Mac HTPC - The Mac Mini HTPC » Competitors

FrankenMac as a HTPC?

M. Brinkhoff — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:15:44 +0000

Thanks to Psystar and their “Open Computer” Mac clones (aka FrankenMacs) have been all over the Internets lately. As a Mini owner and a FrankenMac dabbler I thought I should weigh in on the issue as it relates to the Home Theater environment. The short version of the story? Move along, nothing to see here. The long version is that there are really 5 main reasons to choose a Mini over the Psystar box.

1. It’s small.

The Mac Mini lives up to it’s name. It’s compact and it’s form factor integrates easily with most home theater setups. If you think that having a mini tower sitting on the floor next to your entertainment stand is 733t then there is a reasonable chance you’re not a huge fan of OS X anyway.

2. It’s not ugly.

Let’s face it… Apple has some kick designs and the Mini shows it. It’s clean lines and understated brushed metal finish look very much at home parked underneath your fancy new flat panel set. This is in sharp contrast to almost every other PC maker’s beige/black/silver box offerings.

3. It’s quiet.

Listen… Do you hear that? Nope, me nether – I don’t hear a peep out of my Mini in my home theater rack. Compare it to my Xbox 360’s “this is what a small turbine engine sounds like” noise level the Mini is a godsend.

4. It’s not really cheaper.

Admittedly the Psystar box seems like a good deal at $399. Now add $155 for OS X, $50 for Firewire and $90 for wireless networking… Maybe not such a hot deal after all. (To it’s credit the Psystar does have the Mini beat in the Memory and disk areas though.) Oh, and by the way you can’t use Software Update on the Psystar box – how much is that worth to you?

5. It’s a Mac

You don’t have to drink the kool-aid to recognize that there is just something about a Mac that makes it different. It’s not just the software, the hardware, the design or the innovation… It’s a Mac!

In summary I can’t say that I would give the Psystar a second look as a home theater PC. In fact as a FrankenMac builder I can also say I really wouldn’t consider a Psystar for any use at all.

Matt Brinkhoff

Mac mini vs. Media Center Mini Edition

B.Greenway — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 00:21:15 +0000

So S1Digital intoduced a windows MCE based ‘mini’ computer eh? I noticed quite a bit of buzz on this thing yesterday and wanted to look into it.

The first thing I noticed is that the er I’m not typing out that long ass name every time, what should I call this thing, ok I got it.

the S1 MCE Mini sells for $1200 smackers, a direct comparison to a Mac mini isnt really possible as the base price on the better mini is $799 but for kicks I’ll add some extras to the mini to see if we can get one up that high.

Ok let’s compare the Mac mini and S1 MCE Mini:

Apple Mac mini

1.66GHz Intel Core Duo
1GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM – 2×512
80GB Serial ATA hard drive
SuperDrive 8x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0
Apple Remote
Mac OS X with Front Row
Grand total before tax shipping and blood sample: $899.00

S1Digital Media Center Mini Edition

Intel 1.66GHz Core Duo
1GB DDR2 RAM
80GB SATA Hard Drive
DVD+/-RW drive
Optional Internal 802.11b/g WiFi
Optional Remote Control
Microsoft Media Center Edition 2005
Grand total before tax shipping and joining the dark side: $1,200.00

Yawn…….

B.Greenway

Shuttle and MSI won’t stoop to AOpens level

B.Greenway — Thu, 02 Jun 2005 21:22:17 +0000

AOpen’s “mini” PC sure has caused quite a stir, so much in fact that other companies are already stepping up to the plate and stating that they wont be manufacturing mini clones. It’s nice to see that Shuttle and MSI are following the road less traveled, but I have to wonder if other less scrupulous manufacturers will follow suit?

A spokesperson from FIC indicated they were moving ahead on a “similar” design described as flatter than the mini, but still in the same form factor. Some imitations aren’t the most sincere form of flattery.

B.Greenway

AOpen Intel powered, Mac mini clone

B.Greenway — Tue, 31 May 2005 16:07:51 +0000

This is pretty shameless, I mean come on…. If the power button wasn’t in the front I’m not sure I’d be able to tell them apart with a quick glance. I suppose this should be a sign that if nothing else, Apple has some PC makers nervous, at least when it comes to styling. The sad part is they’ll actually sell quite a few of these based on form factor alone.

I’ve never been a fan of litigation over innovation, but in this case I hope Apple keeps a close eye on these jokers, and drops the lawyer bomb, if the word mini or anything with the letters m-i-n-i are ever used to describe it.

Hat tip: Silent PC Review

B.Greenway

Mac Mini vs The Nanode

Jonathan Greene — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 13:13:25 +0000

Engadget reports on the pending release of a very interesting looking box from Hoojum, the Nanode, which bears a striking resemblance to our friend the Mac Mini. It’s running the Nano-ITX mobo at 1GHz (Via) and will be capable of decoding MPEG 2 and 4 on board along with SATA RAID. We’ll see what happens when it comes out (and if it does) in Q1.

The Nanode is the newest device from Hoojum and clearly the smallest of the three they have. More details and pending specs can be found here.

– Jonathan Greene