Updated: AOpen MiniPC – Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
by Jarred Walton on March 3, 2006 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Systems
Price, Availability, and Alternatives
Here's where I get to the only real problems with the MiniPC. I've looked around online, and it's most readily available as a barebones system, at least when checking all of the major search engines. A system like this pretty much demands a pre-configured unit if people are going to take it seriously, or else it will only appeal to a very small segment of the population. Right now, you're looking at $330 for a small case, and you still need to add the CPU, RAM, HDD... you might even need to find an optical drive as well, depending on where you purchase the case. Once you've bought all of those components, you'll be spending around $700 minimum, plus another $100 for Windows XP Home. As configured, our MiniPC would probably sell for closer to $900. Sure, it's more powerful than the old Mac Mini, but with Apple moving to Intel processors, we should hopefully see a Core Duo powered unit that can run OS X as well as Vista in the not-too-distant future. (We're still waiting on Vista, while the Core Duo Mac Mini is now available for $800.)
A bit more searching (and some help from AOpen) did turn up a few locations that allow you to get the MiniPC pre-built, but prices were even higher. If money is no concern, VoodooPC makes their Idol systems using this chassis, and while the price "starts at $900" you're really looking at closer to $1200 with an OS installed and shipping. The only other partner that we could find with configurable MiniPC systems is Jetta (a company I personally am not familiar with). Prices are a bit better there, though you miss out on the paint jobs that VoodooPC offers. You can even get a Mac Mini competitor for $650, although that uses a slower 1.4 GHz Celeron M chip. That's at least reasonably priced, but we're still looking for more choices.
We've mentioned that the expansion options on such a system are very limited. You can add a few devices via USB, but internally, the only changes that can be made involve ditching the current hardware and replacing it with some upgraded component. Larger hard drives are available, and you can also get faster CPUs and a larger DIMM. Since there's only a single DDR2 SO-DIMM slot, we would recommend going straight to a 1GB DIMM. That should be enough for most office tasks. 512MB is enough RAM to keep Windows more or less content, but 1GB helps ensure that you won't need to crack open the case and upgrade the RAM any time soon.
Here's the real problem, though: you have a small box with a decent amount of computing power, and it's nice and portable if you need that. However, there's another type of computer that is similarly equipped that will get the job done equally well in most cases. We're talking about laptops, of course, and you can get a complete laptop with an OS, display, and keyboard all in one device for less than the cost of the MiniPC. The laptop might be larger and a bit slower - especially with all the budget 256MB RAM models - but unless you're really just looking for a very small computer, it's difficult to see the point in purchasing the MiniPC over a similarly priced laptop. $1000 will get you a pretty well-equipped laptop from any of the major OEMs, including truly mobile support courtesy of the battery pack, and an integrated LCD, keyboard, and trackpad.
One last item to mention is that the MP915 reviewed here is the older model, and AOpen should be releasing a Core Duo and Viiv compliant MP945 version in the next few weeks. Whether or not that model addresses any of our concerns remains to be seen. Price will likely be a bit higher as well, though really only the CPU cost should be significantly different. If you're sure that you don't want a dual core CPU, the MP915 will work well, and you might even see them discounted once the new version is released. For most people, we would say that the MP945 has all the good points of the MP915 and adds a bit more power, making it the preferred choice. Viiv support may indicate that it will also have better A/V connectivity, though TV tuners aren't actually required for Viiv, unfortunately.
Here's where I get to the only real problems with the MiniPC. I've looked around online, and it's most readily available as a barebones system, at least when checking all of the major search engines. A system like this pretty much demands a pre-configured unit if people are going to take it seriously, or else it will only appeal to a very small segment of the population. Right now, you're looking at $330 for a small case, and you still need to add the CPU, RAM, HDD... you might even need to find an optical drive as well, depending on where you purchase the case. Once you've bought all of those components, you'll be spending around $700 minimum, plus another $100 for Windows XP Home. As configured, our MiniPC would probably sell for closer to $900. Sure, it's more powerful than the old Mac Mini, but with Apple moving to Intel processors, we should hopefully see a Core Duo powered unit that can run OS X as well as Vista in the not-too-distant future. (We're still waiting on Vista, while the Core Duo Mac Mini is now available for $800.)
A bit more searching (and some help from AOpen) did turn up a few locations that allow you to get the MiniPC pre-built, but prices were even higher. If money is no concern, VoodooPC makes their Idol systems using this chassis, and while the price "starts at $900" you're really looking at closer to $1200 with an OS installed and shipping. The only other partner that we could find with configurable MiniPC systems is Jetta (a company I personally am not familiar with). Prices are a bit better there, though you miss out on the paint jobs that VoodooPC offers. You can even get a Mac Mini competitor for $650, although that uses a slower 1.4 GHz Celeron M chip. That's at least reasonably priced, but we're still looking for more choices.
We've mentioned that the expansion options on such a system are very limited. You can add a few devices via USB, but internally, the only changes that can be made involve ditching the current hardware and replacing it with some upgraded component. Larger hard drives are available, and you can also get faster CPUs and a larger DIMM. Since there's only a single DDR2 SO-DIMM slot, we would recommend going straight to a 1GB DIMM. That should be enough for most office tasks. 512MB is enough RAM to keep Windows more or less content, but 1GB helps ensure that you won't need to crack open the case and upgrade the RAM any time soon.
Here's the real problem, though: you have a small box with a decent amount of computing power, and it's nice and portable if you need that. However, there's another type of computer that is similarly equipped that will get the job done equally well in most cases. We're talking about laptops, of course, and you can get a complete laptop with an OS, display, and keyboard all in one device for less than the cost of the MiniPC. The laptop might be larger and a bit slower - especially with all the budget 256MB RAM models - but unless you're really just looking for a very small computer, it's difficult to see the point in purchasing the MiniPC over a similarly priced laptop. $1000 will get you a pretty well-equipped laptop from any of the major OEMs, including truly mobile support courtesy of the battery pack, and an integrated LCD, keyboard, and trackpad.
