Who has an AOpen Mini-ITX Computer?

[cribbj]

Sorry, this isn't about the UZ motors, or even cars. It's a computer question.

For awhile now, I've been wanting to get some space back on my desk and reduce the noise made by the 3 fans in my tower PC.

About a year ago I discovered these ITX, and now Mini-ITX computers, and have been watching the market develop before buying one. Currently I'm favoring the AOpen brand, model MP965-D with the Core2 Duo chipset shown here: http://minipc.aopen.com/Global/spec.htm

I know there are a few computer geeks on here, and I'm just curious if anyone has had hands-on experience with one of these?

Yes, I've seen the PicoPC's too, which are even smaller than the Mini-ITX, but they're a bit too stripped down for me. I think these Mini-ITX's are the best solution for me currently - I just want to know how others like them before I drop the $$$ on one.

 

[jibbby]

Not a bad computer, and it comes equiped with the dual intel processor and is fully loaded.. Half the size of normal tower computers which is nice... A good choice if you must go with a desk unit... Just so you know, tower computers are very easy to build up, you may want to consider just building yourself up one off Ebay and save half the money.. Just get the tower shell and the desired mother board and processer and plug in all the rest of the components.. Hard drive, CD rom, etc.. Just a thought...

If your mechanical enough to work on cars you surely can build up home computers...It's easy and fun...

John, have you considered a laptop? Toshiba's and Sony's offer the core duo processors laps too..The new Apple laptops are very impressive as well....They are smaller and can be made to be just as powerful as the above mentioned desk unit.. A bit more pricey though...

 

[mshawari1]

The problem with this kind of computers that is the motherboard comes built in with the case and finally its not power full one.
I prefer you to get laptop because it has a battery Or buy a tower case computer ​

 

[cribbj]

John & mshawari, yes I'm OK with DIY towers and desktops and have built quite a few for myself and others, but I've moved on. I just don't want to have a big bulky tower anymore, with multiple fans that make my home office sound like an F15 being launched off a carrier deck.

I currently tote a laptop back & forth to Algeria, and I think I want to try one of these mini-ITX PC's so I can leave it over here in Algeria and not have to tote the laptop and all its accessories back & forth every month.

So if anyone has one of these, speak up, I'd like to hear about it. Everything I've read about them indicates they're great little computers, however people get paid to write the things their advertisers want to hear.

 

[stevechumo]

I'm not a computer geek, but I work on the computer and directly on some enterprise software that my company build for the customers. I guess I'm more of a car geek...LOl. Anyway, when you say your computer has 3 fans and sounds like the F15, I guess your work on the computer requires a powerful computer. I haven't used these mini computers or read or heard of some on-hands experience with them.

You can try them, but just like cars, the very first ones are more like trials and errors. In this case, the Vista they use with these computers are thumbs down. The Vista isn't very friendly with many popular software, including giving my software development department & other depts a hard time. It just looks nicer in graphics, but it takes longer to load with a lot of required memory. I've been told Microsoft will release their better Windows called Windows 2008 sometimes soon. They already knew Vista is a problem just like Windows ME. If you can hang on to Windows XP Pro, that's the best bet and proven for years.

As for the hardware of these new mini computers, I'm not so sure if they're reliable. A powerful laptop will do you just fine. You can use it with a separate keyboard if you like the feeling of the true keyboard. You can use a separate big monitor if you want. You can have an external hard drive for additional storage. Last but not least is you can have a docking system that connects everything above to your laptop. What'll you do is just plug your laptop on it and use it just like your desktop. It's cheap. The best thing is you can take your laptop to South Africa and still be able to chat as a lextremist. :tongue2:

 

[LondonBenji]

I love these types of things, I'm really into mini computing (see OQO Model 02).

The only thing I have against stuff like the AOpen MiniPC/Mac Mini is that for the price you can buy a really nice laptop with probably more power/memory/disk space and you get a 'free' display and keyboard/mouse to boot.

Laptop should be just as quiet and just as discrete, plus, its a laptop so it cames with the free ability to be easily moved and used anywhere......

See where I am kinda going with this?

 

[cribbj]

Benji, I'm to the point where I just want the computer to be an appliance, and nearly as easy to work as one. I think many people are thinking similarly, which is why these mini-PC's have taken off.

I'm also just a bit tired of toting a laptop back & forth, when I all I really need is the data on it. So I think I'll spring for one of these mini boxes, an external hard drive, and I'll just tote the hard drive back & forth.

Welcome back BTW; where have you been?

 

[LondonBenji]

I get ya John, the thing that I am saying is the cost of the Mini-PC's are generally more than the cost of an equivilent laptop so you might as well get a laptop even if it never moves from the one spot ever.

Just plug/bluetooth a keyboard and mouse, add a monitor and tuck the laptop in a draw or something (provided it can shift air okay. Over the Mini-PC they are generally cheaper and come with a 'free': monitor, keyboard, mouse and UPS.

So yeah it's another laptop but don't look at it like that, look at it as just another 'mini-pc' with a built in screen/keyboard/mouse.