I totally missed this one a few weeks back but the folks at SFFTech got their hands on an AOpen Mini PC (now I’m jealous) and gave it a test ride. The system they reviewed had a Pentium M 1.73 GHz processor with 512MB of RAM and a 60GB 5400RPM HDD. There’s a bunch of great shots of the Mini PC – especially compared up against products such as a laptop, and an Apple iPod. Anyhow, the verdict from the folks at SFFTech is a bit less than glowing unfortunately.
Overall, we have to give AOpen credit for creativity and branching into a market no other PC manufacturer has. The Mini PC lacks the refinement of a Mac mini much like comparing a Chevy to a Cadillac—with the Chevy being the Mini PC. It needs to be updated with ATI’s Xpress 200, high definition audio, SPDIF, a better software bundle, and made quieter to be considered a better competitor among the general consumer, silent PC and home theater PC enthusiasts. If AOpen were to at least fix the noise issues we would have no problems recommending it to users looking for a silent PC or file server—until then we can’t recommend it except for the cool factor.
It’s a shame that the system is noisy especially when you consider that it uses a Pentium M processor for the sole purposes of keeping the heat down.
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