Mini PC
Encyclopedia
Mini PC is short for “minimized personal computer
” and is also called small form factor PC.
"Mini PC", referring to traditional desktop PC's, refers to the Mini-ITX form factor, which is a 17 x 17 cm (or 6.7 x 6.7 inches) motherboard. With Mini-ITX or smaller motherboards, the volume of the mini PC is less than 3 liters.
The first consumer mini PC is the Mac Mini
made by Apple in early 2005. At the same year, Intel and Microsoft
-based mini PC was debuted by AOpen Inc
. Since “mini PC” cannot be registered as a trademark, AOpen has renamed their mini PC products “XC mini” in 2007.
A new generation of "mini PCs", or "mini desktop PCs" have emerged which measure less than 12 inches wide and less than 3 inches thick. They are also referred to as Ultra Small Form Factor
(USFF) PCs. They are also sometimes also referred to as "thin client
s", which is incorrect because mini PCs can operate completely as standalone computers, just like any PC
.
Mini PCs differ from traditional desktop PCs in being much smaller and not having extra bays for drives in front or for add-on cards in the back. Mini PCs may or may not have optical (i.e. CD/DVD) disc drives.
Some people also refer to using them as an "HTPC" (Home Theater PC
), especially when they are used to connect a TV to the Internet, but Home Theater PC's usually have large media storage (single or multiple hard disc drives) and an optical drive (or drives, or DVD optical jukebox
) to play DVD's.
Mini PC's that are only 1-inch high can be called "one-inch" PC's. They are equivalent to the base of a laptop PC, without the display, keyboard, battery, or battery circuitry. In fact, laptop PC motherboards can be used in "one-inch" PC's. The advantage of a "one-inch PC" is that it easily fits anywhere, including on the back of a display or TV.
Examples of mini PC's include:
A sub-class of Mini Desktop PCs is "Nettop
s", which have electronics based on Netbook computers.
Another sub-class of Mini Desktop PCs is the "TV PC". These are mini desktop PCs that are modified to interface with TVs. Examples include the Neuros Link and The Wave, (26.3 x 18.5 x 2.6 cm = 10.4 x 7.3 x 1.0 inches).
Tags: Mini PC, Mini Desktop PC, Mini ITX, Nettop, USFF, TV PC, HTPC, one-inch PC, 1-inch PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
” and is also called small form factor PC.
"Mini PC", referring to traditional desktop PC's, refers to the Mini-ITX form factor, which is a 17 x 17 cm (or 6.7 x 6.7 inches) motherboard. With Mini-ITX or smaller motherboards, the volume of the mini PC is less than 3 liters.
The first consumer mini PC is the Mac Mini
Mac Mini
The Mac Mini is a small form factor desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. Like earlier mini-ITX PC designs, it is uncommonly small for a desktop computer: 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches tall. It weighs 2.7 pounds...
made by Apple in early 2005. At the same year, Intel and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
-based mini PC was debuted by AOpen Inc
AOpen
AOpen is a major electronics manufacturer from Taiwan that makes computers and parts for computers. AOpen used to be the Open System Business Unit of Acer Computer Inc. which designed, manufactured and sold computer components. It incorporated in December 1996 as a subsidiary of Acer Group with an...
. Since “mini PC” cannot be registered as a trademark, AOpen has renamed their mini PC products “XC mini” in 2007.
A new generation of "mini PCs", or "mini desktop PCs" have emerged which measure less than 12 inches wide and less than 3 inches thick. They are also referred to as Ultra Small Form Factor
Small form factor
A small form factor is a computer form factor designed to minimize the volume of a desktop computer. For comparison purposes, the size of an SFF case is usually measured in litres. SFFs are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, including shoeboxes, cubes, and book-sized PCs...
(USFF) PCs. They are also sometimes also referred to as "thin client
Thin client
A thin client is a computer or a computer program which depends heavily on some other computer to fulfill its traditional computational roles. This stands in contrast to the traditional fat client, a computer designed to take on these roles by itself...
s", which is incorrect because mini PCs can operate completely as standalone computers, just like any PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
.
Mini PCs differ from traditional desktop PCs in being much smaller and not having extra bays for drives in front or for add-on cards in the back. Mini PCs may or may not have optical (i.e. CD/DVD) disc drives.
Some people also refer to using them as an "HTPC" (Home Theater PC
Home theater PC
A Home Theater PC or Media Center appliance is a convergence device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that supports video, photo, music playback, and sometimes video recording functionality...
), especially when they are used to connect a TV to the Internet, but Home Theater PC's usually have large media storage (single or multiple hard disc drives) and an optical drive (or drives, or DVD optical jukebox
Optical jukebox
An optical jukebox is a robotic data storage device that can automatically load and unload optical discs, such as Compact Disc, DVD, Ultra Density Optical or Blu-ray disc and can provide terabytes and petabytes of tertiary storage. The devices are often called optical disk libraries, robotic...
) to play DVD's.
Mini PC's that are only 1-inch high can be called "one-inch" PC's. They are equivalent to the base of a laptop PC, without the display, keyboard, battery, or battery circuitry. In fact, laptop PC motherboards can be used in "one-inch" PC's. The advantage of a "one-inch PC" is that it easily fits anywhere, including on the back of a display or TV.
Examples of mini PC's include:
- Apple Mac mini (19.7 x 19.76 x 3.6 cm = 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4 inches),
- Asus Eee boxes (22.3 x 17.8 x 2.6 cm = 8.8 x 7 x 1 inches)
- Low Carbon PC Mini Computers (21.5 x 21.0 x 5.5 cm = 8.6 x 8.4 x 2.2 inches)
- Dell Inspiron Zino (19.7 x 19.7 x 8.9 cm = 7.8 x 7.8 x 3.4 inches)
- HP t5325 Thin Client (VY623AT) (16.0 x 12.0 x 3.15 cm = 6.3 x 4.7 x 1.2 inches)
- Lenovo IdeaCentre Q Series (25.0 x 20.0 x 6.0 cm = 9.84 x 7.87 x 2.36 inches).
- Monix PC (19.0 x 21.5 x 6.0 cm = 7.48 x 8.46 x 2.36 inches).
- ZOTAC ZBOX
A sub-class of Mini Desktop PCs is "Nettop
Nettop
Nettop may refer to:*Nettop, a type of computer*NetTop, a NSA project...
s", which have electronics based on Netbook computers.
Another sub-class of Mini Desktop PCs is the "TV PC". These are mini desktop PCs that are modified to interface with TVs. Examples include the Neuros Link and The Wave, (26.3 x 18.5 x 2.6 cm = 10.4 x 7.3 x 1.0 inches).
Tags: Mini PC, Mini Desktop PC, Mini ITX, Nettop, USFF, TV PC, HTPC, one-inch PC, 1-inch PC