small form factor

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Asus EeeBox EB1501 Nettop: DVD Slot Drive, Ion Graphics, and 1080p HDMI
Asus EeeBox EB1012 Has Ion Graphics, 1080p HDMI Output
Lenovo IdeaCentre Q700 Wants To Be Your Lounge Room's Black Box
Cybernet ZPC-GX31, a PC in a Keyboard-Sized Case
Antec Minuet 300 Case
Basketball PCs

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ScubaSteve
10/02/09

In reply to Asus EeeBox EB1501 Nettop: DVD Slot Drive, Ion Graphics, and 1080p HDMI
Okay, let me start by acknowledging that you must pay a premium if you want a smaller form factor. Understood. I have been building SFF PCs for years, so I get it...just as I get that smaller production runs of these cases and components also contribute to the higher price....and yes, this thing uses less juice. Great. That said. 600 hundred? For Atom? No dice. Not for me...and not for most folks looking for something for the living room.

I have looked forward to the Ion-based nettops and netbooks since January, but they are really turning out to be useless to me - either too anemic for video that doesn't use the GPU or too ridiculously expensive to justify the cost.

Here's a hint PC makers - I can get any number of media players in the 100-200 bean range...including the awesome Popcorn Hour A110...and another advertised on this site earlier in the week for 100 beans...and both are 100% silent without a fan *or* HD.

Need more capability for the living room? Try the PCH C200. Really want a low power nettop that runs windows? Great, there are any number of units in the 200-300 bean range...but they are anemic for video...and so is this. Dual core? Whatever. Flash doesn't use the second core. Ion GPU? Many video technologies on the web don't use the GPU.

Really want an HTPC with balls? This thing isn't it...and certainly isn't worth 600 unless you place an extreme premium on size.

Instead, I can get a baseline Dell Inspiron 537s with 2GB of RAM, a 320 GB hard drive, and DVD RW for $269:

[www.dell.com]

And customize with:

- Dual core E5200
- ATI Radeon HD 4350 512MB (supports dual monitors and HDMI)

And bring the price to a whopping $359. Upgrading RAM or HD is minor expense on their site...or cheaper from newegg...but I am keeping those items at their default config since they equal or exceed the specs for this ASUS box.

Sure, it's not as small, but it is still fairly compact...and the HTPC community says it's the one to beat for a pre-built.

$600? Um, I'll pass thanks. Let me know when it is $350. Perhaps $400...but a dime more and it is no dice.

Your mileage may vary.
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SQLGuru
10/02/09

@ScubaSteve: I actually picked up some of the Dell Studio Hybrids (HDMI and DVI out, plenty of USB, 3GB RAM, *real* processor, 160GB HD, laptop components for low power and quient, etc.) refurb for about the same price. It works quite well as a media PC.

While the link works, here's one w/ Bluray for $639: [outlet.us.dell.com]
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Edited by SQLGuru at 10/02/09 12:00 PM SQLGuru was starred SQLGuru was unstarred

Danny Allen
10/02/09

@ScubaSteve: For me, that's too big, and isn't VESA mountable for behind my set. Looks good, though.
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RonaldSekhmet
10/02/09

In reply to Asus EeeBox EB1501 Nettop: DVD Slot Drive, Ion Graphics, and 1080p HDMI
Waste is a relative term when you're looking for something ultra small that doesn't eat up a ton of electricity AND boots up quickly. There's a reason why new tech costs a bit more than old tech, in case you haven't noticed.
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Jesustron
10/02/09

In reply to Asus EeeBox EB1501 Nettop: DVD Slot Drive, Ion Graphics, and 1080p HDMI
Haveing it mounted like that takes up way for vertical space than it should. Can it just be on its side like a DVD player? or just standing up like a tower?

Its a nettop, not a piece of modern artwork.
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Jeb_Hoge
10/02/09

@Jesustron: If it's like the last one, you can affix it to the back of a flatscreen and I'm pretty positive you can lay it flat. This is just the pretty way.
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weatherman
10/02/09

In reply to Asus EeeBox EB1501 Nettop: DVD Slot Drive, Ion Graphics, and 1080p HDMI
$200-$250 this is a winner, $400 or more and it just doesn't make sense.
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berbar
09/01/09

In reply to Asus EeeBox EB1012 Has Ion Graphics, 1080p HDMI Output
It's not a proper entertainment PC (HTPC) unless it has Blu-ray capabilities.

I'll be saving to build something similar to the one Engadget built... some day.
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All Your Base Are Belong To Us
09/02/09

@berbar: Yes, that's what the SATA port of for...
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berbar
09/16/09

@All Your Base Are Belong To Us: Oh, I feel so ignorant... :-S
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OMG! Ponies!
09/01/09

In reply to Asus EeeBox EB1012 Has Ion Graphics, 1080p HDMI Output
But does it list for $300,000 plus $13.86 S&H on Amazon?
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xbusinessxcorex
08/13/09

In reply to Lenovo IdeaCentre Q700 Wants To Be Your Lounge Room's Black Box
I've had one of these for 4 years now, except mine looks nicer and is smaller, its called a mac mini, a little less "balls" than this @ dual 1.6 ghz. and a TV Tuner? what is this 1986? have these people heard of bittorent. this abortion is a fail and a half
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Xeno
08/13/09

@xbusinessxcorex: Your mini has a TV tuner?
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