Intel NUC Motherboard: Mac Mini-type Desktop in an Apple TV-sized case.

[SemiExpert]

Anyone who's considering a Mac Mini or SFF small-form-factor PC should consider this Intel motherboard form factor coming out in 2nd half of 2012. NUC, or the Next Unit of Computing, form factor will be just 100mm x 100mm as compared to 170mm x 170mm for M-ITX. It looks like it will be using mobile processors and the prototype is still Sandy Bridge. It will be interesting too see if it comes to market. So far the Mac Mini has the entire mobile CPU based SFF market, since Dell dumped the Zino. Asrock did have a Mac Mini clone, but it sold for $1,000 and up as a barebone model. That leaves nettops, but with the death of the netbook, that segment is probably dead as well. Overall, this concept does make sense, as the performance and value gap between mobile and desktop processors has decreased significantly. http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/30/2988682/intel-new-unit-computing-sandy-bridge-4-inchhttp://www.extremetech.com/extreme/127903-watch-out-raspberry-pi-intel-unveils-ultra-small-next-unit-of-computing-pchttp://www.sweclockers.com/nyhet/15372-intel-visar-formfaktorn-next-unit-of-computing-pa-10x10-cm

[Copper Bezel]

Yeah, I don't see the relevance of nettops now that the Atom is shifting to being a tablet processor, and the "cookie tin" form factor, as mentioned in your second link, was always more attractive, at the very least. I wonder what it's like for noise, but I do hope that these catch on outside of enterprise applications. (In appropriately end-user styled, um, "tins.")