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Reminds me of the Espresso PC. A very niche design at the time, but let's see if 2015 will be the year of the slabputer (or whatever you want to call this thing).

The closest Mac Mini clone that is x86 and runs Windows is probably the Pandora.

It's a very tiny unit (about the same size as the Mac Mini) with similar capabilities. We just ordered one, so I can't speak to longevity, but it does what it's supposed to and fits in small spaces.

I like this kind of stuff, but after comparing what building a system with this material would cost me, a mac mini would be way cheaper, and with the core duo in it, a heck of a lot faster as well.

I found this little gem earlier. Pricing is very reasonable considering the size / features.

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/pandora-945-d.asp

I concur- one more powerful computer you can use for your real tasks, and one for your background stuff. these guys have some interesting stuff. There was one company in a post on /. a while back that had a 1GHz ARM machine in a really, really tiny case. Can't seem to find the article.

"The fact is that Mac's are more expensive than comparable Windows/Linux machines"

OK, find me a "comparable" machine to the Mac Mini. The closest I could come up with is this. Prices start at $595. For that price you get 1.6Ghz Intel Celeron, 256MB of RAM, no Bluetooth, No WLAN, 40GB HD and DOS (no Windows). For comparison, you could get Mac Mini for $599 (4 bucks more) and get 1.66GHz Core Duo, 512MB of RAM, Bluetooth, WLAN, 60GB HD, OS X and iLife.

OK, you could get the Dell E521 for whopping 200 bucks less. But that machine is big and ugly. I literally would not have room for that machine, whereas Mini is small enough to be lost underneath a pile of papers. So is the Dell "comparable" at all? And looking at the specs, I can see that the Dell has crappier CPU, a bit more HD-space (+20GB), crappier OS (Vista Home Basic), crappier optical-drive (no burner of any kind), no WLAN, no Bluetooth.... So is it really any better?

This http://www.cappuccinopc.com/expando-f154p.asp seems to be what you are looking for. For inputs I'd go with the smallest LCD monitor you can find (a 10" should do) and a small mouse and keyboard. You could go with a small LCD touchscreen, but it would be annoying.

... are our command:

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/cappuccinoez3.asp

Sincerly /.

true that. I remember my PIII Coppermine 700mhz http://www.cappuccinopc.com/cappuccino.asp was a fun computer.

You're unlikely to find anything much smaller than thishttp://www.cappuccinopc.com/mochae7042b.asp. It doesn't support the new dual-core chips though. Cooling would likely be a problem.

This is about the best I could find.

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/slimpro-sp350.asp

With options it should cover most of your requirements. CPU might be a bit weak.

It took me about 1 minute to find a cheaper, smaller and better looking machine at http://www.cappuccinopc.com/ and they aren't even the cheapest in the business.

As a matter of fact, there is something:

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/

That site will at least get you pointed in the right direction. I personally own a Cappuccino series PC (P3, 1Ghz), and I can tell you from experience that they're not bad little machines. The only gripe I might have is that the cooling fan can get a little loud and obnoxious at points. (However, I wlll say that I purchased mine about two years ago, so the cooling solution may have improved since.) It's a fantastic little machine that I not only use to ferry my desktop between work and home, but I also use it to drive my car PC system.

People have been making mini itx boxes with the idea of compactness etc. before the Mac Mini came out.

Sure, but let's consider the target market of the Mini: those wanting to try out OS X and (grand)parents because it does what they need. There are no complete EPIA-based hardware+software+support solutions with anywhere near the price point or functionality of the Mini.

Integration could be done by a reseller, but you'd be going to them for support as well. The point is not whoever made a small computer first. Apple gives you reasonable hardware, the latest software, and support for $500.

Via had long before Mac Mini came out announced nano-ITX

Duke Nukem Forever has been announced for years, but it's not out either. Having a retail product that has already been shipping for months is something else entirely. As far as EPIAs go, no one has made a complete system and sold it with software and support anyway.

Apple cult followers will now always say it was Apple's idea to make PC's small.

It was Apple's idea to make small computers viable, and the success of the Mini proves it. The cappuccino has been around for years: http://www.cappuccinopc.com/cappuccino.asp ... but no one *I* know uses them.

The EPIAs are fun for experimentation (check out the custom cases on http://www.mini-itx.com/ but they're far from the complete solution that non-enthusiasts want.

