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[Shogmaster]

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/lapt...e-picture-codenamed-pandora-or-paradox-105446
http://www.silentpcreview.com/

It's a Pentium M inside, so should be much more robust computer than the Mac Mini. No idea if they are gonna produce it.

Also, AOpen's got some new Pentium M ATX mobo coming out too.

http://club.aopen.com.tw/news/News_ShowAnswer.aspx?RecNo=8327&Language=English

Would make a nice home server board.

 

[DarienA]

How are those Mac Mini's selling anyway?

 

[Shogmaster]

How are those Mac Mini's selling anyway?

No idea.

 

[SteveMeister]

How innovative!

 

[Manics]

Wow, they copied it exactly it seems in look. :lol

 

[Shogmaster]

Well no duh! It seems like a project they wanted to see how much of real computing hardware they can pack into that size. :lol

Seriously, nano ITX and G4 1.25~1.41Ghz ain't real computer hardware for something that's not running on batteries! Irony is that a CPU meant for laptops pack far more punch than either of those.

 

[Hitokage]

If you're locked into a specific graphics chipset, what's the point in having a PC in the first place?

 

[Shogmaster]

If you're locked into a specific graphics chipset, what's the point in having a PC in the first place?

Well to me, the whole mini computer thing is a joke in the first place since you can get the same thing but with screen and batteries already. I think it's called laptops or something like that. :lol

 

[Hitokage]

Well to me, the whole mini computer thing is a joke in the first place since you can get the same thing but with screen and batteries already. I think it's called laptops or something like that. :lol

Yeah, and laptops cost just as much.

 

[SteveMeister]

Well to me, the whole mini computer thing is a joke in the first place since you can get the same thing but with screen and batteries already. I think it's called laptops or something like that. :lol

Except the Mac mini is slightly more powerful than an iBook, and you can't get one of those for $499.

 

[Shogmaster]

Ok, Mr. Moneybags.

Mac Mini = Almost $600 with 512MB of RAM
PC laptop with 512MB of RAM = only $200 more (comes with screen, pointing device, keyboard and battery)

Except the Mac mini is slightly more powerful than an iBook, and you can't get one of those for $499.

Being slightly more powerful than iBook is nothing to call home about for a deskbound computer. Infact, it's downright embarrassing. And there are plenty of PC laptops that go for around $600 or even less, especially during holiday sales.

 

[Hitokage]

A fucking ACER?

 

[Shogmaster]

A fucking ACER?

Yes a fucking Acer. They are damn fine machines. Especially for the price.

Now with Averatec, you are on your own.

But if you must have a brand name, here's a Toshiba for around the same price.

 

[Hitokage]

Ok, thanks for completely invalidating your taste in computers for the rest of us, Shog.

 

[Shogmaster]

Ok, thanks for completely invalidating your taste in computers for the rest of us, Shog.

You see, unlike you brand whores, I am a parts whore. Computers are mostly sum of it's parts hardware wise, and I unlike some of you, can tell the good parts from bad. I laugh when idiot consumers spend 50~100% more on same parts just for a name brand computer. It's a Sony VAIO! It must be worth the additional $300! BZZZZT! Wrong. Sorry Johnny. You just got suckered.

This Acer has top notch parts for it's price. I don't care if it's Acer, Emachines, or even Everatec, as long as the parts they use are good, and their case engineering is up to par. Acer has in the last few years, definitely has risen to tier A manufacturer in these regards. Something like Averatec, which I'd avoid, is far from there.

 

[KnotLikely]

Acer isn't a bad name at all anymore. It had a negative stigma in my mind for years, until I saw one of these bad boys in action:

ACER FERRARI NOTEBOOK

 

[miyuru]

Hey Shogmaster:

I totally agree with you, and I'm wondering if you'd know the answer to this question - are Lite-On drives just rebadged Plextor drives?

 

[Shogmaster]

Hey Shogmaster:

I totally agree with you, and I'm wondering if you'd know the answer to this question - are Lite-On drives just rebadged Plextor drives?

No. They do OEM parts from same guys often times (Sanyo and others), but Lite On is not a cheaper Plextor knock offs. They did sometimes have drives that were very much the same though.

 

[Hitokage]

An Acer that doesn't make shit parts is news to me, though.

 

[Shogmaster]

An Acer that doesn't make shit parts is news to me, though.

Acer don't make parts. They buy parts from hardware venders like all other PC OEMs and pack them in their casings. You all should know this by now.

Anyways, Acer has done good things in the last 3 or so years. Many of their top of the line laptops are great, and they have definitely taken new technologies like Tablet PCs and have ran with them (they have at 5 distinct TPC models by my count, which is more than any other OEMs).

