Johannesburg, 01 Oct 2020
Mini PCs (MPCs) are today beginning to make significant inroads into the ICT market, as an increasing number of people and organisations recognise the enormous benefits they can offer.
However, today’s compact, easy to install and secure devices are a far cry from where such PCs began.
As Xavier Nel, head of product at CloudGate, explains, in the 1960s, a typical computer was a mainframe that took up an entire room and cost in the region of $100 000. Therefore, the term ‘mini’ was applied to anything somewhat smaller than that – say a fridge-sized machine that perhaps went for a quarter of the cost.
“Nonetheless, the ICT industry remained focused on producing smaller machines, to make these both more accessible and easier to store, but of course these had limited functionality. The advent of desktop computers in the 1980s meant that MPCs were now designated as devices smaller than that, and the rise of the laptop in the 1990s suggested at first that the MPC might have become outdated,” he says.
“Of course, while the laptop continues to be seen essentially as a mobile desktop, there remain many challenges with these devices. For one thing, the screen on a laptop is much smaller than the average screen on a desktop PC, as is the keyboard. When it comes to ergonomics then, laptops clearly have certain limitations, whereas a good MPC – while not as mobile – provides great processing power, in a smaller shell, but with the ability to deliver a better ergonomic user experience.”
Nel indicates that in the current scenario, where most people have been working from home, businesses have often just provided these employees with laptops, without taking into account the impact smaller keyboards, screens and mouses may have on productivity. On the other hand, he adds, an MPC can enable the same experience as a desktop, but in a more compact and easily protected and secured shell.
“For me, the current history of the MPC is about realigning its meaning. The MPC today is essentially a newer and better desktop, and what is required is for us to eliminate the outdated image people have of something termed ‘mini’ being less capable, less powerful and less than equivalent to a desktop tower.
“Ultimately, I consider the MPC to be the next evolution in desktop PCs, since these devices offer enormous reliability, thanks to their solid state drives (SSDs) which have no moving parts. Furthermore, their small size means they are also less likely to suffer damage and also make it easier to ensure the equipment is safe and secure.”
He suggests that the cloud is a key driver in the continued evolution of the MPC, because far more of the actual processing power required today happens here, rather than on the PC itself. MPCs are well-suited as an interface to the cloud, as these devices provide the perfect link between the user and the computational power in the cloud.
“In fact, I take a bit of exception to even the use of the term ‘mini’, since it conjures an impression of being inferior or not as powerful. This remains a holdover from the devices’ early history, and still carries a stigma of sorts. Think about the car known as the Mini – it is viewed as being cute and quirky, but generally not as effective as a bigger car. When it comes to MPCs, they are less like a Mini and more like a mid-range Toyota or Volkswagen, in that they are as affordable, powerful and effective as any other equivalent vehicle – they are just smaller.
“And like with motor vehicles, it is all about what is under the bonnet, and here the MPC can deliver much the same performance as a desktop, but in a smaller form factor. The reality is that these devices are well-suited for much more than one would expect, and the more they are adopted and used, the more word of mouth will spread about their qualities.”
Another challenge to be overcome, he continues, is that of the perceptions related to price point. An MPC is much smaller in size, but has a similar price point to a desktop, so people often feel as if the cost is too high for what they perceive it can do.
“The reality here is the exact opposite: with an MPC, you actually get more into the bargain, as the high-end versions of these devices have WiFi built in, they can be mounted somewhere safe and are easily secured, they use less power, are less prone to failure and yet still deliver a desktop-level of performance.
“I believe that MPCs are indubitably the next evolution of the desktop, and when the history of these devices is looked at 20 years from now, we will marvel at how long it took business to realise that these devices offer an array of the best benefits of the desktop, coupled with all the advantages of a much more compact and cost-effective device,” he concludes.
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