AOpen's miniPC will ship this month

AOpen is talking some serious smack when they blowhard about their Mac mini knockoff, the MiniPC, being a "perfect example of AOpen's innovation." Hell, not only does it share the same name and 6.5-inch square dimensions as the other mini, it also sports the same rear-mounted 2 x USB and 1 x FireWire ports, built-in Ethernet, DVI connection, and optional 802.11b/g and Bluetooth modules (for the same $499 price tag when configured with XP, no less). But if we just get past the design-copping for a second, we'll find a $399 configuration which flaunts Linux-based Linspire and a whole suite of desktop and internet apps preloaded onto the MiniPC. Oddly (or intentionally?) the RAM and HDD capacities are missing from the press release; yet considering AOpen can also fit in what they call the "the latest" Pentium M (2.26 GHz?), DVD burner and additional S-Video, component, and composite connectors for connectivity to your home entertainment system, we're feeling ok about it. Well, we'll see if this is truly an on-the-cheap Linux media dream-center soon enough as AOpen claims they'll start shipping the miniPC this month in the US.

[greg @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Stupid (but serious) question: can you run OSx86 on it?

[Russ @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

i hope someone makes a real easy MythTV or FreeVo distribution for it (like Freevix or KnoppMyth).. Coupled with an external TV tuner, it would make a real nice media PC.

[Tim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Released next month. Sued the following.

[Tim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

My computer at home is 100 times that size.

Crud.

[MavLink @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Damn, Russ beat me to it. Just what I was thinking (about MythTV). Would be cool to have a nice looking and reasonably priced alternative to WindowsMCE/Tivo/CharterDVR.

[Robert @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

That looks a lot like the Mac mini...

[frankthechicken @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Nice, but where is the optical out? Why does it have the one fault I labelled at the Mac Mini? I want my digital audio out dammit.

[boss sauce @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I call shenanigans on AOpen!

[iknowitall @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

whoopy, now that prevents us from upgrading some of their guts
every other day!!! GRRR
no AOpen minipc for me!
-He who knows it all

[Justin Bell @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

At least others don't claim to be first or unique when ripping off Apple. I really do hope they get sued.

[Tricky @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Now THAT will be my MythTV box. If it'll run a suitable video card, that is.

[troy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

voodoo pc also has a simular product

[William C Bonner @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Does anyone make a firewire HDTV Tuner?

I remember that supposedly I can get a Cable box that does HDTV from my cable company. Does anyone know if I could hook this up to my HDTV via YPbPr component inputs, and a cable box via firewire and stream video to my TV?

What about being able to send sound to my stereo? I'd like SPDIF optical connection to kick 5.1 or better out my digital reciever. (is a USB or firewire to SPIDF sound device available?)

[Jody @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Steve, this is when you should sue.

[thomas @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

weird, i thought most of this stuff were rlsd in the US before norway.. this has been available for a month or so i think..

[Stuart @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Ok Apple folks, this 'form factor' has been around long before Steve 'invented' it. Bash it for being a PC but don't bring design/copyright/religion into it.

Stuart

[Matt @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Wow.

Thats orignal.

I love how Windows people can never come up with good ideas on their own. they have to copy whatever mac does and then make a super-crappy version of it.

For example:

The Dell DJ: TOTAL rip off of the ipod and it sucks, I know five people at school who have one and they all hate them.

miniPC: hhhhhhhmmmmmmmmm..... miniPC... that doesn't sound anything like the Mac mini, wow, the same dimensions and everything too. except its running Windows, the ultimate of all crappy inferior OS's.

I mean serously people, who in their right minds would ever pay money for a computer running windows? Its so insecure and slow.

Windows Vista: For those of you who are morons, this is windows' next OS. It is completely ripped of of the current Mac os X. But they forgot on bitty little thing, it still runs on DOS. Thats like swiss cheese compared to darwin (Mac's version of Dos) or an open source; Linux or Unix (especially if you mod it and mess with the code to make it "your os".

Why would any one ever buy this piece of junk that has been outdated for about 3 years? For the same price you get an incredibly secure OS as well as ilife 05.

