We love us a tiny computer, and the
Nova P22 from
Asus certainly delivers the goods. The first time we spotted this computer it was a playful Japan-bound orange and white box, but it looks all growed up in this black version for the States. Unfortunately, the price is pretty well growed up as well, at $899. That money buys you a machine with a mere 1GB of RAM, 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo processor, and 256MB (shared) Intel GMA 3000 integrated graphics, while that cash put toward a full size desktop could easily double your money's worth. The computer should provide a decent PC competitor for the
Mac mini and other teensy computers, and 802.11n is a nice touch, but it looks like Asus is going try a bit harder if it really wants to stand out in this space.
posted Feb 20th 2008 8:40AM
No optical spdif out? You can't even use it as a media center.
I'm not usually an Apple fan but why fork out for one of these when a better spec'd mac mini is so much cheaper ?
I know why. *Tunes his guitar.*
I met him in a fjord down in old Finland,
where he programs tech and I don't think they have any wom-en.
W-o-m-e-n Women.
He walked up to me and he asked me my stance,
On open source software so I gave it a chance,
It's pronounced Linux. L-i-n-u Linux.
Well I'm not the web's most zittiest nerd,
But when "kernel's booting" I almost lost my nerve,
On my Linux. Li-li-li-Linux.
And I'm not dumb but I can't understand,
What folks mean when they yell and tell me to "man,"
Oh on #Linux. IRC and Li-nux.
I bought my Asus just a week before!
and I've never-ever compiled a kernel before,
But when I saw that Mac up on stage with Steve,
I said, "Fuck this shit, I will do it for free!"
@MEAT!
I must have missed something. Are you suggesting buying a computer for $899 and installing Linux on it rather than saving $300 on a Mac Mini? Surely its a better idea to buy the Mini and install Linux on that. Still, nice song...
My Mac mini runs linux and freevo just fine. And it has optical out.
@Kelmon and others
Yes, my logic is a bit flawed. Or very flawed, as I know a Mac Mini can run Linux or UNIX. And it's cheaper than this ASUS thing. Perhaps I should've instead sang about running Linux on a shoebox computer that costs $50, and with no money wasted on Windows or OSX.
@MEAT
So in other words your song has no bearing on the article and you were instead giving us the usual linux fan party political broadcast.
You are totally missing the point, if a mac mini is cheaper than the asus then Mac OSX is INCLUDED IN THE PRICE ! so where is all the extra outlay exactly ?
But then most linux fans don't count the time it takes to reload the mac with linux as cost, but those of us that live in the real world do.
I use ubuntu on my laptop with xp, its ok but I prefer MAC OS to linux and don't need a condescending song to make my mind up thank you.
*
I'm sorry, at exactly 150% of the price (899/599), how is this a competitor to the Mac Mini? The Mini has the exact specification? If this was about the Apple equivalent of an Asus computer that was 150% of the price, you would be saying that it was a waste of Apple's time. Am I missing something here?
Definately looks nice. I'd want to buy this to permanently connect to the tv and play movies/tv shows/games on my tv, BUT I need ATLEAST 2.0 GHz and a good ass graphics card in it, so its a no from me. I still haven't found what I want!
This got me thinking...Whats the point of Core 2 Duo? My desktop (which has a 3.0 GHz P4) IS quicker than this computer I am on (which has 2.0 GHz Core Duo. Software seems to run more smoothly and faster on my P4 than the Core Duo. Apart from the 'two processors' in one cell (for which no software uses the 2nd processor), WHATS so special about Core 2 Duo?
A Core2 Duo @ 1.86GHz out performs a P4 @ 3GHz. The Pentium architecture is way older and less efficient. Also, a lot of games do utilize multiple cpus. Call of Duty 2 (v1.4) for example. But I'll agree with you it needs better graphics.
I feel you may be missing something here.... i have a 3ghz p4 and a c2d based pentium dual core 2140.
The 2140 blows the p4 out of the water, you need some configeration advice.
I honestly can't speak for the Windows side of things but any multi-threaded application for OS X makes use of as many processor cores as it needs to run its threads simultaneously. Regardless, unless you only run a single application at a time then having multiple processors/cores makes sense and will be used. One thing is certain is that my current C2D MacBook Pro (2.33GHz) absolutely destroys my old P4 desktop system (a GeForce4 was a good graphics card at the time...). As far as I'm concerned, C2D delivered great performance, gives me 2 processors, and works really well in a laptop (good battery life and low heat).
couldn't you upgrade it? or is this mini stuff built with special components?
I guess it is time for Engadget to hore more "growed up" writers.
well i apologize for living in an atx world.
I guess it's time people started spelling correctly, giuliop ;)
ok, after re-reading my original comment i see how stupid it could look! lol.
by special components i mean components you couldn't buy in a shop.
It probably depends on the construction of the device. It will no doubt use standard components but they may be damned difficult to get at without dismantling the complete thing and could also be soldered directly onto the circuit boards. Without cracking one open we won't know but I'd be sure it'll be harder to upgrade than a standard desktop.
Actually you can drop in a faster processor, a bigger faster 7200rpm drive and a 2gb stick of DDR2, possibly even a blu-ray too.
Why you'd want to is anyone's guess, but you can.
carpc baby!
Looks to me like this is a great excuse to buy a Mac Mini. The Mini is smaller AND cheaper with pretty much the same specs....
A Macmini will do all that this thing does, at a much better price. Plus the Mac can run the following OS's -Windows - Linux - and best of all OSX Leopard. Anyone would be a fool to buy it. Just get a Mac - NO viruses or all that other Windows bog-down stuff.