Offtopic: Speaking of experimentation, I've been watching the Epia platform rather closely for the past half-year or so. I want to build a low power, quiet, SFF Linux file server and have been waiting for an Epia that would overcome some of the technical problems that older boards like the M/MII Epias had (lockups on DMA I/O, etc.). The newest Epia SP solves that, but is hard to find in stock, has crap Linux drivers, and costs around $250 without case, drives, PSU, or memory. With distros like Yellow Dog, Ubuntu, and Debian supporting almost everything in the Mini with the default install (http://www.sowerbutts.com/linux-mac-mini/#support ), it's hard for me to justify going with the Epia platform.

I don't see why the Mac Mini is so revolutionary other than for the fact that Apple made it and it's $500. The size isn't the selling point. Small-form-factor PCs have been around for years. I remember seeing ads for the Cappucino PC at least 2 or 3 years ago on Slashdot/Thinkgeek. The form factor isn't the selling point, it's the fact that you can get an OSX system for $500.

Actually $500 is very competitive for this form factor:

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/customize.asp?ModelID= 1100

If someone knows of a Wintel PC in this form factor for less, I would like to know.

Look around, and only one company has truly done that... Apple with the Mac mini.

These guys have been at it bit longer. Even have the option of a PCMIA slot so you upgrade it with laptop expansion cards.

The mac mini looks great and is nicely priced, but I've had a stylish mini pc for two years now -- a Cappuccino PC. Unlike the Mac Mini it even has TV out. See http://www.cappuccinopc.com/. The idea of squeezing laptop parts under a laptop dvd drive and putting them in a shiny silver case is not new.

Cappuccino PC specs: www.cappuccinopc.com/cappuccinoez3.asp#specificati ons

Mini specs: http://www.apple.com/macmini/specs.html (and scroll to the bottom)

Cappuccino: Analogue VGA up to 1280x1024
Mac Mini: DVI up to 1920x1200

Yes, the cappuccino is small, but its design is bulky and clumsy compared to the Mini. As Apple has consistently proved, its not all about size and speed. Design, user experience and beauty are important, too.

Now look at the pics of Intel's concept mini-PC from the original article--forgetting for a second that it doesn't even exist yet. (Its not even a prototype, just a case with some lights on it.) Now try to tell me Intel isn't following Apple's lead in terms of design.

Look past the size and see the form.

Taft

So, you're in the market for an empty piece of plastic? If you want something small and functional that's not a mac, think about a capuccino or shuttle.

Intel's mockup is just another empty PC knockoff to echo Apple's work.

It's not even the first that small and to answer your question, some mac users feel the psychological need to justify their overpriced products by comparing products whenever possible. It's like a three year old that goes "look at me, look at me" when the older folk are talking amongst themselves.

The mocha is great for what it is, but still, it has a gazillion cords, just like any other desktop, and has proven to be pretty much useless for traveling. We'll see when I get the mini, but I plan on making that the entertainment machine, with eyetv so . . . .

Agreed if you are looking a the Espresso. But how about the Mocha? With dimensions of 6.18" x 5.75" x 2.2" and featuring a full blown Pentium 4 it is a much better comparison.

The MacMini is a dog. It uses a slow G4. Your statement is ludicrous. Try here:
mocha
These machines destroy the mac mini for the same price

Did you bother reading the whole page? Or is your knowledge of PCs stuck in 2001 so you can claim mac superiority? Face it, the mac mini is nothing new to the PC market, it's only got Apple's marketing machine and mac users' selective amnesia behind it.

While I agree that a Cheap-o OSX box is awesome in-and-of itself, I disagree that Kevin misses the point. Many people have accused the the Mac Mini of being a poor value because it matches the price of an entry-level Dell pc but doesn't include a keyboard or display.

The point of Kevin's article (or at least, what I took away from it) was that it's damn hard to match the value of the mini when you consider it's size. Even with the Mocha PC it starts at $495, and that is without RAM, a hard drive, CPU, or even a CD-Drive!.

The http://www.cappuccinopc.com/ has been out long before the Mac Mini, and the original was even a smaller form-factor, with modern P4 variants just slightly larger.

Anyway, this whole article is missing the point. Cheap OS X is good for everybody! I wouldn't buy a PC that small even though there's the option...

Espresso PC 6" x 4" x 1.25"

But that's a lowend Celeron system. How about a P4 system?

Mocha

This one measures 6.18" x 5.75" x 2.2" vs the Mac Mini's 6.5" x 6.5" x 2".

I won't argue pricing - the Mac Mini has that down, but for size and power your statements are just plain false.
Please look around and inform yourself before spreading misinformation.
This message brought to you by the campaign for fair and unbiased posting on Slashdot (yes we realize it's a losing battle).

