While one generally associates "Everex" with "
bargain basement," we can't exactly see the incredible value in the gPC mini. Hinted at
late last month, this minuscule desktop is now getting all official on us and comes loaded with a 1.83GHz T2130 processor, 120GB hard drive, 512MB DDR2 RAM, a DVD writer and Intel's GMA950 graphics set. Furthermore, it's packin' gigabit Ethernet, DVI / S-Video outs, FireWire, four USB 2.0 ports, a 4-in-1 multicard reader and audio / in out. Granted, you'll have to deal with the
gOS that comes loaded in, but hey, maybe that's not such a thorn in some folks' sides, anyway. Don't worry, you've got until March 1st to mull it over, after which you can (
hopefully) place your order at NewEgg.
posted Feb 26th 2008 5:43PM
look, Ma! My time machine worked! It's 2005 again!
IT IS TEH MAC MINI RIP OFF!!!!!1111ONEONE
LOL 2005 ftw!
It's sad when it such an obvious copy of another product.
Yeah, the shuttle PC....
Everex took advantage of ignorant PC shoppers in Walmart using it's oversized case and low price.
Now they have a tiny case and a high price.
Who are they reaching out to with this one?
People who want a Mac Mini form factor, but want to save hundreds of dollars. Remember, the base Mini doesn't come with a DVD burner.
You've also got to remember that, as much as OSX is a fine OS, 95% of people run Windows (or Linux). If what you want/need is a Windows/Linux machine, why spend bother spending an extra $100 for an OS that you won't use?
Sure, you can use Boot Camp on a Mini, but why go through that additional hassle?
B*tches shopping at Wal-Mart with a $1000 Chanel bag in one hand and their baby-daddy's child support check in the other, that's who.
i just bought a $200 everex pc for myself this week. show me another pc that gets you comparable power consumption, specs, and expandability for a better price. it makes a cheaper NAS than anything else i could find.
john is a baby daddy. lol.
Why would I get that when a Mac mini costs about the same, does more, and has OS X on it?
If a Mac mini is $499 then this p.o.s. should be $199
Where did I put my "Apple-FanBoy-Be-Gone" spray?
Khris, I confiscated it for use only when actually appropriate or deserved.
Uhhh...a Mac Mini isn't $499. They start at $599. And, sure, they're specced better than this unit, but they're not exactly the end-all be-all sff machine. This is a value unit with a small footprint. If you're trying to cram a small machine into a small space for less-than-savvy users, I bet you'd be pleasantly surprised with the gPC. If every piece of technology you own must have a brushed silver finish and a white apple logo, stick with the mini. Most people, however, do not trade their common sense for aesthetics and will go for what works instead of blindly following a brand in whatever direction it takes. (Apple TV anyone? It doesn't even have a TV tuner, you have to buy your shows from Apple to make that $200+ paperweight do anything good.)
The $599 Mac Mini doesn't have a DVD writer or a card reader, and only had an 80GB HDD. Not sure how the processor compares, but the only things really missing here are WiFi, Bluetooth, more RAM and OSX. I've never used gOS, but Ubuntu's working pretty well for me after some initial headaches. Let's call it a wash.
Because you need to spend over $800 for a similar apple mini. They don't give you a $30 DVD burner with you $600 machine.
I bet it comes with a keyboard and mouse too.
Just noticed it has a memory card reader and a front usb too.
Unlike the mac(all macs as far as I can tell) you don't need to hang/carry 30 dongles with you to make it useful. I love watching mac people with their piles of USB dongles, monitor dongles, external CD drive(air), ipod with 20 attachments, and the iphone with tons of hacked software so they can make their "superior" product actually useful.
Ha, take that fanboy's, you have no reply. Go back to your dongles!
Chris - I use a Mac and I don't have any dongles. My iPhone isn't hacked either and it's plenty useful. Looks like your entire rant is wrong. Try again? Also, you should probably look in the mirror before calling anybody else a fanboy. I mean do you even read what you write?
Whatever, Chris, chicks LOVE my dongles.
Interesting product if....
