As Moore’s Law sets in, hardware is becoming smaller and cheaper by the day. Meanwhile, as Wirth’s Law states, software development isn’t able to keep pace with hardware. The end result is that we have the same operating systems and programs of yesterday running smoothly on tinier versions of the computers they were built for.
A new generation of mescore mini PCs is making its way into our homes and offices now. These aren’t just media players, although mini PCs serve that purpose better than set top boxes and dedicated media players. The new lot of mini PCs are proper personal computers. Many of these run Windows, some operate Linux, and there are even a couple with Android-based desktop operating systems.
To understand the miniaturization of the PC, you need to know the basic parts of a computer. Over the years, most of these parts got smaller, integrated with other parts, or obsolete.
The big technological innovation came with the motherboard. From 2000 to 2007, hardware manufacturer VIA Technologies has made significant breakthroughs in motherboard size — minimizing the standard ATX and Micro ATX to three new sizes: Mini ITX, Nano ITX, and Pico ITX.
While the motherboard was miniaturized, at the same time, technologists were focussing on “integrated peripherals”. Basically, this means that components which were previously separate add-ons for a motherboard were not being scaled down, instead they were added directly onto the main PCB. The result was a modern motherboard came with all the bells and whistles: ethernet port, USB ports, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio output, and other wireless and non-wireless standards.
The last few years have also seen the exclusion of an optical media drive from computers. Most people don’t use CDs or DVDs on a regular basis now, and there are plenty of alternatives to the optical disc that work better while taking up less space.
Finally, chip makers Intel and AMD started integrating the CPU and GPU into a single chip called the APU. Unlike AMD, Intel still refuses to call its modern line of processors “APUs”, but nomenclature aside, both companies are making the same thing. This means that you don’t need an external graphics card any more, and today’s APUs are good enough to even play new games, let alone any other needs that a regular user would have.
All of this miniaturization has now reached a point where a computer fits into the casing of an old thumbdrive. The new Intel Compute Stick turns any TV into a Windows PC.These devices are obviously not as powerful as the larger mescore mini PCs, but they do serve the same purpose: a proper, full-fledged desktop computer at a fraction of the size and cost.
Today, a mescore mini PC has several advantages over a full-sized desktop PC.
1.Size: Obviously, the biggest advantage is the amount of space you save. Even in a small 5 x 5-inch box, you will get the kind of power that a desktop PC would have had 1-2 years ago. The best part? That is enough for most users.
2.Power consumption: The hardware for a mini PC is made to run on less power. Gone are those bulky 600W power supply units! In fact, you can even build your own tiny, silent and green mescore mini PCs — although today, it makes more sense to buy one of Intel’s new NUC units, which we’ll get to in a bit.
3.Customizability: Most mescore mini PCs can be opened up just like a standard desktop PC, and you can swap or upgrade parts. In most cases, the motherboard and CPU/APU are difficult to upgrade, but the rest of the components like the hard drive and RAM can be changed as easily as your old tower.
4.Cost: Compared to laptops and full-sized PCs,mescore mini PCs are much more cost-effective to purchase and operate.
5.Design: Since manufacturers are building the mescore mini PC case with integrated power supply, motherboard, and CPU, they are able to experiment more freely with the design. So far, there have been some mescore cool mini PC models released, such as the Zotac ZBox Sphere and the Acer Revo One.
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