One last item to mention is that the MP915 reviewed here is the older model, and AOpen should be releasing a Core Duo and Viiv compliant MP945 version in the next few weeks. Whether or not that model addresses any of our concerns remains to be seen. Price will likely be a bit higher as well, though really only the CPU cost should be significantly different. If you're sure that you don't want a dual core CPU, the MP915 will work well, and you might even see them discounted once the new version is released. For most people, we would say that the MP945 has all the good points of the MP915 and adds a bit more power, making it the preferred choice. Viiv support may indicate that it will also have better A/V connectivity, though TV tuners aren't actually required for Viiv, unfortunately.
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davecason - Friday, March 17, 2006 - link
Just an FYI for the reviewer: use tweezers. The plastic inner shell is designed for tweezers with an angled grip point. There are both cut-outs and spaceous slotting to accomodate tweezers on every screw installation.Did anyone pick up one of these and have trouble with the IDE PCB? I have two problems: 1) DMA turns itself off and the drive resorts to PIO mode when I attach it through to the PCB. I have tested the drive elsewhere and on the USB bus and it runs at normal speeds but when it is attached internally it slows down to about 1/10 of the speed. Removing the optical drive from the PCB has no affect on the problem.
2) The system hiccups when I boot it. The optical drive goes into a long series of IDE bus restarts and if I remove it, the IDE drive simply takes forever to boot (probably because of some bus error and the speed is being backed down to almost nothing).
Any suggestions for that?
davecason - Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - link
The IDE bus was restarting itself due to a power problem. I had the following plugged into the USB bus:1) USB Keyboard with USB hub with a USB mouse plugged into it.
2) USB bus-powered hub with a self-powered PDA base and a UPS plugged into it.
I removed #2 and the IDE bus began functioning normally. I guess four/six items on the USB bus was too much power draw from the system. If you experience this, get a self-powered USB hub.
Plugers - Saturday, March 4, 2006 - link
On the next revision.Add a upgradable laptop video card slot. If laptops can get a nice small Nvidia / ATI solution, why not this? Also add the other audio port, or just add a toslink for HTPC use and I think most of the high end PC sound systems have a digital input option anyway.
throw in another sodimm slot while your at it....
bldckstark - Saturday, March 4, 2006 - link
I am glad to see that for once there are not many whiny posts about the comparison systems. Thanks for the inclusion of the Sempron system.Kishkumen - Saturday, March 4, 2006 - link
Actually my interest with these Mini PCs whether Aopen or Apple is to use them as a lightweight frontend to a Linux/MythTV HTPC with storage and encoding duties relegated to a master backend and better yet no need to whine about the additional cost of an OS. The mini is small enough that it can be easily attached to the back of a plasma or LCD for a very clean look. That said, Aopen's audio solution is absolutely tragic. I really don't understand how they thought they could skimp in this area even if they were completely unaware of it's potential as a HTPC solution. At the very least a digital optical connector should have been included. Thus I'm inclined to go with the Apple solution on the audio issue alone, but in general it seems like the better hardware and I have no reason to believe I can't run Linux on it just fine. I'll be paying for an OS I don't need but maybe I can just pawn it off on ebay or I'll just keep it around for the halibut. Something to gape at once in a while like a two headed snake in a jar at the circus.JarredWalton - Saturday, March 4, 2006 - link
Does Linux run on EFI okay? I don't have any idea. It's certainly a lot more likely than XP on EFI. Anyway, the MP945 is supposed to go with at least 5.1 audio I think.mindless1 - Saturday, March 4, 2006 - link
PLEASE, quite trying to pretend Apple is some kind of leader in form factor. no, it was not the MAC cube that started SFF. This AOPEN is not imitation anything either. Did you really think the entire computer world was NOT moving towards high integration and as-small-as-possible systems?It had absolutely nothing to do with Apple. Apple merely did the same as everyone else, sometimes coming up with a particular niche product sooner than others, and sometimes later than others. The one most noteworthy thing apple did was advertising.
How about the ipod? It wasn't first either. Good grief, why in the world do you have an arbitrary false conclusion that apple was first at much of anything?
That's not to downplay Apple's influence, they did add a certain esthetic appeal, more artistic cases on many products. That's not what was implied in the article though...
JAS - Monday, March 6, 2006 - link
Just a general comment:MAC = Media Access Control, as in a computer's Ethernet address
Mac = shorthand for Macintosh
JarredWalton - Saturday, March 4, 2006 - link
By your reasoning, Apple was first at nothing, and the only first was probably the ENIAC. After all, we've just been moving to smaller computers for over 60 years now.... Seriously, there is no way you can convince me that the AOpen MiniPC wasn't an attempt at copying the Mac Mini design. Was the Mac Mini completely original? Maybe someone had something like that before, but they're the ones that really put the "Mini" computers on the map.Anyway, how about some comparisons from AOpen - nice pictures, and they clearly show that any resemblance to the Mac Mini is likely more than coincidence.
http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/system/sff/aop...">MiniPC vs. Mac Mini #1
http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/system/sff/aop...">MiniPC vs. Mac Mini #2
http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/system/sff/aop...">MiniPC vs. Mac Mini #3
http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/system/sff/aop...">MiniPC vs. Mac Mini #4
http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/system/sff/aop...">MiniPC vs. Mac Mini #5
psychobriggsy - Saturday, March 4, 2006 - link
The Mac Mini looks better, both in terms of looks and design (e.g., the back panel looks so much better). If you're gonna copy a design, at least try and make it look even better if you're not going to compete on price...