Ripple Mini Chocolate is Atom-based, Mac Mini-like

If not for that dreadful, two-inch tall logo etched into the front, doing its damnedest to fontographically evoke the logo font of the Apple IIe, the Ripple .mini Chocolate would be a rather attractive solution for light weight computer tasks.

The Korean company has basically taken the look of the Mac Mini and slapped a low-wat 1.6Ghz Atom CPU inside, along with 2GB of DDR2 RAM and a slot-loading optical drive. There's only ethernet, no wifi, but the power supply only chews up 60 watts, but at a price of only $200, it's not a bad deal for an always-on media server or the like.

But yeesh. That Ripple on the front. I sort of admire the incompetent cleverness of the attempt, but this would be a far more plausible Mac Mini knock-off if they hadn't tried to channel a twenty year old Apple logo. Of course, covering it up is a simple matter: that's what the stickers of Porter Joel hands out to all of his friends are for.

Myripple to launch its mini form factor PC 'ripple mini chocolate' [AVING]

[#1 posted by Joel Johnson , July 23, 2008 2:54 PM]

I would buy this today for $200.

[#2 posted by minTphresh , July 23, 2008 10:26 PM]

what's it run on? linux? the link doesn't specify.

[#3 posted by strider_mt2k , July 24, 2008 3:43 AM]

I'd just cover that logo with a cooler sticker.

Seems pretty cool for the price.

[#4 posted by bcsizemo , July 24, 2008 5:44 AM]

At least the logo doesn't ripple....

[#5 posted by LightningCrash , July 24, 2008 6:10 AM]

If only it were steampunk

[#6 posted by OoerictoO , July 24, 2008 8:34 AM]

no svideo port. bummer, otherwise i might attempt a settop box with it.

[#7 posted by guy_jin , July 24, 2008 9:32 AM]

IMHO, Apple's stuff from the '80s is far more attractive than anything they make today.

I would totally buy this. And then put a little rainbow apple on it.

[#8 posted by mdhatter , July 24, 2008 12:19 PM]

I was wondering what to do with that apple sticker I got with my mini.

Now I know.

[#9 posted by Toby , July 24, 2008 12:53 PM]

I can't quite imagine why it'd need 60W (twice what my mac mini uses flat-out) if the Ripple is Atom-based. I built a low-power machine in a lunchbox that's whirring away in my closet, and it's drawing 35W with a proper 3.5in HD.

Speaking of the devil, Codinghorror had a nice discussion of rolling your own little machines yesterday, with many better possibilities.

[#10 posted by macrumpton , July 24, 2008 7:48 PM]

The power consumption is nothing special. My intel 17" iMac draws 55 watts and that includes the screen. When the screen is sleeping it draws less than 30.
For a little more money I am pretty sure that you could buy a used/refurbished/yearbeforelastmodel laptop would draw less power, include a screen, WiFi, keyboard and be portable on top of it all.