SFFTech reviews and pans the AOpen Mini PC

SFFTech got their hands on the Apple AOpen Mini PC and churned out a massive, and ultimately unflattering review of this Mac mini knock-off. While Apple and AOpen target the low end or entry level market with their mini offerings, SFFTech found the Mac mini to be a better choice for beginners or the "less technologically inclined." No surprise there. And, although the Mini PC looks to be ideal for home theater setup with its component, S-Video and composite video outputs for standard and high definition television sets, SFFTech found playback to "stutter and lag" HD videos while offering audio which simply "isn't up to the task." While AOpen's attempt at the mini is actually 1.5-centimeters smaller in length and width than Apple's, you'll still be limited in options for placement due to the "very annoying whine" emitted by the Mini PC's fans which only intensifies when the system is pushed to its limit. In fact, it was so bad during testing that the reviewer had to shut the machine down at times. While SFFTech gives AOpen credit for offering a low end PC in a "cool" form factor, they ultimately can't recommend it for PC enthusiasts or even as a file server due to the noise. Ouch.

[Thanks, Jorge]

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

Well waht do you expect when you combine garbage and more garbage (I mean Microshit software).

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

I find it refreshing, if not amusing when people who dont know what they are talking abou - speak.

LOL

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

As opposed to Crapple software? Now see how biased and stupid you sound?

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

Oh, snapple!

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

Wow, things are getting touchy in here already.

Did anyone actually think this would be a successful product? Everytime some asian component manufacturer tries to butt heads with Apple, they fail. Look at the whole MP3 market. Apparently they really don't understand the whole concept of making SOLID, ATTRACTIVE, & EASY TO USE products.

My prediction is that even though companies and enthusiasts are toying with Media PC's now, it's going to be Apple that busts the market wide open and makes the technology simple, stable, and attractive enough for the average Joe and Jane to use.

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

They should have used an AMD Turion64 for better performance and cooler operation.

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

It should be interesting to see what comes out after the switch to Intel is complete. Aopen and the like should be able to build a PC that is component-identical to a Mac Mini. At that point it'll just be a choice of which OS you want. (Disregarding possible OSX/WinXP dual boot solutions that are unknown right now)

I definitely hope Apple's working on a Media computer. I think what Microsoft has now is nothing to be ashamed of. However, I could definitely see an ipod-esque situation, where Apple releases a simple, intuitive solution that outshines the existing solutions.

[Peter Kirn @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Wow, what enlightened, thoughtful discussion.

Seems to me that the real revelation here is that squeezing a PC into a small case is a big challenge -- so you can't take Apple's mini design for granted. That said, I'd love to find a semi-portable PC mini-tower design that didn't sacrifice performance. I think a mini-sized case is just too much of a squeeze.

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

Peter Kirn: One word... CarPuter ;)

PE: The AOpen MiniPC is not an Intel reference design -- it's a custom system that was designed and manufactured by AOpen at Intel's request.

AOpen can ape Apple's form factor all they want, but it falls flat as far as components go. At the same price point as a Mac Mini, their MiniPC starts with a Celeron processor, an Intel integrated graphics controller (with no upgrade available), poor multimedia performance, Linspire operating system (XP for an additional $100), no bundled applications and a whiny cooling fan.

Apple will likely design their own system boards and discreet components for their Intel-based computers, as they always have in the past for systems based on Motorola and IBM CPUs. Intel-based development system Power Macs used an Intel reference motherboard because Apple had not yet had time to engineer and manufacture their own systems and they wanted hardware in the hands of developers day and date of the "switch" announcement.

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

>>Did anyone actually think this would be a successful product? Everytime some asian component manufacturer tries to butt heads with Apple, they fail. Look at the whole MP3 market. Apparently they really don't understand the whole concept of making SOLID, ATTRACTIVE, & EASY TO USE products.<<

So should they not even try? If no one did, you're favorite Apple products would soar in price due to lack of competition. It may have been a copied idea and it might not have worked, but at least they put another option out there, even if it was terrible.

[Vinyl Vision @ Dec 19th 2005 2:06AM]

Sadly, AOpen stumbles again. So many of their recent Pentium M failures could have been avoided through comprehensive market research early in the product cycle. Noise problems are totally inexcusable in a product such as this! I wonder if AOpen even uses its own products.

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

Tony C:

Everything I have read so far seems to indicate that Aopen Mini PC is indeed based on an Intel reference design. If you have from another source that this isn't the case, it would be great if you could give us the source for your information so we can confirm this. Thanks.