Check out the Amiga Mini PC (via The Loop)
While not much of a looker, this box houses a potent 3.5GHz Core i7-2700k CPU, 16GB of DDR3 memory, NVIDIA’s GeForce GT 430 (1GB), a WiFi radio and a 1TB HDD that can be swapped out for a 300GB or 600GB solid state drive.
I saw a few links to this over the last day or two. I saw the picture and thought ‘Cool, a Mac-mini-style PC’. I’m not going to be the guy that rips a PC maker for copying Apple, as (a) this isn’t in the ballpark of the Macbook Air ripoffs, (b) I’m all for extending another company’s ideas, and © I’m a big fan of the Mac mini form factor and would love to see more desktops like it. I own a Mac mini (and love it). It cost me $600 for my entry-level model. It works great for the time being, though when I next upgrade I would plan on getting closer to maxing out the specs. But still, $600 is a great entry point.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t do much more than look at the picture of the Amiga Mini PC until I saw The Loop’s follow-up with this headline:
Commodore whiffs Amiga price on launch, drops $500 overnight.
$500? That’s nearly what my Mac mini cost. So, what was the original entry level price?
Unfortunately, the well-specced base model tips the pricing scales at $2,495, but that does include a copy of its Commodore OS Vision.
Well, thank goodness Commodore OS Vision is included, otherwise the now-reduced-to-$1,995 price would be tough to stomach. Actually, I’ve never heard of Commodore OS Vision before. What exactly is it?
Commodore OS Vision is our customized GNU/Linux distribution for Commodore enthusiasts that is designed to unleash your creative potential and help you enjoy your computing experience to the fullest. Commodore computers were well known for their unique operating environments, so we seek to do the same, by providing a distinctive, attractive, advanced and fun operating system experience. Various themes are included, inspired by the Commodore 64 and various versions of the Commodore Amiga Workbench user environments, but with a modern spin, which includes many slick graphical effects which showcase the capabilities of our new Commodore machines.
Oh hell, you lost me at 'customized GNU/Linux distribution’. But, say I spend $2,495 $1,995 on this high-powered machine. What can I expect from the software that differentiates it from any other Linux box (or Mac or Windows PC)? From the fine print:
- Commodore OS Vision is beta software under continual development and improvement.
- There are no warranties whatsoever regarding its usage or applicability for any purpose.
Nicely done, Commodore. This is going to sell like hot cakes.