine, because I want out of windows, but need to do it gradually with a dual boot scenario (or Very good emulation).

I'd buy a mini Intel-based PC... then immedialtly install Linux on it!

Running Windows on a mini PC would be like filling a sparkling classic Rolls Royce with unwashed common street ho-s. It would be just SO wrong.

My co worker has an Apple laptop that I have to diagnose for him constantly. All the hoopla about how much better a Mac running OS X is over Windows XP is just that...hoopla. It isn't easier to use, the apps are not nearly as intuitive, and yes, it too can crash and need updating. Why on earth would I want a Mac mini for the same price I can get a full featured PC? Get real.

You can get an SFF a long time ago. But since those still running windows, is the same garbage in different size.

No. If I am going to get something Windows, it needs to be powerful. I already have a small, slow Windows PC. It is called a notebook, and it can also run off batteries. I would consider the Mac Mini because I havve never tried a Mac. I wouldn't want to spend $1500 on a Power Mac G5 to find out that I don't like it.

"...a teeny-tiny Windows PC (manufactured by AOpen) which looks suspiciously like a Mac Mini."

Hmm...What about ITX boards or mini-ATX boards? Does the Mac-Mini "suspiciously" look like those which actually existed before? Couldn't be, because Apple employees are the invention Gods.

If WIntel PC's hadn't been reduced to commodity products, I'd say this product might have a chance.

I'll admit up front that, after over 15 years in IT, using PC's running DOS, Windows, OS/2, Linux, etc., I've switched to the Mac platform for all of my personal computing. Primarily thanks to the Mac Mini and OS X.

I'm sure there's a market for a compact, reasonably price PC (I have a hard time believing that this one will actually come in at less than the price of a Mac Mini though), but given the plethora of manufacturers and vendors, Joe 6-pack will probably never even hear about it, much less have the urge to buy one.

No, but I can't decide between Mac and Windows for my next laptop. Software is the issue for me, especially reusing all my current stuff (anyone know of a Microsoft Streets and Trips version that will run on a Mac without the virtual PC ?) All the other stuff (WP, spreadsheet, finance) is no biggie - I need to upgrade anyway. But Streets . . .

I wouldn't want a low powered PC to begin with. I am interested in the mac mini just cause I want a cheap way to test drive the Mac Platform. I basically don't wanna invest a ton in apple untill i am sure it's basic functionality is something I'd be interested in. As far as PC's. I know what to expect and what i want. A tiny system that would be incapable of running games would be of no use to me. Great for my mother or someone else but not for me. Besides that I have issue with the size period. Yes the main box is small but the keyboard mouse and monitor are not. So while you are saving a little space it doesnt save you much. A laptop is by far the most realistic in space saving portability that is the way of the future. Honestly it makes sense to go laptop if space is a issue. Besides it would also be prettier to look at.

The "new" mini intel box darn well better have massive power: 1GB+ RAM, 2.8Ghz CPU+, Nvidia 6600 GPU+, and good sound, maybe something PCI-E based... Otherise it's just what the Mini Mac is: a laptop in a bigger case.

Then again, it's not new at all.

Let the customers select what they want. Only idiots can advocate that a box is a unique innovation. It is the hardware inside and outside and the software that matters. Many of the "Mac" components comes from the Intel world for example USB. Apple have copied from the start as Jobs have stated publicly. Remember Xerox Parc? BSD Unix! The Innovation here is to put together an affordable and good system of hardware and software which the customers want to buy!

Let the customers select what they want. Only idiots can advocate that a box is a unique innovation. It is the hardware inside and outside and the software that matters. Many of the "Mac" components comes from the Intel world for example USB. Apple have copied from the start as Jobs has stated publicly. Remember Xerox Parc? BSD Unix! The Innovation here is to put together an affordable and good system of hardware and software which the customers want to buy!

Would You Buy a "Windows Mini" PC?
Sure, but not this one.

currently I am in the market for a home-brew set-top PVR and a good candidate would be this size with an integrated hardware-based tuner/mpeg4/divx encoder/decoder (plextor's "connectX" / sigma's "Xcard") and a DX9 based IGP for some occasional games on a HD set.

Windows would be a plus, my kids can play their educational software and games on the entertainment center as well as surf the nickjr.com web pages and flash games on the same platform.

Now, if I can just get a single click from the pvr screen to the corresponding web page working... well maybe that is too much to ask for!

Virus?????????

