bailey_ca

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.

steelenator

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.

shawn_dude

multimoog

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

zakharm

aasamy

Maksimir

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.

001

ecobore

Canoehead

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

bailey_ca

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!)

bailey_ca

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

rrwakc

Lux Aeterna

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

That Guy

St3v3

yeah...right.

this is an extremely feeble attempt at a mini pc.

jeeze.

Rob C

aaj111

pdok

nocar

sprockin

genius74

HJTravels

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.

pdok

flareak

SneakerFiend

AJ_Syrinx

daftrok

Electricity

multimoog

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...

genius74

aphex

Adrian Covert

Phil29

thomasora

werk