Espresso PC 6" x 4" x 1.25"

But that's a lowend Celeron system. How about a P4 system?

Mocha

This one measures 6.18" x 5.75" x 2.2" vs the Mac Mini's 6.5" x 6.5" x 2".

I won't argue pricing - the Mac Mini has that down, but for size and power your statements are just plain false.
Please look around and inform yourself before spreading misinformation.
This message brought to you by the campaign for fair and unbiased posting on Slashdot (yes we realize it's a losing battle).

Maybe Jobs was trolling around Tiawanese computer manufactures websites when these came out in...2001.

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/cappuccinotx1.asp

I kind of like the new P4 versions myself.

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/mochae7042b.asp

Maybe Jobs was trolling around Tiawanese computer manufactures websites when these came out in...2001.

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/cappuccinotx1.asp

I kind of like the new P4 versions myself.

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/mochae7042b.asp

CappuccinoPC has had similar sized units for years now. They are very powerful systems and offer PCMCIA expansion(wish the mini mac had one of those.)

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/default.asp

Get that Cappuccino, the new system is $455 (BYO HD) and the refurb is $379 (BYO HD). If you want the refurb with 20GB 2.5" Ultra DMA 33/66 4200RPM Hard Drive, it's $478. Both these prices include a "dos system", meaning "Install your own OS".

And stop duping comments (thanks typhoonius).

On my blog I have posted this:

In my first Build Challenge I set forth a challenge to build a x86 PC to compete with the Mac mini. I didn't get any great systems listed but we did have a good laugh about how sexy Macs are.

I've posted on other sites including The Tech Report and most of the responses tried to compare full sized x86 PC to the mini. I've said how this is crazy. I just want to compare the mini with SFF x86 systems.

That begs the question just what is a SFF system? I can't find a good definition on the web so I'll set my own.

SFF acronym for Small Form Factor: Computer system that is smaller than 925 cubic inches.

SFF system range greatly in size from the Shuttle SB59P at 915 cubic inches to the Cappuccino EZ3 at 63 cubic inches. The Mac mini is on the smaller side at 84.5 cubic inches. The price range also varies greatly as do performance and style. Lets leave out performance since it isn't really an issue for most people in our post megahertz era.

To narrow the challenge follow these criteria:
Size: Must be under 925 cubic inches
Price: Must be under $1200
Style: Must not be ugly

I guess we could argue that last one but I'll accept anything that at least tries to be attractive. Also it has to be ordered built and tested with Windows. Most people don't want to build their own systems and since you can't with the Mac mini it wouldn't be fair to compare it to bare bones systems. Also the systems should match the mini's configuration: 256MB RAM/40GB Hard Drive/Combo Drive.

No single SFF x86 PC meets the mini on all the factors so I'll compare it to three:

Cappuccino EZ3
Size: 63 cubic inches
Price: $823
Style: 5 out 10

Even smaller than the mini. But more expensive and close to ugly.

Shuttle L 5600h
Size: 680 cubic inches
Price: $515
Style: 7 out of 10

Much bigger than the mini. But larger hard drive by default.

Hush Mini ITX
Size: 452 cubic inches
Price: $1159
Style: 9 out of 10

Great looks. But still bigger and way more expensive.

Compare these to the:

Mac mini
Size: 84.5 cubic inches
Price $499
Styles 9 out of 10

And I hope you can see why the Mac mini is the best system overall and the only one that is more than the sum of it's parts. Now for some the fact that it doesn't run Windows means they would never choose it. For others the fact that these systems run Windows means they would never choose them. Let's not have any flame wars over the OS. And I'm leaving out the bundled software that comes with the mini as a factor in the price. But it is a nice plus that you get iLife, iWorks, and Appleworks.

Please post any systems that are better than the three I've listed that meet my criteria.

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/mochae7042b.asp

The mac mini is hardly the first PC it's size, in fact, for years there have been comparable / slightly smaller (The original P3 ones, anyway)...remember the cappuccino PCs at thinkgeek? they still make those with up to date P4's (although those are just a tad bit larger, but same basic dimensions)

PC makers won't be the ones mimicking that one...
comparably sized and priced:
http://www.cappuccinopc.com/

I will say I'm sure the sonoma would rock in one.

Me again... a fairer comparison is a cappacino EZ3

This combo is $1,042

Intel Pentium III @1.26 GHz

PC133 256MB RAM

40GB 4200RPM HD

Slot-loading DVD-CDR Combo drive

XP Pro

Intel integrated graphics

No montior or keyboard

PC people, no flame, but what makes this more expensive!?