But then again this expains why Windows exists, morons.

Yes, Bill Gates, I mean you.

[Matt @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Wow.

Thats orignal.

I love how Windows people can never come up with good ideas on their own. they have to copy whatever mac does and then make a super-crappy version of it.

For example:

The Dell DJ: TOTAL rip off of the ipod and it sucks, I know five people at school who have one and they all hate them.

miniPC: hhhhhhhmmmmmmmmm..... miniPC... that doesn't sound anything like the Mac mini, wow, the same dimensions and everything too. except its running Windows, the ultimate of all crappy inferior OS's.

I mean serously people, who in their right minds would ever pay money for a computer running windows? Its so insecure and slow.

Windows Vista: For those of you who are morons, this is windows' next OS. It is completely ripped of of the current Mac os X. But they forgot on bitty little thing, it still runs on DOS. Thats like swiss cheese compared to darwin (Mac's version of Dos) or an open source; Linux or Unix (especially if you mod it and mess with the code to make it "your os".

Why would any one ever buy this piece of junk that has been outdated for about 3 years? For the same price you get an incredibly secure OS as well as ilife 05.

But then again this expains why Windows exists, morons.

Yes, Bill Gates, I mean you.

[Aiejfpakwldjki @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

How the hell is Bill Gates a moron? Lets see you make $48 billion.

[ZekeS @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

17: Maybe its the fact that most people are by far most familiar with Windows, that it comes with hardware that generally (Mac Mini notwithstanding) costs a LOT less than the Mac equivalent, maybe because it's simpler to learn than Linux is. Or maybe they're issued it. Or mayhaps they use software not available on Mac/Linux, although that's not as much of an issue now.

MacOS is good for newbies, but good luck finding it at your local Best Buy, or for a price similar to all the cheap PCs (again, Mini notwithstanding.) Furthermore, the best of luck trying to teach Linux to even half of the idiot users I know.

(And yes, I run Windows - I fall under the issued PC category. And amazingly enough, it works just fine.)

[TimonUK @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Media Centre 2005 anyone? stick a nice DVB card in it and well, i see a nice living room pc that might (only might) pass the infamous "wife test", and might, get a place under our TV. XBox 360 in the Bedroom, Main Media Center "hub" in our Cinema room, oooohh i see promise...

[fierywater @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

#17 So I suppose all MP3 players are ripoffs of the iPod? And last time I checked, XP doesn't run on a DOS kernal. Let's see, Windows ME was the last to do that, wasn't it?

Moron.

[donna folle @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I believe there were MP3 players before the ipod existed... oh no, I guess Apple is copying those companies! Sue!

People are hilarious.

[Wash_Jones @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

#8

I'll get my broom!

[iknowitall @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

hey matt
just in case you like apple dont mean that its 'it'. i mean i can say the same garbage about apple that you just finished crapping micrsoft about...
watch it...

[fiberguy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

so what we're basically saying here is apple rules with computers and mp3 players...well surprise...ive had a few ipods...and they never lasted a week...i hate em, their layout, interface...i hate everything about em except for the harddrive, you can get a pretty big hdd in the ipods...which is about the only plus that i can think of...
and im not going to say anything about apples computers cause i never had one but im pretty certain their not the best pc in the world...
so keep ur dumb apple rocks, microsft sucks theorys to yourself...

[mike @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Ok Apple folks, this 'form factor' has been around long before Steve 'invented' it. Bash it for being a PC but don't bring design/copyright/religion into it.

---

ironic since, the Mac mini was designed like the... iPod mini.., which isn't that old.. (replaced by nano, though it may be)

So before Apple designed the iPod mini, there were little PC's that looked like the iPod mini? Wow.. I stand corrected..

PS. When's an Aopen coming out that is immune to viruses?

[IBM @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

How the hell is Bill Gates a moron? Lets see you make $48 billion.

--

*gulp... you're welcome Bill.

[Aaron @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

#18 you are an idiot.

This pc (while it admittedly does rip off the Mac mini form factor) is also available running linux.

