Yeah. Let me tell ya. That looks JUST like a Mac Mini.

@werk: Totally! It's even got a black version like the Mac Mini does too!

Nice, but a bit pricey; I'm thinking more along the lines of $500, not $900.

@werk: it's a clone in the sense of features and purpose, not aesthetic.

why not just buy a mini and install xp/vista on it if you really want a mini pc clone. The only thing this has up on the mini is a bigger hd and gigabit lan, but the mini is $100 less.

@aphex: The mini has gigabit

I like the Touch Sensor stuff, but I could get a mini & 360 for the price of this and have my media in two locations...

I use a mini, and let me tell you - that thing is no mini. Ass-ugly for starters, and way too expensive for minimally better specs. Also: Vista. Ewwwww.

Really, other than its processor (and other details), its slightly bigger, more expensive, and runs Vista. Im curious to see who buys this... Embedders? Really, after tax, that would even be pointless. I am happy, however, that manufacturers are making things smaller. I hope desktops keep getting smaller. I want one for my pocket. So, I hope this does well?!?

It would be a hellova lot cheaper to get this:
[www.shopping.hp.com]

You know, $900 is no chump change. Do manufacturers think money grows on trees?

@werk: No it actually looks a lot better than a mac mini. And if its as good as it sounds on paper im sold.
1.8ghz quad core processor. and it has HD support thats amazinq.
In such a small package. I would buy this before i got a Mac Mini even though its true MAC's OS is way lighter and less demanding still this PC is somethinq you show off to all of your friends who think having a big chassis means having the best computer. I'm not proud of the 1GB ram i think they could've managed to put 2GB ram into it along with a mobile graphics card but the processor was built for HD functionality so i think it should be able to handle everyday and maybe even some game graphics with a decent fps.

@SneakerFiend: where does it say quad core processor?

@SneakerFiend: I don't see a Quad-core listed there.

From the specs, it's basically a laptop. Yawn. Built-in speakers? Come on, you've got to be kidding, right? Unless that thing says Bose on the front, forget it.

Lame, it sucks that Apple's least updated computer. One that just happend to not have been updated and at the end of it's lifecycle, it much better still. You'd think other PC makers could have caught up to the Mac Mini yet.

@pdok: Forget if it says Bose on the front as well...

@aphex:
I would rather wait until it sells for 500, then wipe that junk off the hardrive
and install linux, but why bother I'd be better off getting a mac mini

If it's 9x7x2" it certainly can't have built in "Hi-Fi" speakers. It may have speakers but they can't be "high fidelity" at that size.

@genius74: Yeah, you're right, it'd be overpriced anyway.

Looks spiffy. I like the look of it, and the price isn't TOO bad.

a gig of ram...and vista?

yeah...right.

this is an extremely feeble attempt at a mini pc.

jeeze.

1 GB DDR2 667.... wtf. Good luck running Vista on that.

@St3v3:

Thanks...but Vista runs just fine on my HP laptop.

I'd rather not pay for the touch features and the crappy built in speaker.

ASUS is not copying MAC mini, they have been producing media center PCs loooong time ago. I believe that even before mac mini. This model is just another in the series and a bit smaller.

@Adrian Covert: so...what's the "sense and purpose" of a mac mini? Ego-masturbation? but with a mini?
nevermind, pretty big words there dude.

Going by your logic all sheeps are clones of each other, cause their senses and purposes are the same, which is to follow the crowd, which when applied to tech blogs, is to include an apple reference every f-ing where. ergo, all tech blogs are clones of each other, q.e.d.

@001: Your comment makes absolutely no sense. The Asus and the Mini have a similar purpose (be small) and feature set (Core 2, WiFi, etc.). Visually, it differs. What don't you understand?

And in case you haven't noticed, tech blogs *are* very similar...I read Giz because there's at least a chance of conducting a reasonable discussion here. (I'm looking at you, rabid Engadget mob!)

@daftrok: Agreed. Cheaper, only slightly bigger and a lot more attractive.

What's with that fin with the holes on the top of the Asus?

The black one would look pretty good in a media rack - the white with danger orange, not so much.

That's great! an inferior machine to a Mac mini (in that it runs tVista!) and more expensive too! What exactly is the point?

