A completely different world from that of run-of-the-mill Windows PCs? Indeed, a strong case could be made to support this conclusion. After all, the ease of use here, and the renouncement of superfluous buttons and switches, elicit looks of amazement from even the most sophisticated buyer. In comparison, most SFF barebones of the Windows world still have that certain unfinished "D.I.Y. work-in-progress" feel to them.

Barely bigger than a 20-disc DVD case: Apple's Mac mini.

A matter of size: The Mac mini in front of a Shuttle SFF mini-PC. Any questions?

The engineers at our THG labs were especially suspicious of this miniature computer. However, that skepticism quickly dissolved after a few hours of practical use. Actually, many concluded that the world of Windows PCs has an enormous amount of catching up to do in the areas we mentioned above.