Will Intel open Pandora's box with Mac Mini twin?

Taking another crack at the living room, Intel is again showing off a concept PC that closely resembles Apple Computer's Mac Mini.

The chipmaker unveiled the prototype with AOpen on Tuesday at the Computex trade show in Taiwan.

The squarish metallic box, originally code-named Pandora, will be released under AOpen's XC Cube product line and is similar to one revealed by the chipmaking giant at its Intel Developers Forum in March.

Intel often contracts with smaller PC manufacturers to establish prototypes and reference designs. Sometimes the designs succeed--often they don't get much farther than trade shows.

The AOpen prototype is one of several designs on display at Computex this week, said Intel spokeswoman Barbara Grimes. Intel is working with multiple computer and device manufacturers on similar designs and expects the products to come to market later this year, she said.

Taiwan-based AOpen, an affiliate of PC maker Acer Group, mostly serves as a contract manufacturer for other companies. It is expected to sell Pandora systems starting around September, according to PC enthusiast site Silent PC Review.

The new design lets Intel take another run at the entertainment PC, heralded at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2004. The first generation, however, didn't sell well. So this year, Don MacDonald, a vice president with Intel's home product group, has said that future living room units will be smaller, more stylish and likely less costly. Analysts have said Intel will need to keep production and software bundle costs down if it is to compete with Apple's $499 box.

According to Silent PC Review, AOpen's Pandora device has a slot load CD drive and power button in the front, along with three USB ports, a keyboard hookup and a serial port in the back for hooking into displays. The computer also has internal wireless networking connectors and uses a single blower fan to keep it cool.

AOpen is best known for its bare-bones tower systems, but it also makes smaller desktops, including a cube-shaped product family called XC Cube.

The computer maker also announced a partnership with Intel on the ATX Pentium M i915Ga-HFS. The hybrid motherboard is based on a socket 479 Pentium M (Dothan) CPU, Intel's 915G desktop chipset and ICH6 I/O controller. The motherboard is a likely candidate for the Pandora product line, AOpen said.

AOpen also said it is making PC motherboards based on Intel's latest Pentium D processors with 945G and 945P chipsets. The two motherboards are AOpen's first to support dual-core CPUs. Both motherboards can be installed with Pentium 4 processors with a front side bus running at 1066/800/533MHz.

Beware the 945G and P chipsets.

They, along with the Pentium D, include DRM outside of user control.

Beware the 945G and P chipsets.

They, along with the Pentium D, include DRM outside of user control.

[m.meister]

Here's an amazing picture.. NOT

CNet wrote up two articles on this (an earlier one) focusing on the
fact this a Mac mini clone.

I can understand why there wasn't a picture with the earlier article
(before it was announced), but the fact that it talks about the looks
in this article and doesn't provide a picture or link to anything with
a picture makes it worthless.

Look at this fabulous computer... [ ]

[LeslieKatz]

Image on the way (hopefully)!

Thanks Mark,

While there are some pics of this box online, copyright considerations prevented us from posting one today. We hope to have one up by tomorrow.

[m.meister]

Here's an amazing picture.. NOT

CNet wrote up two articles on this (an earlier one) focusing on the
fact this a Mac mini clone.

I can understand why there wasn't a picture with the earlier article
(before it was announced), but the fact that it talks about the looks
in this article and doesn't provide a picture or link to anything with
a picture makes it worthless.

Look at this fabulous computer... [ ]

[LeslieKatz]

Image on the way (hopefully)!

Thanks Mark,

While there are some pics of this box online, copyright considerations prevented us from posting one today. We hope to have one up by tomorrow.

[buzzhead61]

Apple's talks w/Intel - the real answer

The recent talks that Apple has been (supposedly) having with Intel are probably due to Intel's desire to introduce their Mac Mini look-alike. You know how touchy Jobs and Company are with folks who try to rip them off.

So much for the MacIntel rumors.

[Andrew J Glina]

Doubt it

Why would Intel talk to Apple prior to releasing this design? It is not like Apple invented the compact computer. I think if the Intel/Apple rumour is true then it would be something else. Hopefully not for a laptop CPU as that would annoy developers.

[Earl Benser]

Apple uses...

