Does anyone of you own one?

LDUK

LDUK

Master Poster
Well? If so, what do you use it for, and how well does it do the task you use it for?
 
PCS

PCS

Administrator
Staff member
Both my Mum and Dad have one, and my gf's parents too. We will shortly be launching a silent totally fanless brushed aluminium mini PC.

If you want a PC that's fast for everyday tasks, as quiet as most devices in your living room (noisiest item is the HDD), very small and stylish, I can't recommend them more.

If you're after a gaming PC, or anything that's extra powerful, then a mini PC is not for you. :S
 
LDUK

LDUK

Master Poster
PCS said:
Both my Mum and Dad have one, and my gf's parents too. We will shortly be launching a silent totally fanless brushed aluminium mini PC.

If you want a PC that's fast for everyday tasks, as quiet as most devices in your living room (noisiest item is the HDD), very small and stylish, I can't recommend them more.

If you're after a gaming PC, or anything that's extra powerful, then a mini PC is not for you. :S
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Ha they must be good then. A fan less one sounds fab. And I know they're not for gaming lol.
Do they have the option of having a SSD?
That way, it should be completely silent (except for when reading discs I guess)
 
Meds

Meds

Moderator
Moderator
We will be submitting one of these in our new silent case into Micro Mart for review next month. Will post it on hear when we get the results.

LDUK said:
Do they have the option of having a SSD? That way, it should be completely silent (except for when reading discs I guess)
Click to expand...

Yes, there is an option for having SSDs fitting into our Mini PCs.
 
JakAttack

JakAttack

Resident Metalhead
Staff member
Moderator
I'm hoping to get one of the ion ones for use as a media centre centre downstairs on the "big telly" as we say in yorkshire, as the price is much lower than a basic desktop!
 
L

Leigh

Member
I didn't buy a mini-pc off here. I got an Asus (can't remember the model number anymore. It is one of them real tiny ones lol) for my parents which had a dvd player installed (some don't). Since my parents in general are not always literate with PC's, I just installed XMBC over the Windows XP operating system and set it to run initially on startup.

Since my mother watches a lot of asian tv serials, then it's very easy for her to just turn it on and get right into watching something. I think they are a great idea as a HTPC and give you alot more freedom to customise than the retail options like Popcorn Hour, etc.

The one I purchased also uses an ION, but it's ability to play HD content smoothly is limited. If your are going to have a dedicated media centre system and you want to play HD content...i'd advise you to either

1. Run a stripped down version of linux which has been configured to run a media centre environment. This will help speed up the computer and you will probably be able to manage viewing HD videos. Running a full media centre library (such as XMBC) on top of a fully-fledged operating system (ie: Windows 7, etc) requires too much power from the system. The frame rate will be very inconsistent.

2. If you want the full ability of an operating system like Windows, then use Windows Media Player classic to run HD. This is the lightest option when it comes to viewing HD video without having too much strain on the system.This is just my opinion based on my individual system. Chances are that if you order a PC from PCSpecialist, then it will probably be more sustainable than the product I purchased anyway.
 
LDUK

LDUK

Master Poster
Leigh said:
I didn't buy a mini-pc off here. I got an Asus (can't remember the model number anymore. It is one of them real tiny ones lol) for my parents which had a dvd player installed (some don't). Since my parents in general are not always literate with PC's, I just installed XMBC over the Windows XP operating system and set it to run initially on startup.

Since my mother watches a lot of asian tv serials, then it's very easy for her to just turn it on and get right into watching something. I think they are a great idea as a HTPC and give you alot more freedom to customise than the retail options like Popcorn Hour, etc.

The one I purchased also uses an ION, but it's ability to play HD content smoothly is limited. If your are going to have a dedicated media centre system and you want to play HD content...i'd advise you to either

1. Run a stripped down version of linux which has been configured to run a media centre environment. This will help speed up the computer and you will probably be able to manage viewing HD videos. Running a full media centre library (such as XMBC) on top of a fully-fledged operating system (ie: Windows 7, etc) requires too much power from the system. The frame rate will be very inconsistent.

2. If you want the full ability of an operating system like Windows, then use Windows Media Player classic to run HD. This is the lightest option when it comes to viewing HD video without having too much strain on the system.This is just my opinion based on my individual system. Chances are that if you order a PC from PCSpecialist, then it will probably be more sustainable than the product I purchased anyway.
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I'm pretty sure that if you get a decent enough Mini PC, it would be able to play HD videos fine on Windows 7. Plus, Windows 7 isn't all that demanding. Especially Compared to Vista.
 
Gorman

Gorman

Author Level
We offer the HTPC's with some pretty beefy components so it shouldnt be an issue. The kind of box Leigh is talking about are a thing of the past. A good read though!
 
LDUK

LDUK

Master Poster
Gorman said:
We offer the HTPC's with some pretty beefy components so it shouldnt be an issue. The kind of box Leigh is talking about are a thing of the past. A good read though!
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That's what I was thinking. Personally, I wouldn't buy a PC with a Linux OS. I've had Linux before (all different types) and I didn't really like it. In fact, I would only buy a Windows OS.
 
L

Leigh

Member
LDUK said:
That's what I was thinking. Personally, I wouldn't buy a PC with a Linux OS. I've had Linux before (all different types) and I didn't really like it. In fact, I would only buy a Windows OS.
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Yeah, I would agree with that to be honest. Although it is good enough for the kind of power that my parents ask for. I did install Windows XP on it so they have enough comprehension to browse the internet if they wish to. Slap a few External 1TB hard drives and they are laughing for space. They don't ask for much and they aren't really caring for HD; they're old school haha! Bare in mind that I did get it for £200. If it was me, i'd want something with a little more zest so to speak. PCspecialist do some great looking models and I may order one in the future for my own personal use. =]
 
LDUK

LDUK

Master Poster
Leigh said:
Yeah, I would agree with that to be honest. Although it is good enough for the kind of power that my parents ask for. I did install Windows XP on it so they have enough comprehension to browse the internet if they wish to. Slap a few External 1TB hard drives and they are laughing for space. They don't ask for much and they aren't really caring for HD; they're old school haha! Bare in mind that I did get it for £200. If it was me, i'd want something with a little more zest so to speak. PCspecialist do some great looking models and I may order one in the future for my own personal use. =]
Click to expand...

Don't they only have one model?
 
L

Leigh

Member
LDUK said:
Don't they only have one model?
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I'm sure that they have a different encasing for the higher, expensive models. When I looked a few months ago, they also used to build them with a very cute small case, which looks a little different to the current standard that they offer. =]
 
LDUK

LDUK

Master Poster
Leigh said:
I'm sure that they have a different encasing for the higher, expensive models. When I looked a few months ago, they also used to build them with a very cute small case, which looks a little different to the current standard that they offer. =]
Click to expand...

Oh right. I've only ever seen one lol. Then again, I'm not really looking to buy one so I guess I didn't care to really look lol.
 
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