@bailey_ca: to carry on a pointless discussion: you said "visually it differs", which to me means it's NOT a clone. Sense and purpose does not a clone make. Unless the architecture is similar, then again, how different are computers nowadays anyway. But a combi of features such as small, Core2, Wifi (as u mentioned) = Mac Mini's distinct identity? An identity so distinct that any product that has them automatically becomes a clone? Dont make me laugh. The case is so flimsy.
Check it out,
[en.wikipedia.org]

Nope, none of the definitions for clone calls for its use here in bringing a product from one unrelated company in connection with the one whose name is inspired by a fruit that satan fooled eve into making adam eat, or whatever. Unless Gizzy's trying to invent a new def, which I then recommend reads:

"any random product that a tech blog so chooses. As long as its in connection with apple so that the iboys (who are incidentally clones of each other in terms of sense and purpose) keep tuning in"

I like giz for blam's stunt with the remote, which he claims was journalistic integrity. But mentioning Apple where it's not called for seems otherwise.

Though why i even bother...
i must really hate my life.

Chill out Apple Fanboys - I don't like the price as much but it is better looking than a Mini plus has digital audio out.

It needs HDMI to make it a true living room PC.

The Mini has digital optical out through the headphone jack on the back via a mini-tos cable.

Waiting for the Mini to be updated to use it with OSXBMC.

@Maksimir: You're... serious? Guys, I think he's serious. Better looking? Really? Bzzzt. Nope. wrong.

I'm using a Core Duo Mini as an HTPC right now. I've allowed it to keep OSX, for now, although I'm more interested in running MythBuntu on it. The other adult in the house is a Mac fan and I'm being patient.

The Asus isn't a bad spec, really. It's a bit pricey for what you get, though. The new GMA 3000 at least can handle SOME 3D rendering, unlike its predecessors, which are pure crapola. The USB 2.0 isn't as good for external hard drives as the Mini's firewire. The paper specs are similar, but real-use shows the firewire as faster. Since we have our DVD collection loaded onto the external hard drives, I really don't care about the internal one as long as it holds the necessary software.

The biggest drawback to the Core Duo Mini is the heat. That little beast can get hot. (we glued feet on ours.) If the Asus has a quiet fan, that may be a decent improvement.

At $900, the Asus needs 2GB of RAM and a real 3D capable graphics chipset. (Preferably, linux-friendly Nvidia.) Or, leave it as-is and put a cablecard slot in it. :-) I'd even pay $1000 for a linux-friendly PC with cablecard.

You are missing the point!

Thin-client computing is the future of the home network. Essentially you will have an even smaller/thinner box than the Asus P22 or Mac Mini with video rendering, wireless and Nand Flash memory. This little device that will simply transfer streaming media from your home server to your digital monitors on the network controllable by IR/RF remote. In the future LCD mfg's will incorporate this functionality into their designs but in the meantime it will most likely first become a TV tuner card type of addon. The home server will do all the rendering and processing making the thin-client a simple antenna type of device.

Apple did not invent the thin computer, though they were the first to successfully assemble and brand it. The ATX-Mini motherboards and MoDT (Mobile on Desktop) have been around a lot longer than the Mac Mini and computer enthusiast have been developing their own mini's for quite some time.

Im a huge Apple fan and have a few Apple TVs around the house. However, Apple TVs only play iTunes/MP4 content. So, if you have Mpeg 2 (DivX Xvid etc) videos on your server, you can watch it on the Apple TV unless you convert it first, and when converting DivX to MP4 you lose resolution. This is why something like the Asus P22 is useful until they make the thin-client modules. Rather than buying another Apple TV I have purchased the P22 and not only able to stream my iTunes from the main server along with all my Mpeg content, I can also surf the web and utilize many other web applications in the bedroom. Moreover, my LCD doesn't have speakers and using external speakers via an amp/receiver in the bedroom just adds clutter. The P22 onboard speakers are perfect for this sort of thing. So, the P22 is not a Mini clone but more of an alternative to the limited functionality of Apple TV.

Id put together a thin client myself using casing from www.silverstonetek.com and a MoDT www.aopen.com which would cost about the same as the P22 but id have to use external speakers instead.

@001: Ah, I see what you mean. Yeah, clone's not the best choice of words; I suppose competitor (or something along those lines) would make more sense.