 

[Phoenix]

Acer used to suck ass beyond reason, now it merely is above average. While I'm hesitant to pick one up, Acer doesn't send me running and screaming.

Boxes like this are most likely to be used as mini-servers, set-top boxes, and mame-cabinet workhorses. That said, what is contained in it is PLENTY for 99% of users out there. Heck a Mac Mini is fine for most people out there. That vast majority of the market doesn't upgrade (which is one of the factors in continually strong computer purchases). Much of them don't replace their video cards, or drives, or anything else. Volume on upgrade parts is tiny compared to the rest of the market.

A box like this would be interesting as a little Linux server or as a Darwin box. I could give a rats ass about Windows anymore. 99.9% of my gaming is being done on consoles (moves to 100% when someone does fulltime mouse/keyboard support for games like Rome Total War to be readily available) in addition video card upgrades will cost more than the next gen of consoles. So if I remove gaming from my machine, I'm left with development (which most people don't do) and music composition (an even smaller number).

Thus without gaming, any PC you get off the shelf is fine. THe average consumer doesn't need 2Ghz of speed, much less 3.2Ghz or more.

 

[Hitokage]

Heh, what do you know.

Anyway, I'm just of the opinion that if a PC can't be used for games or linux, then it isn't worth much.

 

[AB 101]

Fantastic ripoff.

Does not seem to have Firewire though.

And it does run Windows.

-1 AOpen.

 

[Shogmaster]

The average consumer doesn't need to buy a new computer and would do just fine with the machines they currently have just reinstalled, but they buy new ones in couple of years because they old machine has "gotten all slow and crappy".

It's not about what everage consumer needs, it's about what average consumer think they need and want. And they think they need lots of power. They want more power, whether they need it or not.

Apple sold Mac Mini mainly on it's cute looks. If they had managed to pack in alot of power and capabilities, it would have been another marketing bullet point and broadened it's appeal and sales.

 

[AB 101]

Yes a fucking Acer. They are damn fine machines. Especially for the price.

You dissapoint me Shog. I thought you had high standards.

 

[Shogmaster]

You dissapoint me Shog. I thought you had high standards.

We have different standards. Yours is based on fluff, and mine is based on substance.

 

[Phoenix]

We have different standards. Yours is based on fluff, and mine is based on substance.

Yours is based on being dirt ass cheap

 

[Shogmaster]

Yours is based on being dirt ass cheap

Uh huh. That's why I just spent $2500 on a LCD tablet that won't ship until late June, ya?

I just like to get bang for my buck. And I know how to get it when it comes to computers.

 

[AB 101]

Yes a fucking Acer. They are damn fine machines. Especially for the price.

Maybe I should get one of those Ferrari Acer laptops.

Vroom vroom.

 

[Phoenix]

Uh huh. That's why I just spent $2500 on a LCD tablet that won't ship until late June, ya?

I just like to get bang for my buck. And I know how to get it when it comes to computers.

Pfft. You'd have a case IF you'd purchased them when they were over $3K like mine

 

[RaymondCarver]

'Shogo, I know someone in real life like you named Kevin...in SanAntonio. I'm almost wondering if it's you.






Well, you're speaking to a solution I'm looking for. I'm in the need for a mobile computing environment, PC or MAC, to learn content-development programs on the go. Currently, I'm at my girlfriend's place where she has a free/underpowered machine + roadrunner high speed. The pipe's great, but I'm not about to put graphics editing suits on here. My question I pose to you is:

What is the cheapest I can get out for a laptop? If money was no option I'd already have an iBook. What are my options?

 

[AB 101]

What kind of LCD tablet Shog?

PC or MAC

Only bring up PC with Shog.

He gets a tad irritable when you mention Mac.

 

[Phoenix]

What kind of LCD tablet Shog?





Only bring up PC with Shog.

He gets a tad irritable when you mention Mac.

Well since there are no Mac Tablet PCs, you're pretty much safe.

 

[Shogmaster]

Pfft. You'd have a case IF you'd purchased them when they were over $3K like mine

Dude, you got ripped off cause it was never $3000. It was listed at $3000 at Wacom's site, but everyone was selling it for $2500.

'Shogo, I know someone in real life like you named Kevin...in SanAntonio. I'm almost wondering if it's you.

Sorry. That must be another fellow with good common sense.