Windows has not ran on top of DOS for years.

Windows Vista (interesting that you seem to know so much about an OS that is still at least 6 months from release) is not an OSX clone.

There were mp3 players available before the iPod.

If being a moron can make you the richest man in the world show me where to sign up.

[iknowitall @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

#29
hey thanks aaron he needed that...

[010111 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

"17. Posted Nov 1, 2005, 7:40 PM ET by Stuart

Ok Apple folks, this 'form factor' has been around long before Steve 'invented' it. Bash it for being a PC but don't bring design/copyright/religion into it."

links?

thanks!

[Matt Rix @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

"ironic since, the Mac mini was designed like the... iPod mini.., which isn't that old.. (replaced by nano, though it may be)

So before Apple designed the iPod mini, there were little PC's that looked like the iPod mini? Wow.. I stand corrected.."

The FORM FACTOR(read: size) is NOT UNIQUE to the mini. There have been plenty of small PC's well before the mini.

And that person who said that Windows always rips off other things... HA! Name one thing apple has done that's actually totally original!

[seamonkey420 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

seen it, done it..

i was one of those few that owned a cappucino pc back a few years ago. It was the size of a normal cd drive and about 3 inches high.. i used one in my car for my car pc project...

but still cool!
hehe..

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

You know, instead of trying to get MythTV to work, which I still havn't been able to do, you guys should peep GB-PVR. It has a little bit less hardware support so far, but it is an awesome, awesome pvr system. It can do everything you want it to do and more, and it runs on Windows. Check it out! http://www.gbpvr.com/

Note: I have no affiliation with gbpvr or am I getting money from them. Thier software just plain rocks and people should know about it.

[jc @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I can understand other companies immitating apple designs by implementing apple curves/cues/color schemes/nav/etc... I got nothing against it. Companies copy each others' designs all the time. The practice didn't start just yesterday, it's been done for decades.

But, that thing is a TOTAL RIPOFF!! It is a carbon copy of Mac Mini! I don't know what idiot approved that design at AOpen, but he's gonna get fired when the fruit devil sues the hell out of AOpen and sets its ass on fire.

[St3phen @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

#20:

OS X is not Linux and is not related to Linux. No one running OS X would need to learn Linux. Mac OS X *does* run on top of FreeBSD (Unix)+Mach... i.e. NextStep/OpenStep with a ton of value-add done by Apple. Having said that, OS X users do not need to learn Unix to run their machines.

If OS X ran on Linux, as you seem to believe, you somehow both indicate that it is for newbs and yet too powerful for "half the idiots" you know. So which is it? Simple or complicated?

A product's presence at Best Buy is your measure as to whether or not the purchaser is a newbie? If so, you have other issues.

Your price arguments are tired and outdated.

And lastly, Windows is easier to learn? Puh-lease.

[GitsLM @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

well I am sure that Media Portal is runing on it and then: "Sit back and enjoy the show" :)

For those of you who do not know the app: http://mediaportal.sourceforge.net/

[john @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Neat. Now if they had a media center version...

[cecil @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Who gives a shit about who copied what etc. etc. Were talking small form factor here. Low power consumption too. I'll buy one of these and one of the mac minis. Stack them on my desk, connect one to my left 19" LCD and one to my right 19" LCD. Put a mixer on the audio outs, and run synergy(not the itunes widget- see sourceforge) on both to seemlessly share keyboard and mouse(and oddly enough cut and paste). Chop a 2560x1024 wallpaper in half, put half on one and half on other.

I bet you that both running at once would take half the power of my current rig. Plus, I clean up all that space under my desk, and get to have both Windows and OSX. Would like to wait for intel macs though so I can get more performance for the money - if we could get one that runs the same Pentium-M chip that would be cool.

Where's the real design inovation of the mini? "Let's take a slot load CD-ROM chassis, gut it, an ibook mainboard, laptop optical drive, laptop HD, cram all that shit in there. Tweak the size a bit to accomidate. Dip the whole thing in sliver paint." You could really say that the mac mini copied the Cappacino PC from back in the day. Who cares though.

