“AOpen has announced prices and a ship date for its ‘Pandora’ box, the Intel-based clone of the Apple Mac mini,” Mark Hachman reports for ExtremeTech.
“The Pandora will be sold as a complete system, according to a note from the OEM that was sent to reporters this week. The Pandora will sell for an estimated price of $499 for a Windows-based configuration, and $399 for one configured around Linux. Systems will be available by Christmas, the company said,” Hachman reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: From a press release issued by AOpen earlier this year: AOpen’s Mini PC is powered by Intel Pentium M processors with built-in DVD-RW and 2.5-inch hard drive. The product is built with mini-PCI 804.11 a/b/g wireless communication module and Bluetooth support. It can also transfer data wirelessly to and from personal computing and communication devices such as PDA and smart phone. The Mini PC also provides DVI, S-Video, and YPbPr connectors so that it can be connected to HDTV, plasma display monitor, large screen display panels, and high definition audio products. More info in related articles below.
Advertisement: The new Mac Mini. Still starting at $499. Free shipping from The Apple Store.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
AOpen Mac mini look-alike to be named ‘Mini PC’ – June 03, 2005
Intel’s prototype AOpen ‘Pandora’ ripoff of Apple’s Mac mini photos posted online – May 31, 2005
AOpen Mac mini look-alike unveiled; based on Intel Pentium M, runs Windows – May 30, 2005
Talk about FUGLY! Not an original idea out there outside of Apple?
Qhat a rip-off
Sounds good. I may get one.
I’ll wait for the Apple Mac mini with the Intel processor inside for $499 that’ll be out by next spring. If I’m going to pay $499 either way, I’d rather have the original with OS X instead of a cheap knockoff with Winblows for the same price.
I wonder if AOpen actually did pay Apple a licence in order to release this clone of the Mini, if not then won’t Apple be suing AOpen for ‘too near likeness’ to the said Mini by Apple?
Also perhaps once Apple’s Mini, better looking anyhow, has an Intel inside, maybe if the price is right from Intel to keep a similar price point for the Mini feature a duel-core Pentium CPU and cream AOpen’s ‘clone’?
“AOpen has announced … its ‘Pandora’ box…”
And it runs Windoze. Appropriate name.
A Linux version for $399…?
That might be a good proposition instead of Windoze and could be a good choice to replace my current SuSE 9.3 tower to make room for a G5/MacIntel tower that I have been pondering on how to install into my small studio (read bedroom) space and not have to throw out SuSE Linux.
I am sure my fellow Mac fans/users here won’t object to the use of AOpen’s Pandora running SuSE?
BTW: I am a GUI user, so other commandline flavours of Linux will not suit me and I have tried!
Imitation is the highest form of flattery!
Like Confusious say, “Man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day!”
Couple things:
(1) No lawsuit – it is similar but it isn’t a duplicate. No more than Widgets are similar but not a duplicate of Konfabulations.
(2) This is a non-event. The Mac mini is ground breaking not only because Apple put laptop components in a small box, but because it is a _Mac_ for $499. There have been small PCs for a while, cheap PCs for even longer. That someone put them together is a non-event.
MDN word: men
The various video outputs will prove useful addition, providing the rest of the box is useful as a media center.
reminds me of when e-machines released a imac clone years ago.
apples lawyers were all over them and they were forced to stop selling them.
i see a re-run of that time.
attack!!!
here it is…
They’re rather late to the scene – I guess it does take about 10 months or so to copy an idea and get it on the market.
In their defense, I like the idea of the YPbPr connectors – it would be nice to have a computer with wireless mouse/keyboard hooked up to an HD TV.
wow… that’s actually, kind of cool.
the mac mini is underpowered… and a waste. This PC actually has decent specs,
Yes the HDTV aspect is a good addition, however it seems to me that HD ready plasma/LCD’s in North America differ to our over here in Europe and not so much down to differing TV systems as HDTV, not to get too technical, is universal after a lot of redesigning as at the time SMPTE of the US were objecting to the apparent inferiority of their HDTV system to the rest of the world, anyhow I digress….