1. It ran windows (or some more interesting OS, even Ubuntu would do)
2. It had something other than a Pentium dual core processor
3. It didn't look so iffy (since when were wikipedia and youtube "integrated software" the last time i checked, my 5 year old palm can go on wikipedia)
Interesting, that's the only comment I'm going to give, because i know that if i said it had shortcomings, people would beat me up, take my lunch money, and label me as a fanboi.
finally, Chris, please shut up
I just bought the low-end mac mini out of necessity (serving up video to a 1080P HD monitor in an art show), and it really it quite an impressive computer. It's so small I was able ti hide the computer and the power supply in the port section of the HD monitor itself. The whole thing. Just slid right in there and put a few screws below it so it doesn't fall down, and a security cable so that it doesn't get jacked. Silent, and runs the 1080p display without and lags or issues, and when no one's looking I can get on the wifi, power up my VX nano wireless mouse and have killer "internet time" from the couch in the gallery :). Anyways, I'm very impressed with the mac mini for it's size and price, it seems to be a very capable and well designed small computer with excellent build quality. I think I'll put it in my car after the show is over. For $100 more than the everex you lose the DVD burner but gain wifi/bluetooth, a better processor (1.83ghz core2duo), more RAM (1GB), firewire, and OSX. No brainer IMO, one of the least remorseful $600 purchases I've ever made (the others all seem to involve copious amounts of alcohol, unfamiliar women, and foreign countries, sometimes followed by short jail sentences - but that's another story).
@ZeroCorpse
Do you own a mini Mac? NO? Then shut the hell up.
Overall it's a cheap PC in a small form factor. That's fine! Totally fine!
But ... good opportunity:
Products can not only be compared by bare specs at all.
This thing is only a good deal for people that are easyily marketed to by spec lists.
But this, a spec list, is not all a computer, or anything else, is about.
For example:
With the Mini, you get an OSX license, best OS from user interface wise (don't start bashing ... it's been proven with usability tests, over and over again), you get the iLife bundle, which is great, too. You get a much better design with high quality materials., Front Row, Remote Control ... etc. And then you have the ability to run every OS ... the gPC can't run OSX ... legaly or well.
So, if you don't care about build quality, design, service(genius bar, f.e.), OS, warranty, included software ... here's the deal for you.
Everytime a cheap copy of an Apple design comes along, Apple bashers come along and shout how Apple is too expensive and how it can be down cheaper, only Apple is ripping of and so on: This is simply stupid ... as always.
I'm getting tired of this.
You know what they say: Cheap is often expensive.
Overall it's a cheap PC in a small form factor. That's fine! Totally fine!
But ... good opportunity:
Products can not only be compared by bare specs at all.
This thing is only a good deal for people that are easyily marketed to by spec lists.
But this, a spec list, is not all a computer, or anything else, is about.
For example:
With the Mini, you get an OSX license, best OS from user interface wise (don't start bashing ... it's been proven with usability tests, over and over again), you get the iLife bundle, which is great, too. You get a much better design with high quality materials., Front Row, Remote Control ... etc. And then you have the ability to run every OS ... the gPC can't run OSX ... legaly or well.
So, if you don't care about build quality, design, service(genius bar, f.e.), OS, warranty, included software ... here's the deal for you.
Everytime a cheap copy of an Apple design comes along, Apple bashers come along and shout how Apple is too expensive and how it can be down cheaper, only Apple is ripping of and so on: This is simply stupid ... as always.
I'm getting tired of this.
You know what they say: Cheap is often expensive.
I hate Apple products - i think they are way overpriced and that Apple owners are trendy morons.
However, given the choice between this and the Apple Mini - I would go for the mini.
WTF Everex?
You think Apple products are way overpriced because you haven't done any serious pricing comparisons obviously, and you like to make generalizations about all Mac users. Why is your opinion important again?
Yeah, obviously any decent photo, audio or video pro are all morons & just wanna be trendy for owning a Mac.
Maybe instead of bashing something you're obviously totally ignorant about, you could, oh I dunno, try it out first?? Just a thought.
$100 more and you get a MacMini...
Yeah, but it's still a Mac...
OS X is 100x better than that crap WINDOZE will ever be! :D
Ok you two have just earned a spray of fanboy-be-gone.
man has engadget today been flushed down the toilet into the wastewater treatment plant and eaten by bacteria until it becomes dewatered sludge cakes for landfilling
phanbouy I hope you have plenty of that stuff, engadget is a breeding ground for apple fanboys...
@cal: my flavor of Off! Deep Fanboy Edition with 98% DEET is an equal-opportunity fanboy repellant
Cal - in case you hadn't noticed, it's also a breeding ground for anti-Apple fanboys. Have you not seen the sheer amount of irrational hate here for Apple, anything related to Apple, anybody who mentions Apple, anything with the word Apple in it, etc.? And yes, it's almost always an idiot Windows fanboy who takes the first shot at Apple in articles that have nothing to do with Apple products.
It's funny how anyone who has an opinion gets instantly marked as a fanboi.
Can't we just all be friends?
@phanbouy: Are you sure its not 98% LEET?
