This site is here to explore all things Mini PC technology. From the mini pcs themselves to accessories, software, and the environment it lives in.

Mini PC? What is this all about?

Mini PCs have changed through the years. In the early days, there were small computers like the TRS-80 and the Commodore 64. As a young engineer, I owned both of these computers before the home computer became a thing.

Commodore 64. Source: Wikipedia

Then HP came out with handheld “palmtop” computers that could be used in factories and the like. When I was at Lawrence Livermore, we use the HP palmtop in our measurement labs. To run calibrations.

But to me, the first real mini PC was the Mac Mini. It was a full computer in a small form factor that could be used like any computer but didn’t need to be front and center like a desktop or laptop.

I bought three Mac Minis. I had owned a couple of what was called “internet boxes” that had some browser functionality but was mostly broken. Didn’t support JavaScript as I recall among other things. But the Mac Mini was an eye opener. It turned my 65″ smart TV into a huge monitor with the whole internet at my disposal. Even though I eventually got a Roku that has some capabilities for things like YouTube it wasn’t the same.

As we entered the 2010’s everyone seemed to come out with these small wonders. You had everything from a Raspberry Pi to a NUC mini. These small computers were showing up everywhere.

Then my wife’s uncle needed a new computer. The old one took up a lot of space in his small den. I offered to replace it with a KAMSUI mini pc. He could put it in a desk drawer. He didn’t need to bend over and crawl under the desk to connect and disconnect cables. At first, he was a little wary of it because it was different. Now it’s just part of the room as if it was always there.

What Will You Find Here?

The mini pc is small, inobtrusive, portable. That gives it a lot of uses in places where you don’t want the computer to be out in the open. Like the family room for home entertainment. Or behind a digital sign. Or maybe in your backpack when you travel to a gaming contest. And we continue to explore new ideas.