AOpen Readies Yonah-Based Mini PC

Taiwanese electronics maker AOpen plans to launch an updated version of a small desktop PC that closely resembles Apple Computer's Mac mini but runs the Microsoft Windows operating system and will carry Intel's latest dual-core microprocessors for mobile devices.

The Intel microprocessors, code-named Yonah, are scheduled to launch in the first quarter, but samples of the chips are already in the hands of PC developers in Taiwan, said Tony Yang, director of integration brand marketing at AOpen.

The new Yonah-based mini PC will be displayed at the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January, he said.

Preliminary Specs

The AOpen PC will be heavier than its predecessor, at around 2.86 pounds, compared to 2.53 pounds for the initial version of the mini PC it launched earlier this year using Intel's Pentium M microprocessors, said Yang. But the new mini PC with the dual-core microprocessor should offer nearly the same power efficiency as the older version, running at around 35 watts, he said.

It will also be designed for use as a home entertainment PC, with connections for digital or conventional TV sets and large hard disk storage space to hold movies and music.

Pricing for the product has not been determined because AOpen doesn't know how much Yonah will cost yet, Yang said. The dual core processor will be expensive, he said, but Intel has only given manufacturers a price range so far. He would not divulge the price range.