512MB??? What the hell, did they find those in Samsungs' bin for outdated products. Are we supposed to be running Win Millennium on that thing or what? Install Vista, run iTunes, open up Firefox and that lil' bitch will start choking.
It doesn't run windows so it doesn't need ton's of ram. You could add 2GB for like $40 anyway.
chris, i'm noticing a pattern of chronic factual wrongness in ya lass
No, this time Chris is right..
You CAN get 2GB RAM for about $40 and Linux DOES run nicely on 512MB (it even runs nicely on 256MB if you use Xfce)
PS. Sorry if it's a double-post, the one I made before doesn't appear anywhere, not even my profile :-P
2gb of RAM is $40??????
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145527
42 bones, plus shipping.
well got damn i've been living under a rock for a year i guess
@phanbouy
Yeah, it surprised me too the last time I priced it out. But, then again, I still have nightmares about upgrading my previous computer I bought in 2002. RAMBUS ram...its still freaking expensive.
Just so you guys know, the mini PCs like this and the mac mini don't use full sized PC4200 sticks, they use the smaller laptop style chips, probably PC5300, and they may have only one slot and it may even be soldered to the mobo, so find out before claiming you can just snap 2GB in like it's nothing.
thanks max, that's true, the mini uses the same modules as the MBP which is at least 2x the price of desktop stuff (i'm sure.. haven't checked recently!). i've upgraded it for someone; a pain to get the case open, but easy thereafter.
I wish Apple would hurry up and update the Mac mini. I know so many people that are waiting to buy one. It's funny how Apple treats it like a bastard stepchild when it's seemingly so popular. I guess Steve Jobs doesn't like hawking a computer under $1000 that could be more popular than the iMac with a couple of new features. Seems kind snobby that he won't even mention it anymore. I guess if it doesn't cost close to $2000 he doesn't talk about it.
i was sad when then didn't update it yesterday. maybe soon, please?
Don't think this one iss gonna fly off the shelves like their $200 browser PC.
I'm a Linux/ThinkPad fanboi, and I'd still buy the Mac Mini before I bought this thing. Of course, I'd build a bargain-basement microATX box before I'd do either, but if you want small and stylish, you go with Apple.
It feels like it should be priced less than $499 even. The thing is a Linux box, guys. There's no $100 built in Windows license.
actually having any number of small customs cases are the biggest cost.
http://www.everex.com/products/gpc_mini/everex_gpc_mini_picture2c.jpg
I want to know what the A/V IN connector is for :]
It's a freakin copy of the Mac mini, just without the coolness
Sounds good, the only problem is the Graphics card. That one is a problem one. It doesn't quite do graphics right so you cannot run a lot of games not because it cannot handle them, but because it's missing something like shaders.
You're barking up the wrong linux tree if you're a gamer, man.
All i'm saying is the graphics card is not perfect and the next version up contains it and right now is the same price
I'm a linux gamer. You're misinformed.
The GMA 3100 and x3100 series are the next version above the 950 series and has the missing component. It's the new standard for most laptops now and days.
Maybe I'm missing this, how am I misinformed?
CarPC, FTW!
ok, not all mac users are trendy morons. Some of us use it in our everyday work. I admit it, I like that its kinda sexy, but that was not the reason for buying both a macbook pro and a mac pro desktop. Were they way overpriced hell yes, but they fit my needs. Sure mac makes a lot of cute over priced toys, but you wont find any of them in my house, no apple TV, no iPhone. They are sexy and flashy, but if thats all Im after I will just go buy something sexy for my girlfriend, I will get more for my money then apples toys!
You must be ^this^ tall to post on engadget.
Macs are not overpriced at all. Not when you consider that alternative. Sorry, windows is awful. I have to use XP pro at work every day and it's the only thing that sucks about my job. We wish that we could use macs for everything but some lame ancient database software we are using is only available for XP so we're stuck until we find an alternative. Shit just doesn't work on windows. For example, adobe illustrator is completely different under windows than OS X. On OSX it works well and is a useful tool, under XP it's a piece of crap and doesn't feel nearly the same. A computer is an INVESTMENT. And one of the cheaper ones at that. Do you spend more time on your computer or in your car? And how much did you drop on THAT? I'll happily part with $2500 for a computer that will WORK WELL for me for three years and help me do the things I need to do (like illustrator), at which point I'll sell it for about half of what it cost me (macs have much better resale value than others), and buy a new one. So in effect the total life cycle cost for a beautiful machine I use every single day for many hours and that I rely on for my livelihood costs $1200 every three years. TV service costs three times as much. So, although macs are many things, some good and some not, they are NOT overpriced.