I bought a fanless mini pc from CappuccinoPC. I don't see the exact model I purchased on their site, but it was close to this one:

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/slimpro-sp300-fanless. asp

1.65"H x 5.75"W x 9.84"D

Slightly bigger than the mini-mac, and not as stylish.

They have a variety of other systems, some with fans, some without. Some of them come in a brushed silver color.

They have cases, barebones, and fully functional offerings. I bought a complete PC and it was under $600.

Need the dubyas in there.
http://www.cappuccinopc.com/

I've had a CappuccinoPC Mocha P4 for the past couple of years. It's similar in concept to the Mac Mini: small enclosure (mini-ITX), lots of ports (2 NICs, serial, parallel, 4x USB, audio in/out, video in/out, firewire...). But keyboard, monitor, and mouse are sseparate.

That's actually a bonus:

• I already had a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Though not as nice as I'd wanted....
• Keyboard ($10) and mouse ($14) are pretty damned cheap.
• For $350 I got a really nice 19" CRT monitor.
• If any of keyboard, mouse, or monitor go south, you replace them for $10, $14, $150-$350, or out of current inventory.
• Meantime, the CPU itself sits safely out of harm's way. Most "accidents" are spills or drops, or just too much handling.
• The unit slides into my satchel for ready use at home, work, client site, etc. All I need are a kbd/mouse/monitor to use it. And guess what: most sites already have these.

Modularization is a benefit.

The main grip I've had is that it's not possible to use the unit in transit. CappuccinoPC claimed they'd be coming out with a battery pack, but AFAIK haven't. And there's no seperable LCD display available I've found that's appropriate (I'm thinking $100-$200 pricepoint for a 4x6 640x480 or 800x600 screen -- enough to work on the run).

If Apple could push for that to come out, it would be ideal. Leave the Mac Mini in its bag with a battery pack. Display with a wire stand and/or velcro backing sits on your cafe table or airplane seat back. Keyboard and mouse/trackpad in front of you. Do work.

Nice Find. Fixed Link. CappuccinoPC did indeed make this thing.

not so much a dig, as much as it is, oh, the fact that cappucino MADE this thing for ASUS? http://www.cappuccinopc.com/cubepc-spresso.asp/

Anyone else think the case's name, SPresso, is a dig at the old Cappucino PC??

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/dg1.asp

I don't have one but they look pretty nice... I've had good experiences with their Slimpro series.

What makes this offering from AMD qualitatively better than these things? The Cappucinos have a real Pentium in them, whereas this AMD thing uses a Geode, which is just awful.

Schwab

These may be a bit more pricey than you're looking for, but they're not too expensive, and are certainly small:

Cappuccino PC

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/1baypc.asp Up to 4 network IFs, in almost the same form factor, and Pentium based.

Have you considered a Cappuccino PC? Most are about the size of your average CDROM drive.

Don't get your logic.

Just restrict your UI to using fewer inputs with a layer of abstraction - e.g. a numeric keypad (or even just arrow keys and two other keys). Keys can be remapped. There are even reasonable analogues to mouse input available - there's stuff which detects the position of the eyes etc, you can cater for those without buying or building those.

You just have to clear on what your objective is- if you want a computer you can wear, just strap on your cellphone or nokia ngage.

If you want something really different and innovative, then the software is where you do it, and you can do most of it way before you get the hardware. The hardware will get there and become cheap[1], they don't really need your help and I doubt you can make much of a difference in that field.

But if you want "the appearance" more than the function, sure go ahead and work hard at sticking a camera viewfinder to your head just so you can check email and run emacs while walking around.

[1] By the time he's out of college the hardware will be more affordable and ready, probably made in China or Taiwan. See the Espresso PC from Saint Song for instance, just a few more steps and you'd have a wearable.

However, they might rip off his software too by that time ;).

Or maybe they'll give him a job.. Yeah right ;).

.. but that slim, stylish Digimaxtrix box costs $1,112.42, starting price point.

That's not the price for the box, that's the price for the loaded system with WinXP. Do a Google search & you can find the barebones system for under $450 & add the components you need & probably come in well under $1000 (A quick check at zipzoomfly.com has a fairly basic system, 1.8G/512MB/160GB and a combo DVD player & cd burner (from NewEgg, they didn't have one at zzf) comes in at about $810). Cappuccinopc.com is even cheaper with a barebones price of $349 & similarly configured system at $764.