Ripple rolls out Atom-based Mini Chocolate desktop

Atom-based desktops still aren't nearly as plentiful as Atom-based netbooks, but that equation looks to be slowly changing, with Korea's Ripple only the latest to join the fray with its new "Mini Chocolate" desktop. This one packs the usual 1.6GHz Atom processor into its Mini-ITX form factor, along with support for up to 2GB of RAM, four USB ports, two SATA sockets, and a single IDE socket, plus room for a slot-loading optical drive, which you'll have to supply yourself (along with most of the other components). As you can see above, you can also get it in your choice of three colors, with each setting you back 209,000 Korean won, or just about $200.

[Shadowise @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:58PM]

Looks nice. I wonder who will make the first apple comparison... or maybe it was me...

[d0od @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:05PM]

kudos for not yelling"FIRST" out.

meh regardless of it's mac mini looks, it's a solid design, with solid possibilities!

[TRAFFICBLOWS @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:10PM]

FAIL

[aron @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:21PM]

Ripple Mini = Apple Mini?

They even ripped off their company name.

Damn Koreans.... I jest!

Aren't there a ton of mini-ATX, mac-mini style cases out there? Plus, they frequently sell an atom+ motherboard deal in Canada for 'bout $50. Sounds cheaper than this.

[Shadowise @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:25PM]

I have no problem with people taking design pointers from apple, because they make nice products... I just get bored of people always making a big deal about it, or acting like apple invented everything.

That was the point of my earlier comment...

[Seth Porter @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:27PM]

i'm just surprised that engadget didn't take the stab at the mac mini similarities. they are ussually all over that.

[Don @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:53PM]

Looks @ the top of the page: not one of the usual writers...

New guy (intern probably... just got fired)

[Brad @ Jul 23rd 2008 5:03PM]

Actually, the Mac Mini was an almost direct rip-off of the Nanode, which was first pictured almost two years prior to the MacMini's release.

http://www.tweakers.net/ext/i.dsp/1080035912.jpg

Its retail release was heavily delayed by delays in the EPIA Nano-ITX motherboard it used. But it was announced, pictured, and publicly displayed LONG before the world knew about the MacMini.

So...there's that.

[d @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:17PM]

Don, Donald Melanson has been on the En team for a while. Click on his name to see what articles he's written.

[phoenixpr @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:24PM]

You freaks need to get laid, and stop worrying about mac mini rip off...

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:25PM]

I don't mean to swear..... but Jesus W. Christ....anybody know how much a slot loading DVD drive costs ?

Really ?

I can't seem to get hold of one for under $90.

The Intel Atom board costs at Retail $60.

This is a fantastic price.

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:30PM]

This looks nothing like a Mac Mini. This looks like a case designed for an Intel D945GCLF mobo.

The Mac mini has the power button on the back.

Intel Board = $60
Slot loading drive = $90
Power Supply = $50
Ram = $25 (1GB)
Case = ????
Software ??? = ????

Fabulous !!

[phoomp @ Jul 24th 2008 1:00AM]

Square? Check. Must be an Apple knock-off.

I do like, however, that from certain angles in those product shots, ripple looks alot like apple

[Tallest Skil @ Jul 23rd 2008 7:38PM]

More like Rip-off of the Mac Mini.

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 24th 2008 9:44AM]

i don't see any similiaries to the mac mini.

1. the power button on the mini is on the back
2. the mac mini does not have lock nut holes on the top.
3. the case looks taller
4. the case looks narrower
5. this probably does not have dvi, just vga.

My mac mini had nothing but problems, for which I got no satisfaction. I personally changed our corporate policy away from Apple. Apple lost out on around $450,000 over 3 years in revenue from not paying attention to its mac mini customer. (over the next 7 years, if we had been happy, this figure could have grown 10 fold).

The design of this looks like it reflects the design of the Intel D945GCLF board on which it is based. And its height takes account of the Northbridge fan.

[Zeth Ethereal @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:08PM]

i want one!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh lol

[Andrew Kim @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:55PM]

sucks for some reason i can never find any of the stuff engadget puts up on ebay... or even on the net at all...

probably just came out in korea and hasn't leaked to an international market yet.

phhoooey.

[grull27 @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:09PM]

Mac Mini anyone?

[JohnnyRico @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:12PM]

Except at 1/3 the price. (Base model mac mini.) Which is almost a deal setter for me. The deal would have been set if I knew what kind of graphical power level it will show. Will it be super power? super super power? Or ultra powah! ??? Only time will tell, I suppose.

[john @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:19PM]

Not a fair comparison, given that:

* You have to buy most of the additional components like RAM, optical drive etc.
* You have to assemble it yourself once you've gotten those components
* Good luck getting support when it goes south.

...yeah.

[Pochi @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:56PM]

"Good luck getting support when it goes south."