….HDTV sets here in Europe or HDMI are in fact exactly the same sockets as DVI for connecting computers to the display under a different name.
…continued….
……So even a Mac Mini will connect directly to a large screen flat panel HDTV set. This being my purpose of buying a Mini and set it up as a DVR using Elgato’s Eye TV product to bridge the TV signal so the Mini will be able to be connected both to the TV signal and to my current wireless and Airport Express as a redundant backup.
Our satellite service provider Sky owned by Rupert Murdoch, yes the same guy that owns Fox TV Stateside, will be launching a new HD version of the his service at the end of this year.
The conncetions are via, as is the case here, via a separate ‘set-top-box’ that the dish lead plugs into which has other connections at the back to include a USB2.0 port for computers. Yes it is a DVR in its own right with an internal user upgradeable hard drive. END
I actually might get one of those
…AS AN EXTERNAL HARDDRIVE!
“the mac mini is underpowered… and a waste. This PC actually has decent specs,”
Just like some have already noted, wait for Apple to put Intels inside the Mini, did you read the article recently about Intel’s competitors complaining that Intel are to supply Apple with their newest line of CPU’s before they will?
For that reason alone I would wait as in all likely hood the MiniTel (?) could have a duel core Pentium, single yes so not quad core as in two duel core Pentiums, but still a Mini on market with new Pentiums inside before anyone else.
Despite all other considerations the Pandora does make a good Linux box, something the Linux world may enjoy seeing AFAIK there is only one PowerPC Linux flavour that being Yellow Dog. This will change with the new MacTels.
Yellow Dog is not the only ppc linux distro. They are few, but try Ubuntu if you don’t like Yellow Dog.
The inclusion of “S-Video, and YPbPr connectors so that it can be connected to HDTV, plasma display monitor, large screen display panels, and high definition audio products” does make it attractive. Those same connectors should be on the mini, IMHO.
I will get one of these things – with Linux of course – and try it out… I have been using Linux for server realted stuff since I stopped using WIndows server about three years ago
Apple, do something quick before it’s too late, sue them!!!!
If not, from now onward, people will get confuse between an apple products and windoze products. Why? because they all look the same. The only difference is; apple logo is place beautiful on the casing, while others not, BUT they are cheaper and more value for money (interm of memory, hard disk space, free stuff)
Like I said those connectors are already on the Mini, Nice I/O in the DVI output, same as HDMI on a plasma/LCD screen. NEC has one in the US a 60″ I think and has HDMI to allow DVI connectors to plug in directly.
Yes Apple should sue AOpen and upgrade the Mini beyond the recent speed bump, mind you that makes me wonder if Apple are waiting for today’s AOpen’s Pandora statement to see what the Pandora is, of course nothing will be done yet as the Pandora has not hit the store shelves as AOpen state it will be “by this Christmas”.
I have not looked into what plasmas or LCD’s are currently on the market recently in the USA, so do you own research into these TV’s.
Very interesting. I was waiting for an Intel based Mac mini so I could use it as a server. But I planned on putting Debian Linux on it. So this interests me tremendously. Sorry but I prefer Linux to OS X for servers. And before you jump on me, I’m typing this from my PowerMac Dual G5 2.0ghz. I’ve also got an iBook and had purchased a Mac mini but sold it to my neighbor. And I convinced my mother to get an iMac, a coworker to get a Mac mini and another coworker to get an iMac G5.
and once again the PCindustry copies apple, flashback coming on…
if only apple had advertied enough, the copies would have been seen for what they are, inferior copies of a genious design!
(it lacks the ability for digital audio output though, for those of us who use the computer to view dvdmovies)
Not similar?
What are you smoking??
Apple legal is going to be all over these guys like water on a fish!
I seriously doubt the version shown will ever see the light of day.