PC buyers have consistently declined to buy small computers (well,the Shuttle has sold a few), but some manufacturers are going to have another go, following the appearance -- literally -- of the Mac Mini.
In IT World, Tom Krazit of IDG News Service reports from Computex in Taiwan:
The AOpen product, which is modeled on its XC Cube product line and is being shown at Intel Corp.'s booth, is part of a larger effort backed by Intel to promote the use of the Pentium M processor in small PCs designed for living rooms and entertainment centers, an Intel spokeswoman said. The company is working with several PC manufacturers and vendors on similar PCs, which should be released later this year, she said.
The new mini PCs will generally use the Penium M range of low-power processors, originally designed as part of Intel's Centrino "think and light" chip set. The M chip, formerly code-named Banias, is highly regarded, of course, but it has a major drawback: it's damned expensive.
In a press release, AOpen says:
Measuring 15 cm by 15 cm by 5 cm, Mini PC is not only the world's smallest Intel PC platform, but also smaller than a similar model on the market," says Vincent Cho, VP and GM of Solution Products Business Unit. "What is more important, billions of Wintel users in the world no longer have to tolerate the hassle of switching operating systems just to take advantage of the miniaturized and stylish personal computing devices."
AOpen launched several other PCs at Computex, including the ePC (entertainment PC) range, Media Center Server and the AOpen XC REC6 AV system -- details here. It already offers the Xcube, among others.
