What constitutes sexy when it comes to the computers we use? For some it’s maximum speed, the hottest cpu and graphics card mated with lots of fast ram wrapped in a case with clear panels and black lights that looks like it was designed by a teenage boy. For some, form is it’s own function, and beauty and smart design win the race, ala hardware designs from NeXT and Apple.
I used to fall in the former category, cramming the fastest, most expensive hardware in a nondescript beige case. Then I purchased my first Mac, a lucite G4 Powermac with matching Cinema display. I appreciated that my workstation looked like something off a movie set, and really started to think about aesthetics when regarding computer hardware. I liked the design of my next workstation, a G5 Powermac, but it is coming near the end of it’s tour of duty on my desktop.
I’ve been looking at Apple’s current lineup to try to guess where they’ll be with their processors next summer when I finally upgrade. While I like the idea of an 8 core Mac Pro, I don’t know that I feel like spending $2500 for my tower this time around. I’ve looked at the iMac, and frankly, while I never would have owned one of the originals or the goofy looking successors that looked like something Pixar designed. the current iMac’s design doesn’t offend my sensibilities and has the best combination of price and performance in the Apple line. If I can get a quad core iMac with 4 gigs of ram for around $1500 I will probably go that way.
While looking I was really attracted to the Mac Mini. A 1.83 GHz Core2Duo cpu, two gigs of ram and a 160 gig hard drive will run in the $774 neighborhood. It’s damn small, and like the Mac Cube before it, is passively cooled. No fan. Zero fan noise. That is sexy.
I was going through Amiga/MorphOS envy around the same time. Currently the only active platform for MorphOS is Genesi’s Efika.
The Efika is a Power PC based embedded system that accommodates a 400 MHz cpu and 128 megs of ram. This seems ridiculous, right? I mean, it’s 2008. We need more than that. Well, maybe not. For the adventurous who could live without the amenities of a PC or a Mac, the Efika Open Client supplies a micro workstation that will run either Linux or MorphOS. In the case of MorphOS we are talking about a lightning fast operating system that boots in seconds and doesn’t have a lot in the way of overhead in terms of memory or cpu usage. Is this system for everyone? Absolutely not. You can find it online for $99 for the mainboard, or $175 stuffed in a utilitarian steel case. For that price, this tiny, quiet system represents a very cool little machine.
The Amiga curse still doesn’t show any signs of relenting, and like RiscOS, AmigaOS is controlled by two separate entities at this time. The AmigaOS 4 side has taken some initiative while the current legal drama plays out, and AmigaOS has been ported to a new platform, Acube’s sam440ep embedded platform.
The sam440ep is another Power PC based platform. Acube’s sam440ep sports a 667 MHz cpu with 512 megs of ram. It will run AmigaOS 4.1, linux or FreeBSD. Again, in the case of AmigaOS, we’re talking about a lightweight os that boots in seconds and doesn’t need 16 cores and a terrabyte of ram in order to perform crisply. The sam440ep mounted in a case will set you back $767 to $992, depending on your choice of case.
A fourth alternative would be to purchase a micro atx or mini itx case and make your own embedded system. Research the specs and cooling requirements and be sure of what your board supports before blindly buying components. Windows has a lot steeper hardware requirements than any os in existence, so you’ll want a lot more cpu and ram than the previously mentioned systems to run that fat, bloated piece of crap on your new embedded box. heh. Sorry, had to work that in. You guys know I’m not much of a Windows guy. Don’t take it personally. 
There is something to be said for a computer that isn’t much bigger than your mouse. Something that sits unobtrusively on your desktop, or that could be mounted under your desk, out of sight, out of mind. Something that operates silently, and you won’t appreciate that until you experience it. Certainly not a machine for a gamer, but a competent box for day to day computer usage and internet travel.
For the adventurous, would-be operating system hobbyists reading this, take a hard look at that Efika Open Client. Search the web, and you’ll find the place that I’m talking about that has it for $174. All it needs is a hard drive and a graphics card. It supports 2.5″ drives and Radeon cards up to the 9250. For a cd/dvd drive, an external would fit the bill. If you really want to be too cool for school, just buy the mainboard for $99 and make your own enclosure. Of course, I expect all of you that turn toasters and goldfish bowls into uber-cool mini itx systems to include pics in the comments section.