.... many Intel chips, just not Intel processors. The X86 processor is
not of interest; its design is all wrong for OSX. The Itanium might
be a subject for discussion, it's RISC and 64 bit, and might be
useful. But maybe it's not about processors at all. Time will tell

[unknown unknown]

Reply

Actually all the talk about Apple might start using Intel chips was started because Apple is looking for low power chips to put in their laptops (something IBM hasn't been making alot of, lower power chips that is). G5's consume a lot of power and make a lot of heat, thus very unappealing for use in laptops. What makes the jump seem even more possible is that Steve blamed IBM for some delays possibly due to IBM's extensive involvement (They helped design the Cell processor) with at least two next gen consoles (I don't know what nintendo is using in their Revolution console).

[buzzhead61]

Apple's talks w/Intel - the real answer

The recent talks that Apple has been (supposedly) having with Intel are probably due to Intel's desire to introduce their Mac Mini look-alike. You know how touchy Jobs and Company are with folks who try to rip them off.

So much for the MacIntel rumors.

[Andrew J Glina]

Doubt it

Why would Intel talk to Apple prior to releasing this design? It is not like Apple invented the compact computer. I think if the Intel/Apple rumour is true then it would be something else. Hopefully not for a laptop CPU as that would annoy developers.

[Earl Benser]

Apple uses...

.... many Intel chips, just not Intel processors. The X86 processor is
not of interest; its design is all wrong for OSX. The Itanium might
be a subject for discussion, it's RISC and 64 bit, and might be
useful. But maybe it's not about processors at all. Time will tell

[unknown unknown]

Reply

Actually all the talk about Apple might start using Intel chips was started because Apple is looking for low power chips to put in their laptops (something IBM hasn't been making alot of, lower power chips that is). G5's consume a lot of power and make a lot of heat, thus very unappealing for use in laptops. What makes the jump seem even more possible is that Steve blamed IBM for some delays possibly due to IBM's extensive involvement (They helped design the Cell processor) with at least two next gen consoles (I don't know what nintendo is using in their Revolution console).

[cnoyes72]

Yawn.......

Just another PC running windoze. My, what an innovation........

[sanenazok]

beware

someone put a sleeping pill in your fruit

[cnoyes72]

Yawn.......

Just another PC running windoze. My, what an innovation........

[sanenazok]

beware

someone put a sleeping pill in your fruit

So whats is a big fuss?

I am cunfused what is new about this "box"?
Looks like Mini-Mac?
If I am correct media computers been on market for years and different formats and boxes,this is just another lame apple looking pc.
How about some real news for change.

[Earl Benser]

Maybe you should try...

... a Mac Mini before you dismiss it. I wouldn't expect you to switch
to one, but it is one quite powerful little computer. The use of the
word 'lame' indicates that you really don't know Macs at all. You
should at least take the time to understand the other side of the PC
world before you try to blow it off.

So whats is a big fuss?

I am cunfused what is new about this "box"?
Looks like Mini-Mac?
If I am correct media computers been on market for years and different formats and boxes,this is just another lame apple looking pc.
How about some real news for change.

[Earl Benser]

Maybe you should try...

... a Mac Mini before you dismiss it. I wouldn't expect you to switch
to one, but it is one quite powerful little computer. The use of the
word 'lame' indicates that you really don't know Macs at all. You
should at least take the time to understand the other side of the PC
world before you try to blow it off.

There are already better Mini PC's out there

There are already better more powerful Mini PC's out there, just take a look at these two sites for example:

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.littlepc.com/" target="_newWindow">http://www.littlepc.com/</a>
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.stealthcomputer.com/littlepc.htm" target="_newWindow">http://www.stealthcomputer.com/littlepc.htm</a>

[Earl Benser]

But...Did you check the prices????

A good one will cost you over $1600. They may be small, but they
aren't competition for either a Mac Mini or a new PC Mini.

Price is always the problem with designs having a very limited
customer base. Hopefully, the PC Mini will appreal to many more
PC users.

[bluefrogpresident]

existing Mini PCs

Do you have any more references to companies or websites that already make Mini PCs?

There are already better Mini PC's out there

There are already better more powerful Mini PC's out there, just take a look at these two sites for example:

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.littlepc.com/" target="_newWindow">http://www.littlepc.com/</a>
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.stealthcomputer.com/littlepc.htm" target="_newWindow">http://www.stealthcomputer.com/littlepc.htm</a>

[Earl Benser]

But...Did you check the prices????

A good one will cost you over $1600. They may be small, but they
aren't competition for either a Mac Mini or a new PC Mini.

Price is always the problem with designs having a very limited
customer base. Hopefully, the PC Mini will appreal to many more
PC users.

[bluefrogpresident]

existing Mini PCs

Do you have any more references to companies or websites that already make Mini PCs?