Quote: Originally Posted by
2k1Toaster 
And you can get a knockoff mac-mini in a small case for much cheaper. Check out the Aopen (sp?) models. They even have the white look.
Simply untrue. The difference is that the Mini has fewer configuration options. A quick check of Froogle finds that Excaliber PC is offering the Aopen Pandora for the bargain basement price of $569. For that price, you get a whopping 256MB of RAM, a giant 40 gig hard drive, no OS, no WiFi, no Bluetooth on a Celeron Mobile 370 1.5GHZ processor.
The Mini on the Apple store for $599 is a 1.83GHZ core 2 duo, has twice the memory, double the hard disk size and ships with the combo drive, WiFi, and bluetooth. It ships with the OS included plus software for making DVD's, building websites, creating photo projects, and making movies. It includes Front Row and a remote control to operate it.
To me, that's a value, but to others, you can't really configure it. That is, you can't strip it down to get the price lower. However, configuring the Pandora to Mini specs will yield you a similar price.