You know what would be cool though, if these mini things had holes that lined up with standard VESA mounts on them. Then, depending on the LCD, you could either just mount them on the back or sandwich them between the mount and the stand.

[Tim - Columbus, OH @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

For those wanting an optical digital audio output from their PC, try the TURTLE BEACH Audio Advantage Micro (under $30 at Amazon). It plugs into your USB port and gives you the option of an optical or analog output. I have been using it for over six months and like it a lot!

[Phil @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

It's amazing that this took so long to create. You can get a 2+Ghz laptop already for less than $900 USD and its electronics (without LCD) are easily small enough to package as a mini desktop.

Using 3.5" hard drives and omitting LCD/keyboard/mouse, any laptop company could have repackaged their product in this format for under $500 USD. I'll never understand why they haven't.

And AOpen's piece of junk (like the Mac Mini) will not include the easy expandability of PCMCIA that almost all laptop computers have. And AOpen's piece of junk (like the Mac Mini) will have the stupid "disk sucker" slot for CDs/DVDs which make using smaller CDs/DVDs (like those from DVD camcorders) impossible to use.

Too bad - this could be such a cool form factor.

[Google Nazi @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Just like bidding $400 and the next person bids $401 and wins in price is right, it is perfectly legal though just a kick in the groin.

Although it would be nice to have a small PC that size, it just isn't worth it. For the price, it is extremely slow. Secondly, it doesn't support X-grid which is the biggest thing about a Mac. Then you compare 6 months from now with the MiniPC and it becomes obsolete, no upgrades. With a Mac you don't necessarily need to upgrade every 6-12 months. Of course you could if you need to but with a PC you need to upgrade since microsoft seems to have put a slow bomb to activate every few months lol (jk peep)

So what is my final verdict?

- I don't care about style / Size ripoffs it just is a kick in the groin for Apple.
- For the size, it is fairly fast but no upgrades = bad for the price.
- For the price you get can a PC twice as fast and by that i mean 4x,5x,6x faster.
- No X-Grid = Not worth it.


Mac-Mini's are so worth it because you can pretty much buy like 20 Mac-Mini's and grid them together to make a super multi-processing computer. Unless you are a skilled haxx0r or mad programmer, I don't see this possible with a MiniPC.

Overall, just fork up for a Mac-Mini instead. If a Mac isn't suited for your needs then build your own PC from places like tigerdirect and newegg. Makes life simpler :)

[BC @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Voodoo is already selling it. More than $1000 without OS, plus $118 delivery. For $118 I hope it's hand-delivered by a hooker with blowjob included.

[Lam @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

You whiners about copying a form factor are pretty sad. See that slot in the front? 5.5" disk, what's the smallest footprint slot-in drive you can find? I'm guessing right around 6"x6" or so... hey, that makes a square. Now stack in a hdd, mb, cpu, memory, some ports and what do you have? That's right a 6"x6" box a few inches high. You can't copyright a box, you can't copyright grey, you can't copyright rounded corners. The AOpen mini doesn't have a white top with an apple logo, and the power button is on the front. So on what basis is Apple going to sue?

[Griffon @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

I wonder if the video chip set will be MCE compliant and support decent 720P output.

[justin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

i was seriously considering a mini mac for an in-car computer, but this is what i've been waiting for! small size, presumably low heat output, and windows! Macs and their OS's have a special place in my heart, but for somone who already has GPS hardware/software for PC, and can't find cheap and good GPS equipment for a MAC OS..... i love macs, but i've gotta say, a lot of people who liked the idea of the mini mac but weren't ready to switch to a new OS, this would be great...although yes, they totally ripped off Macintosh, and will probably get sued in like, a day, lol....

[Andrew L. @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

"the most affordable [...] PC ever"

Where have I heard that before?

[Kiatchai B. @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Anyone know where I can buy in Canada? I want Linux version.

[Alan H @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

#48: see http://www.aopen.com , and check local small dealers. any computer reseller can get the miniPC through distribution when it's available. aopen doesn't have restrictive dealer practices.