To all the apple haters, this g-pee-c wouldn't even exist if the Mac Mini wasn't around. At least not in this form factor. It'd probably be in one of those gianormous, beige monster boxes. You see, if Apple didn't/doesn't make it, "they" would have nothing to copy. The PC makers are nothing but a bunch of sheep with baaaad ideas. Can anyone name a revolutionary product, okay that may be a bit too ambitious. Name something even remotely innovative they've come up with (by themselves), with in the past 10 years. I'm waiting.
The scroll wheel (on the mouse).
Last time I checked Mac and PCs were almost identical minus the RAM and OS. All Apple has done is make shiny cases and pretty designs, oh and make everything they can proprietary.
All Apple has come up with that is revolutionary is the way they market themselves.
Never mind the scroll wheel, what about the right mouse button?
While I agree that it's a tad overpriced, and I think it needs 1GB or RAM and WiFi would be nice, I do like this little box. More importantly, I'm happy to see another machine with the micro form factor hit the market, because the more there are, the cheaper they will get. I can see myself getting one when they're down around $300.
If it had enough memory to run Windows Vista or XP MCE I'd be slightly interested. Presumably somebody will have to buy one and try to install Windows to see if there are any issues. Course I'd need a wireless keyboard and mouse, so having one come with it wouldn't benefit me much. And I'd end up buying one of those cool Windows Vista Sidecar remotes from Logitech. And a copy of Windows. And more RAM. Now its $800.
I wish it came with at least 1GB of RAM. I wish they said whether it would run Vista (forget Aero, no biggie). I wish it had an HDMI port rather than DVI and separate audio (yes I know there are adapters).
And of course we'll need to find out how much noise it makes... and how it performs under Vista Media Center load...
Just get a mac mini. I just set one up to power a 1080P display for an art installation last week and it's working like a charm. Completely silent and has 1GB RAM (hasn't yet sending 1080p content). Install vista media on it and away you go. I use a cheap DVI-HDMI cable, and then it also has optical audio so you get it digital straight into the reciever. I was even able to hide the entire computer including power supply inside the flat panel itself, near the port bays (it's wall mounted on a flush-mount). And oh yeah it has wifi and bluetooth. I browse on it using a logitech mx revolution wireless set from across the room and it works great. Pleasantly surprised; it's a very well built, well designed, silent, small, yet powerful and capable computer.
I'd duct tape this to my Mac Mini and octuple boot!
Everex, The poor walmart brand mans mac.
I have to say, this argument between mac mini and this gpc is a lot similar to the endless hours of fighting that my neighbor and i have every single day. My neighbor is a mac fanboy to the extreme and i am a simple geek. I know that Apple is completely overpriced, and his rebuttal is that he can sleep soundly at night knowing that his products have the apple seal of approval and they look pretty.
I'd go with Mini, and I say this as someone who has always had a PC (though I have used Macs at work):
There's no question that OSX is better than Vista or even my beloved XP.
I'm assuming it's possible to use boot camp, though the drive size is small (160 GB).
The position of the ports is hardly a major issue, considering the size of the unit.
What processor is in the Everex? I'll assume for now that use of gOS is an admission that maybe the processor isn't all that robust.
I can get a DVD burner with the 2 GHz model (for $799).
After MANY years on PC's, I want something I don't have to hack to look good, that is reliable out of the box, and fun to use. Dealing with yet another OS or installing Windows is not my idea of fun.
Is there anything strange keeping someone from installing another OS on this? This sounds like a perfect box for a mythtv setup. I'm guessing it's going to be quiet, it's plenty small, and it seems to have enough going for it with the AV connectors. I might be watching this one to see when the price comes down (and given everyone's responses here, I'm guessing that will be coming in the semi-near future). I'm not keen on getting gOS packaged with this, but am I really the only one seeing some promise here?
I'll give it a month before someone has OSx86 on it.
Also this needs to be about $150 - $200 less for me to consider purchasing it.
For those who care, the processor in the Everex Mini is a CoreDuo processor, the Mac Mini is a Core2Duo processor. The Mac Mini does use PC5300 notebook RAM.
I just upgraded the processor in my Mac Mini from CoreDuo to Core2Duo and it was a significant performance increase.
Oh, and other features the Mac Mini has over this are built in WiFi, Bluetooth, Optical Audio In and Out, Remote, and FWIW, iLife.
This thing (Everex) is almost twice what it should cost.
I'd like to know what sort of power consumption this is in real use... if the DVD drive could be physically turned off to save power, this would make a neat machine to put in a colocation suite to be nice and cheap - you could probably get four or six of these on a 1U shelf!
At no time in the last 20 years have I once been able to figure out this irrational hatred for the Macintosh.
