Updated: AOpen MiniPC – Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
by Jarred Walton on March 3, 2006 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Systems
Installation and Setup (cont'd)
The whole package has essentially no wasted space, though we really wouldn't mind a fractionally larger case if that meant a few other extras. A couple more USB ports would be great, and the lack of standard PS/2 mouse and keyboard connections means most people will need a new keyboard at least. Still, you can't fault the design too much, as it does exactly what it's supposed to do.
To give you an idea of the time that it takes to build a system like this, I disassembled the unit, and then checked how long it took me to put it back together. The result? It took about 35 minutes, but that's with everything I needed readily available. If you're fishing for screws, unpacking parts, etc., it would probably be about a two-hour task (counting OS installation time as well as some time spent referencing the manual to make sure it was done properly). You'll also want some small screwdrivers, perhaps with magnetized bits to hold the screws. (You're not supposed to use magnets around computers, but I've been using such screwdrivers for years without any problems, and it's far more convenient than constantly dropping tiny screws into a case or carpet and then trying to find them. However, follow my example at your own risk.)
Getting the case open is the trickiest part, but the small wire connections and the extraction of the plastic drive cage also take some finesse. If you're not really comfortable working with PC components, you really shouldn't get one of these units as a barebones - and AOpen recommends that most users purchase pre-configured systems.
With the system fully assembled, software installation follows the standard routine. Being a slightly slower HDD and processor relative to most other modern PCs, XP will take a bit longer to install, but it's not really significant. AOpen's EZInstall tool remains as user-friendly as ever, providing one-click installation of all the drivers necessary once you have Windows up and running. Overall, the assembly and setup process was uneventful; it took a bit longer than some of the other SFFs that we've looked at, and everything was smaller and a bit more difficult to work with if you have larger hands, but anyone familiar with building PCs won't have a problem assembling the MiniPC.
The whole package has essentially no wasted space, though we really wouldn't mind a fractionally larger case if that meant a few other extras. A couple more USB ports would be great, and the lack of standard PS/2 mouse and keyboard connections means most people will need a new keyboard at least. Still, you can't fault the design too much, as it does exactly what it's supposed to do.
To give you an idea of the time that it takes to build a system like this, I disassembled the unit, and then checked how long it took me to put it back together. The result? It took about 35 minutes, but that's with everything I needed readily available. If you're fishing for screws, unpacking parts, etc., it would probably be about a two-hour task (counting OS installation time as well as some time spent referencing the manual to make sure it was done properly). You'll also want some small screwdrivers, perhaps with magnetized bits to hold the screws. (You're not supposed to use magnets around computers, but I've been using such screwdrivers for years without any problems, and it's far more convenient than constantly dropping tiny screws into a case or carpet and then trying to find them. However, follow my example at your own risk.)
Getting the case open is the trickiest part, but the small wire connections and the extraction of the plastic drive cage also take some finesse. If you're not really comfortable working with PC components, you really shouldn't get one of these units as a barebones - and AOpen recommends that most users purchase pre-configured systems.
With the system fully assembled, software installation follows the standard routine. Being a slightly slower HDD and processor relative to most other modern PCs, XP will take a bit longer to install, but it's not really significant. AOpen's EZInstall tool remains as user-friendly as ever, providing one-click installation of all the drivers necessary once you have Windows up and running. Overall, the assembly and setup process was uneventful; it took a bit longer than some of the other SFFs that we've looked at, and everything was smaller and a bit more difficult to work with if you have larger hands, but anyone familiar with building PCs won't have a problem assembling the MiniPC.
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JarredWalton - Friday, March 3, 2006 - link
"...*original* Mac Mini...."The Core Duo version was officially launched this past week.
mlittl3 - Friday, March 3, 2006 - link
Jarred,Since the article was posted today, I don't think anyone is going to care about the original Mac Mini. The computer industry moves and it moves fast. If Aopen's mini is better than what Apple put out in the past, then Apple has solved that problem with the new Mac Mini. That is the important issue today.
JarredWalton - Friday, March 3, 2006 - link
I Aopen had sent this to me in the past week, I wouldn't have bothered with the review. I've been putting this unit through it's paces for a lot more than a week, so the launch of the new Mac Mini is a non-factor. I mentioned it, I suggested it's a better choice right now (at least, I feel I did), and I really wouldn't recommend this model to anyone unless it were to sell for $650 or less. (Core Solo is for all intents and purposes equal to Dothan, so if it matches the Core Solo priced Mac Mini it would be fine.)JarredWalton - Friday, March 3, 2006 - link
First word: "I" should be "If..."Update #2: I'm betting not many people bothered reading the whole article, so they missed the comments on page 10 implying that the new Mac Minis are clearly faster. ("...with the recent launch of the Intel-based Mac Minis, that advantage is going to be short-lived.") I've updated the conclusion to make more specific mention of the Core Duo Mac Mini priced at $800.
Sunbird - Friday, March 3, 2006 - link
Looks like they followed my http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=937">advice on the styling (I can dream cant I?) and its not silver and blue.I like it.
Sunbird - Friday, March 3, 2006 - link
A question though:Is all the hardware OSx86 compatible?
Then you could enjoy the best of both worlds on one little box...
plinden - Friday, March 3, 2006 - link
I'm afraid I'm going to have to sound like an Apple fanboi now, but AOpen are still playing catchup with Apple:So to compare the specs:
Processor: Intel socket 479 (Celeron M to Pentium M 740) - Intel Core Solo/Duo
RAM: 1 X DDR2 SO-DIMM (Maximum 1GB of RAM) - 2 GB RAM Max
Hard Drive: 2.5" PATA Notebook HDD - Same HD
Graphics: 915GM (Intel GMA900) - Intel GMA950
Optical Drive: Slim CD/DVD slot load - same or similar, i.e. combo or superdrive
Expansion Slots: 1 X Mini-PCI (for WiFi) - no expansion slot but WIFI and bluetooth included by default
Audio: Realtek ALC655 AC'97 2CH (Speaker/Headphones + Microphone) - S/PDIF output
Power Suply: 65W (19V, 3.5A) External Adapter - 85W power supply
Internal connections from motherboard to HDD and ODD
Front Ports: None. Power Button, HDD Activity LED, ODD Eject Button - same
Rear Ports: 2 X USB2.0 - 4xUSB2.0
2 X 3.5mm Audio (speakers and microphone)
LAN (GbE) - same
1 X DVI-D and 1 X TV-Out (S-VIDEO, Composite, Component) - 1xDVI, no TV out
1 X Optional WiFi Antenna wireless G included
All for $599 - $799 (for 512MB RAM).
Despite the moaning over on Mac forums, this is still a much better deal than the MiniPC.
mlittl3 - Friday, March 3, 2006 - link
The hard drive in the Mac Mini is SATA not PATA.JarredWalton - Friday, March 3, 2006 - link
Which is basically what I say in the conclusion. This MP915 has been done for about three months now, and available on the market for just over a month (and a bit longer in Europe/Asia). MP945 will go up against the new Mac Mini, but the real question is whether or not it can come close to matching Apple's price. I'd like $850 with Core Duo 1.86 GHz (or higher), XP Home, 60+ GB HDD, DVD+RW, and 1GB RAM standard. I've said as much to AOpen, so we'll see if they can do that or not.JarredWalton - Friday, March 3, 2006 - link
Ack!Bold off Let's see if that works.... :p