THE ONLY REASON WINTEL MACHINES GET MORE VIRUS'S IS CAUSE OF IT'S POPULARITY. MCDONALDS GETS MORE HEAT REGARDING THE UNHEALTHY FOOD IT SERVES THEN DOES BURGER KING. AND BURGER KING IS PUSHING THE BAD FOOD ON PURPOSE. DON'T GIVE BLAM WINDOWS FOR VIRUS'S, BLAM THE IDIOT'S THAT WRITE THE VIRUS PROGRAMS. THEY NEED TO GET A LIFE.

Kevin>

The difference between McDonalds and MS is that people (mostly) are aware of the fact that the food McDonalds serves is not good for you, while people (mostly) are not aware of security issues that come with being full admin and bad internet practices. So, yes virus writers deserved to get slammed, but the people that use PCs need to be educated more about security. Most don't care, and most don't care to care.

Mini or otherwise, there's no chance I'd bring a Windows PC home.

I don't feel the need to endlessly play under the hood of my computer, don't waste my time with games, and have no desire to begin fighting malware. Macs are simply better designed for folks like me, who use their computers for getting work done.

And, lest you write me off as a lightweight technophobe, I'm a techie at a big animation studio. I've worked with Linux, IRIX, and other Unices daily for over 20 years, been a sys admin at a Fortune 500 corporation, and authored a recent CG book on a Windows laptop. So, why do I prefer Macs? They work, the UI is elegant, and I've got Unix under the hood. Plus, my wife, mom, in-laws, and kids can all use them and I don't have to spend time supporting them.

I run a dozen or more apps at a time, including Maya, Photoshop, various browers, iLife apps, corporate calendars, email, and on and on. My uptimes are measured in months, almost always liimited only by software update reboots (which are almost always painless). That's what I want from a computer and Mac OSX delivers.

So, when a beefier Mac Mini comes along (so I can use it as a robust AV server in my entertainment center), I'll buy one. That'll bring our household Mac total up to six. Meanwhile that Windows laptop is in a box somewhere in my office...

I'm curious why so many pro-mac folks are reading PC Mag. Interesting thought. My answer is this: I'd love to get my hands on a PCmini. As HDTV makes its way into the living room of every home in America, a PCmini should be standard issue dime-a-dozen divices as are DVD players today. PC and Mac users will be counted in the BetaMax and Laser Disc croud. 90% of the consumers don't care about the OS or the brand of application just so long as it is cheap and it works, it's just us techies who care.

Face it, the Personal Computer's days are numbered. Basic apps are all going to be internet based, so in a few short years the OS as well as the PC box as we now know it will be moot. Smaller, lighter, less complicated, more integrated is the future. PCmini (and MACmini) are just a sign of the times on road to the future.

Put an iPod, an xBox, a Bose stereo, Google, blue tooth, and the OS vendor of your choice in a blender and see what product you end up with - that is the future of the computer in home entertainment.

Chad: Mac folks are probably here reading the article because the Intel Pandora is so much like the Mac Mini that stories about it are making the Mac news sites.

No minis for me, they ain't worth the money for all the underpowered-ness

For desktops, I build a full tower PC
And bought a powermac G5.

Nintendo Revolution looks like a good "mini" :D

test
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to Chad-- this isn't PC Mag, it's PC World-- I'll bet they'd appreciate you noticing that!

And "PC World" or the other "PC" magazines are not just for "Windows" PC users. In fact, PC World just released their "The 100 Best Products of 2005" list, and Apple products rank quite well.

For example-- The ratings for best:

Operating System: Apple Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Media Player: Apple iTunes
Small PC: Apple Mac mini
Database: FileMaker Pro 7
Music Downloads: Apple iTunes Music Store
Large Capacity MP3 Player: Apple iPod photo

See the whole list at:
http://tinyurl.com/ajhgq

Absolutely. Right out of the box, the MiniPC will be more useful and compatible with thousands of application software. It will have to be priced much less than a notebook PC, say, 30% lower, because that is the preferred computer to get these days. Nothing wrong buying an overrated Mac either, just not for me or most people.

The two classes of software in which Windows has the most compatible titles, much more so than OS X, are viruses and anti-virus utilities. Nearly 100,000 viruses (not counting spyware) by Symantec's count. If software application compatibility is important to you, that's a statistic you can't ignore with your new MiniPC.