Well, you're speaking to a solution I'm looking for. I'm in the need for a mobile computing environment, PC or MAC, to learn content-development programs on the go. Currently, I'm at my girlfriend's place where she has a free/underpowered machine + roadrunner high speed. The pipe's great, but I'm not about to put graphics editing suits on here. My question I pose to you is:

What is the cheapest I can get out for a laptop? If money was no option I'd already have an iBook. What are my options?

Did you look in this past week's Best Buy and CompUSA fliers? They should have had some for around $500~600 for Memorial day weekend. If not, 4th of July should have few of those sales for sure. Probably with 18 months no interest financing offers.

What kind of LCD tablet Shog?

Wacom Cintiq 21UX

Only bring up PC with Shog.

He gets a tad irritable when you mention Mac.

I'm getting better. *twitch*

 

[Hitokage]

The average consumer doesn't need to buy a new computer and would do just fine with the machines they currently have just reinstalled, but they buy new ones in couple of years because they old machine has "gotten all slow and crappy".

It wouldn't be so bad if the OS those machines ran on didn't get slower with every revision.

 

[Phoenix]

Dude, you got ripped off cause it was never $3000. It was listed at $3000 at Wacom's site, but everyone was selling it for $2500.

Ah you're talking about specialist artist stuff and not Tablet PCs - er yeah, I picked up a copy of JBuilder Professional for $2500 a few years ago too

 

[Shogmaster]

It wouldn't be so bad if the OS those machines ran on didn't get slower with every revision.

Win 2000 to the rescue! For the time being anyways....

Ah you're talking about specialist artist stuff and not Tablet PCs - er yeah, I picked up a copy of JBuilder Professional for $2500 a few years ago too

UBOUGHTATABLETPC?!? OMG!!!! *ducks for sky falling down*

 

[Shompola]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Acer.. They sure arent worse than the competition. Besides that they make among the best budget monitors, i.e. BenQ.

 

[retardboy]

Here's another small one
http://www.thebookpc.com/product_in...d/313?osCsid=7ac31149cead219c5f9e81732273e2ae

 

[KnotLikely]

Who will you trust?

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

Oh sweet bleeding ass christ, look at you fuckers bickering over who spent more!

Lock your doors, and hide you wallets. I'm poor and crazy!

Anyhow - my initial post was gonna be:

Steve Jobs kicked Shog's puppy.

 

[golem]

my next laptop will be an acer..

drool...

 

[Phoenix]

UBOUGHTATABLETPC?!? OMG!!!! *ducks for sky falling down*

While I use Macs almost exclusively, I'm by no means a Mac biggot. I will use what does the job that I need done. At the time I needed something for class that would suffice for taking notes and the like. Unfortunately ... its Windows. After dealing with losing information for the 4th time I didn't have any use for the "tablet" of the tablet PC and sold it on ebay.

 

[Shogmaster]

Oh sweet bleeding ass christ, look at you fuckers bickering over who spent more!

Lock your doors, and hide you wallets. I'm poor and crazy!

Anyhow - my initial post was gonna be:

Steve Jobs kicked Shog's puppy.

If its any consolation, a little part of me dies everytime I spend that much. *rubs hands in glee for the eventual arrival of the 21UX*

After dealing with losing information for the 4th time I didn't have any use for the "tablet" of the tablet PC and sold it on ebay.

Not everyone is smart enough to use these "computer" thingies.... *runs*

 

[dark10x]

my next laptop will be an acer..

drool...

The mini-acer eh? I have the non-Ferrari version of that sitting on my desk right here. I really like it, actually. It's VERY small and ultra light. Holding it with one hand while using it with the other is very easy to do.

My Travelmate 3002 is for work...

...and my mobile desktop (which is massive) is for gaming...

 

[RaymondCarver]

The real deal is cost, not size. High costs for content creators makes too much overhead.


Some of us are in school and need the cheapest. Some of us are in business and need to make a profit.




I'm in the former and just need to practive my skills on the go.

 

[Phoenix]

Not everyone is smart enough to use these "computer" thingies.... *runs*

Considering how poorly they are selling, I wonder who is smarter - those who buy them or those who ditch them

 

[xsarien]

The Ferrari-branded Acers are some of the worst looking, brand-whoring, complete wastes of energy I've seen in a long time. And yeah, I'm counting the Alienware Star Wars boxes.

Also, I'm with Hito on the whole Acer debate. It'll be a cold day in hell before I touch one of those things, innards be damned.

 

[tedtropy]

Hah, they have it running a benchmark that's well over four years old. Teh impressive.

 

[kitchenmotors]

That mini pc is ugly as sin. The Mac mini is much better looking, and I think it's pretty pathetic that the design is an exact rip off, even the little white backing with the vents is the same, but somehow they managed to make it look like shit.