"Just get a Mac - NO viruses or all that other Windows bog-down stuff"
That's not actually true. I'd almost always advocate a Mac these days unless you are a (*cough*) hardcore gamer but I won't suggest that they are impervious to malware. That stuff does exist for the Mac and its not helped by Apple leaving QuickTime full of holes these days (or so it seems). You are much safer on a Mac at present but you are not immune and therefore should always practice safe computing (choice of using a rubber is up to you...).
@Kelmon. Perhaps you could describe or document the last virus in the wild that affected Macs using Leopard. Have you ever had a mac virus? No herpes here! RON..
@RON
The last one was called OSX.RSPlug.A. It wasn't a virus because it didn't spread itself but rather was a trojan masquerading as a QuickTime codec to mess about with your DNS server settings so that requests to view sites like eBay would send you to a phishing version instead. It's not even a minor problem since you have to actually to install the software but the important point about this is that threats DO exist for the Mac and they CAN be exploited if someone chooses to. Yes, the problem is much less (practically zero) compared to Windows but you cannot ignore it.
Look, as you can see from my other posts I am a Mac user so I'm not trolling - I'm just not a complete security muppet and take this stuff seriously.
Thanks
Thanks
Why is it everyone complains apple is expensive, yet nobody can match them on price??
Mac Pro is cheaper than quad/octo xeon dells
The top end thin laptops can't match the size/weight/specs of the Air (despite the Air being crap!)
and the smallest machines can't beat the Mac Mini!
Even the macbook, pro and iMacs are only expensive when you compare them to white box chinese tosh!
I'll just add that you can resell a Mac when you want to upgrade and make quite a bit of your money back. It's not often said but Apple products tend to hold their value much more than the competition.
does it play doom, will it blend, does it have hdmi or dvi?
@ w00t
Actually the dell xps1530 can be speced to be better than the macbook pro and is way cheaper (£150) and the xps1330 like wise is far better than a macbook and is a few hundred pounds cheaper. This isn't even including the fact that you can save 20% when you buy a dell by just googling for a dell voucher.
That's true - the Dell XPS1530 is cheaper than a MacBook Pro but the major problem is that it's a Dell. Dell machines tend to be cheaper because, frankly, they're rubbish and then you're also stuck with Windows. Ultimately, if you are going to spend that sort of money on a laptop, you're going to be using it as your primary machine and work on it for many hours per day, who cares about £150? If the price is an issue then a premium laptop isn't really what you should be looking at. I'd certainly advocating spending some time using each of your candidate laptops first before laying down that kinda money.
You obviously haven't used an xps1530 before. Regardless of what laptop you're looking at you can never claim that price isn't an issue. Especially when it's in the region of a £300 saving when you use the vouchers. And most people are used to working with windows based computers so i wouldn't consider being stuck with windows a negative.
@gr8_aaron
That's correct - I haven't but I do have quite a bit of experience with Dell laptops and have used XPS ones (17" one that's build like a brick with silly lights everywhere) so that's where the statement comes from (yes, they were all horrible machines). Price is only a factor if you are buying a budget machine - if you are buying a professional machine then (unless the price differential is huge) you buy it to do the job and that's more important.
Finally, I would certainly disagree that being stuck with Windows is not a negative. Just because you are used to something does not mean that this is a good thing if what you are used to, frankly, isn't very good. A MacBook Pro allows me to run any OS that I want to so I have much more flexibility and access to pretty much any piece of software and you won't get that with an XPS. By all means buy a Windows machine if you need it but don't buy one simply because Windows is all you know - it's not like a Mac is difficult to learn. Buy the best system for the job.
@Kelmon
I've actually got a 13inch macbook in my house with leopard but i prefer using my vista laptop. The whole point of what i was saying is that you can get laptops which are better and cheaper than macs. And i agree the 17in xps is a monster but its nothing like the 1330 and 1530. I think if you try them out you'll be pleasantly suprised.
It looks nice and points to interesting future devices. Underpowered.
Thanks
A few salient points are missing here.
1. Its expensive because its water-cooled to keep it quiet (its targeted for the living room, not the office). Completely empty home theater PC cases that aren't even water-cooled can cost several hundred dollars.
2. Close-ups of the back show connections for front, surround, and center speakers, as well as S/PDIF in and out (and 4 USB ports).
Its certainly not a bargain, but the Engadget overview seems to reflect some confusion on the reasoning behind this design.
Thanks
Thanks
Kelmon, your silence is deafening.
? Did I miss a question somewhere? Sorry, but all I saw was a strange serious of "Thanks" comments so assumed that you were happy.
@Kelmon. Sorry, but all I saw was a strange serious of "Thanks" comments so assumed that you were happy.
There were a series (of two) 'Thanks'. That's 'series', BTW. I am happy and serious that I haven't had a virus or any other malware since turning on my first Mac over 20 years ago.
OK, last comment on the subject. I'm really thrilled that you've not had a problem and neither have I, either with my Macs or even with various Windows boxes before. This isn't the point. The point is that a Mac isn't bullet-proof and it's wrong to imply otherwise. Malware does exist for the Mac and anyone using one should practice safe computing just like everyone else. That security researchers find flaws in the core OS and its frameworks (particularly QuickTime, given its prevalence online) shows that problems exist that could have been exploited - just read the release notes with each Security Update to see what the problems were and who reported them. I don't subscribe to the opinion that the Mac hasn't been attacked because its market share is low and that if it increases the attacks will increase inline, but then I also don't expect them not to occur. What's come so far has basically been pranks, when they've worked, but they could become serious and no one buying a Mac should be under the false impression that they are immune.
Awesome!
I have asus barebone, P5-something, but this is exactly what i need as a desktop computer!
Awesome!
I have asus barebone, P5-something, but this is exactly what i need as a desktop computer!
I could really use an AMD Phenom B3 with 780G variant, thanks,.