Oh shit NO GENIUS BAR?!

WHAT WILL WE DO WITHOUT THOSE GENIUSES?!

[john @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:29PM]

@pochi:

No, genius, I'm talking about part replacement, decent warranty service etc. Unless you _prefer_ waiting 3 hours on hold to talk to someone in India, then UPSing a box to China to wait a month to get back equipment that probably isn't fixed. Boy that $200 is a real bargain.

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 24th 2008 9:37AM]

@john,

good luck in the genius bar. I spent including travel time, around 19 hours in the Genius bar with my Mac mini.

[crsh @ Jul 24th 2008 7:24AM]

Nice, I was just looking for a mini-PCs this afternoon; any idea whether this will be available in North-America yet?

[Andrew Kim @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:58PM]

one word
lawsuit.

so...

no. i doubt it.

find a korean friend that goes to korea frequently... or even if they have some relatives in korea to send you one. lol

[Snowman @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:10PM]

A great design tarnished by the big ass company logo.

[natels @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:19PM]

If it's one thing they should've taken from Apple is the minimalist approach.. The black one is the only one I would buy becuase the logo is also black. The red is atrocious.

[LondonConsultant @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:11PM]

No wonder Asus has to release more Eee's based on Pentium M's - the Atoms are currently being wasted on desktops...

[Zeth Ethereal @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:13PM]

I want one for my living room....it'll go great with my DiNovo Mini ^_^

[Phreak @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:22PM]

Before reading the post I thought it was a single pc and the components were rotatable. I think that would be cool. I don't know how they're gonna make the components communicate though...

[CaptSaltyJack @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:26PM]

If I can install Ubuntu on this, then +1 for Ripple. Anyone know?

[l0k1 @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:35PM]

i don't see why you couldn't install ubuntu on it. it should work well.

[Jason @ Jul 24th 2008 1:23PM]

Optical drive? Check. But wouldn't you rather have Linux than Ubuntu?

[bjay @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:30PM]

It looks quite nice...... But really, is that how big the company logo is going to be on the shipping device

[joel @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:53PM]

I believe the company logo doubles as the air intake. It looks more like a hole than a sticker. That might explain why it is a bit large.

[jupiterthunder @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:14PM]

@joel

I think you're right. At least on the black one. And if it's that way for one, I expect it's that way for all.

http://image1.aving.net/2008/07/23/20080723100332700.jpg

[Tina Darby @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:37PM]

These are rather... cute. I want one in red!

[Mark @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:37PM]

Would be nice to have a power sipping bittorrent/media server although I might wait for some other company to come up with a better case. Like 1 with no cd rom slot so they can make it more compact and less noisy. Stick in a 4-8gig SSD and have a nas hard drive somewhere in the house and this thing would really rock.

[joseph le brech @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:43PM]

That would make a hot little torrent box.

[Andrew Kim @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:50PM]

make it a hundred flat and i'm sold!

freeking koreans. lol

[Yevon @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:52PM]

Oh, wow. I thought that 'R' in Ripple was an 'N'.

Now, THAT would be an interesting desktop.

[matt @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:52PM]

Looks quite big to me, if that slot is the CD rom drive.

[w00t @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:52PM]

Interesting, but after you add the cost of all the other components you might as well get the Mac Mini with a much more potent Core Duo inside...

[Zeth Ethereal @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:59PM]

the logo is deff cut in to the metal

[Rockville @ Jul 23rd 2008 5:08PM]

This could make a nice Windows Home Server tied to a Drobo!!!!

[champ22 @ Jul 23rd 2008 5:08PM]

not bad

[derspiess42 @ Jul 23rd 2008 5:13PM]

Ripple? I can't say the name without laughing. I keep thinking of the 'fine' wine by the same name.

[Joshua @ Jul 23rd 2008 5:14PM]

I built an Atom box with a DVD burner, 2gb ram, 80gb hard drive (had that lying around) and a mini itx case for $180 all from stuff at Newegg and that was with shipping. Definitely not a good deal. Plus my box doesn't have a massive logo on it.

I'm really liking the Atom for basic gaming and office apps. It's really a lot snappier than the reviews say.

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 24th 2008 7:34AM]

@Joshua,

1. You forgot that this machine is most likely coming over here.
2. This is available in Korea to Koreans - Forget N.Americans for the moment (or the rest fo the world - Engadget is international)
3. The components are the same price in Korea - or more expensive.
4. You forgot
a) the software that is installed on this (even if it is free)
b) the warranty
c) the power supply
d) the profit
e) the cost of the case
f) the profit - do you think that they will do this for free ?


I too have an Atom board. I agree with you, the performance is really great.

[Mika Kitty @ Jul 23rd 2008 5:20PM]

wOw....... awesome.... i've notice when things are ultra cool they dont come in blue..... bOOOness to that