I’ve always been a fan of mini PCs because of the convenience they offer. It’s easy to set up and use, takes up less space on your desk, and delivers the same level of performance as a full-fledged workstation. Starting with Zotac’s entry-level ZBox series, he moved on to the Magnus EN1070K and most recently the Geekom Mini IT11 and Mini IT8.
I also used Intel’s NUC along the way. I have a large gaming console with a GeForce RTX 4080, but working on a mini PC is just as comfortable. In 2022 he did this because he determined that the motherboard in his gaming rig wouldn’t boot for two months. With the Mini IT11, I realized just how powerful a mini PC can be for everyday use cases like browsing, images and videos. Editing and even casual games.
That’s where the Mac mini comes in. I’m a lifelong Windows user and the only macOS device I have is a 2014 MacBook Pro, which I use once a week to annotate screenshots (this software is not available for Windows). I’ve been wanting to get a new macOS device, but I’m wary of notebooks in general, and the new iteration of the Mac mini is ideal for my needs.
The new Mac mini meets a lot of good criteria. Small Form Factor (SFF) is perfect for desk use. It’s powered by Apple M2 silicon, has a staggering 100GB/s memory bandwidth, and comes with all the ports I’m looking for. The best part is that it starts at just $599 which is great value for the hardware on offer.
For a work-focused machine, it’s hard to fault the Mac mini given what the M2 silicon can offer and the connectivity you get. With a replacement macOS in the works, and Windows offering many exciting options in this category as well, Google should get in on the action.
Chromebooks dominate the classroom, but Google hasn’t made Chromeboxes very popular. He’s the only option currently available by ASUS and has outdated hardware.
Google is doing everything right with Chrome OS, but now they need to provide the right hardware.
Given the potential and ease of use of Chrome OS, this is disappointing. There’s no malware to worry about, updates are automatic, and it’s the perfect hassle-free alternative for the vast majority of daily use cases.
Chrome OS has come a long way in the last five years, although there are still platform limitations, such as not being able to use Microsoft Office or Lightroom. Now is the time for Google to encourage brands to create Chromeboxes, or do so under its own label.
With a current-gen Intel Core i5 pair of massive memory and storage, Chromeboxes are an exciting option to take on Mac minis and Windows mini-PCs, and such machines have an addressable user base. Yes. Kids who have been using Chromebooks in the classroom for several years and are now looking for their own machine will feel right at home with Chrome OS and this platform is perfect for office work .
We’re seeing a resurgence of mini PCs, and Google should keep an eye out for this category. Especially when you’re doing all the right things with Chrome OS.