This is another case of Apple coming out with a great product and people copying it. Look at Windows which was developed after MacOS (MacOS was after XeroX, but XeroX did a poor job about patenting their GUI). Look at all the MP3 players that are similar to an iPod, yet iPods still outsell the competition because it's designed so well. The only reason I would buy this small PC is because it's small and I could load Linux on it to use as a PVR (IF it had the correct inputs) and not be a clunky box next to the LCD TV.

Couple things I'll throw into the mix:
1. Comparing the power of the machines:
For $500, you're getting a slow machine, no matter who puts their label on it. You don't buy (or at the least, sell) a $500 machine to play Doom3 or map the human genome, you buy(/sell) it to check email and screw around online. Anything else is superfluous at this price point.
2. On Upgradeability: The only part which is not upgradeable on a number of Apple systems is the graphics card, which given that the mini and ibooks are the only systems without a Radeon 9600 or above is not a strong point unless you're gaming, and on that mark, the point goes to Wintel for damn sure, except when you're looking at $500 machines, which we are. (Most $500 machines at this point don't have an AGP slot and do have a celeron, so enjoy that framerate).
HD, Memory, Optical drive, expansion cards, all these can be upgraded on the mac no problem. You can also use any usb-mouse and keyboard you want, as long as it was made by a company who knows wtf they were doing.
I've got a powerbook right now where I've already upgraded the hard drive, memory, and optical drive, so don't talk to me about upgradeability. It wasn't harder than upgrading the last vaio I bothered with, I'll tell you that much.
Oh, and the Mini IS user-serviceable, it's just not easy to open. which I guarantee will be the case with anything this small (those of you who've worked on shuttles have seen where size meets functionality). You can upgrade your own memory and hard drive, and you can even install your own wireless module if you like. As far as the warranty goes, as long as you don't fuck it up, the warranty remains intact for all the original equipment.
3. On (platform) Power:
Apples and Oranges. Sit there and talk to me about Opterons v. G5's, I really don't give a damn. I do video editing, graphic design work, photography, music recording, DVD authoring, and site design. Give me a PC loaded with Final Cut Pro, Shake, Motion, DVD Studio Pro, Adobe CS2, and Logic, and make sure it doesn't have windows, because I'm not going back to an MS base after playing with Unix for the last 2 years, and I'll give you a full breakdown of how the platforms perform in comparison. The software makes the system, and from a productivity standpoint, you can't beat OS X, hands down. Most of the production world is running Apple hardware and software because the goddamn system works. A dual Opteron workstation with 8gb of memory and Win XP 64bit doesn't do me a damn bit of good while the support guys are working on it. I use Apple because my system is a tool, not a project, and that's the fundamental difference between the PC world and the Mac world.

Devices like this are good for mass office deployment, where high-cpu work stations are not needed and a low power / cost requirement is a plus. Bundled with XP Pro is convenient if your have a domain, XP Home would be a cost benefit to the average home user.

Not sure what all the "macs are better" comments are about, definitely not the case in a "typical" office or home environment.

mini pc... pfff, what a rip off.

the fact is, mini pc is copying apple's mac mini, and they wont admit it.

I have a minimac atop of my shuttle gaming rig. I love both. The shuttle is about as small as I can go with a reasonable video card (6600gt agp). I have always enjoyed the apple experience, but also the pc flexibility (opensource apps and gaming. I need both....the apple gui is addictive and music just sounds better on Itunes.
Experiment......watch the Itunes visualiser at work on a pc and a mac.....it flows and is hypnotic on the mac.....but jitters and feels ugly on the pc....the mac is a smooth experience as always.
Either way....i am happy....my minimac is on all night downloading divx.....silent = low power use. show me the technology and I will try it out....if it fits.....wear it.

OH
and did I mention that I cracked my minimac open and upgraded it to a gig of ram.......easy job......checked out some pictorials first and then went at it.....doesnt void the warranty unless you wreck it......just dont dig deeper than 1cm to crack the clips......256ram was a total dissapoinment.....1gig....perfect.
Filezilla on my PC finally enabled me to ftp some divx into my xbox too.......i need both systems.....OK.......I am not rascist about OS....does that make sense?????

Wow, I'm almost convinced to buy a Mac mini, even though the last three Macs I bought (iMac, Mac II and Mac Plus) all ended up gathering dust because the proprietary software my company makes only works on Windows, and I spend too much time on Windows PCs at work and late at night at home to want to jump over to the Mac before I go to bed.

from where can u purchase it?
tell me please. intel-aopen mini pc.

Still no word on a release date or anything? I'm about ready to buy a Mac Mini case, sand off the apple and install a nano-itx mobo to run linux on it. :p