13 Barebones Reviewed Are Anything But Square

Searching For The Quiet Barebone

Many choices, few run quiet

Consumers increasingly want a second PC or want to put a PC in the living room. There is still a great deal of hesitation because many people still don't know whether a barebone (also known as mini-PC) can replace a PC, a DVD player and/or a video recorder. The answer is clearly yes. Correctly configured, one single barebone does all these tasks - with panache.

Equipped with the right hardware and software, a mini-PC is a true Renaissance machine when it comes to video and audio formats. In fact, provided it has a TV tuner card - whether analog or digital - the mini PC can replace any video or DVD recorder. And to top off its feature set, the barebone PC can also serve as a regular work or gaming computer.

Due to its compactness, the case cannot be upgraded with hardware at will - space is simply too tight. A midi tower can accommodate multiple 5.25" drives and hard disks, but the space in the interior of a barebone is maxed out at one hard disk and one drive. Once again, it is a matter of size. If you want to install more, the case will have to be larger and you can no longer opt for a mini PC. But, who wants to install a PC tower in the living room, anyway? A slick barebone in black or silver would be much more preferable.