What the heck gives?
Regardless of the person nor the decade, all of the noise gets boiled down to two argument:
A: They're proprietary, and/or
B: They're overpriced.
The first is plainly true, however... who cares? First of all, the majority of people don't give a rat's behind about whether a manufacturer makes their hardware/software proprietary... they just want a machine that works. Frankly, I wish Microsoft made their own hardware to compliment their software... it would make the entire Windows experience much less painful. Instead, we get software that must be watered-down in order to make it run on a bazillion different hardware configurations... then we get countless manufacturers loading a bunch of useless software on the machines that will only work for a short amount of time and ultimately do nothing more than take up space and slow the computer down.
But the main reason why "proprietary" is not such a bad word is because your average, normal Mr. & Mrs. Schmoe DON'T build their own computers. I've never been able to figure out the attraction to such a proposition... when I buy a new car, I don't want to order all the pieces and then put it all together! I just want to buy it, turn the key, and have it work!
The second argument is no longer relevant. Just because a manufacturer chooses to not compete at every price-point doesn't mean that they are overpriced. If one were to take their bias-blinders off for just a second, he would see that Apple's hardware comes out comparable to any other major manufacturer. What I find even more fascinating is the fact that people who come on to sites such at this like to make such arguments... how many people on here actually buy the bargain-basement, $299 PCs on the market???
I'd venture to say that those who fancy themselves enough of an "enthusiast" to spend even a minuscule amount of their time on an enthusiast-geared website, rarely go for bargain-basement machines!
None of you should care what kind of computer anyone else uses. If it works for you, that's all that matters.
On the same token... Mac users NEED to stop being so damned smug because they use Macs. Macs aren't perfect and they have their own set of problems... BUT, they're not either of the ones that I've already talked about. Just use your machines, be happy with them, and stop telling Windows users they need to switch. Obnoxious Mac users are just as bad as ignorant Windows users.
I use a Mac because it does everything I need a computer to do - just as it's been for the past 20 years...
How does that make me a fanboy?
The only people who can be called "fanboys," regardless of which camp they fall in, are those who find it necessary to hide behind the anonymity of the internet and insult those who don't use the same thing they do.
The fact remains that the gap between the two are so miniscule these days that it's absolutely ridiculous. There's pretty much no task that one can do that the other can't... so what's the big friggin' deal?
Honestly... some of you Mac/Windows/Linux users need to get out more... get a hobby... get a girl/boyfriend... start drinking... something!
best. comment. ever.
Has anyone here used both Mac and gOS extensively.
Do Mac and gOS have the same goals?
Mac mini rip off, just about as much as any pc or laptop.
Its just a barebones.
Anyway I dual boot Mac and gOS on my Mac Mini.
Problem Solved
to tmm, who said he gets tired of people saying apple charges too much when they know things can be sold cheaper. it is true, remember the iphone? it was 200 more than it needed to be.
much like the crappy macbook air now, we are all waiting for the price drop. you see maybe one percent of mac users will pay 1800 for a stripped down skinny mac, but a lot more of brainwashed macheads will pay 1400.
What is it with gOS bashers!!!
It is a totally sick OS. I say sick for a reason, I am 19.
Why should I spend $1000's on a over bloated windows pc or any other crap thing like that, E.G. Dell selling PC's with Ubuntu? Come on, its a hideous ugly and terribly slow to load OS. With little compatibility aside from wine which they didnt actually make.
Sure gOS is based on Ubuntu but it looks a heck nicer and loads practically instantly. It installs Linux apps like a charm (it's almost as easy as a windows machine.)
Using a MyMiniPC myself I am totally satisfied with the OS. gOS Space is a wicked OS. It does everything a under 33year old would want. Stuff that is fun and easy to use.
MySpace is the new way to communicate and people need to accept that. Yes FaceBook is good to, but guess what? gOS does that as well!
Duhhhhhh.....
Making a cheap and easy to use PC with a useable and (Mac Like Interface.) cheap PC was a great idea. Lets not say I'm a Apple basher coz I'm not. Really people shouldnt be comparing this to the Mac Mini but to Apple TV. This is essentially everything that Apple TV is but more. You can watch TV episodes online for FREE. But it does a billion more things than that which makes it more of a Computer media center.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE ACTUALLY USED gOS - Space?
HOW MANY OF YOU ACTUALLY OWN A MyMiniPC?
HOW MANY OF YOU ARE HUMAN?
BTW: If people are basing their opinions on a use of previous gOS rocket, Fair enough. It was a sluggishly slow and sad OS, but it was nice and still did everything x1000. The only thing that sucked was the Boot Screen.