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Zotac MAG ION Nettop |
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Value and Conclusion
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| 8.5 | The Zotac MAG is really a great little machine and it works just as advertised. Sure, all ION platforms have a large degree of similarity so companies try to diversify in different areas than hardware. The MAG ships with a standard configuration of 2 GB memory and 160 GB hard drive. This may not be as much as some of the competition out there, but is definitely sufficient. Where the MAG really shines is the future 3G connectivity, hidden Wifi antenna and well balanced I/O. The VESA mount is versatile and Zotac has gone all out on the cool power LED. There are no real technical downsides, as the MAG only requires around 35W and can easily play back HD content. If I had to mention something it would be the somewhat high temperatures and the 5400 RPM hard drive. Another aspect may be the lack of a keyboard & mouse combination or the option to buy the unit with Windows installed, which even though mentioned last, is probably the most tedious part of setting the MAG up at your home. But considering the money you save, when comparing the MAG to similar ION systems out there, there should be enough money left to grab the input devices of your choice along with a cheap USB optical drive. So should Zotac go ahead and release a MAG version with an optical drive or easily upgradable parts? In my humble opinion: NO! If you want to have a customizable ION platform, there are plenty of mini-ITX mainboard choices to grab from Zotac. If you want sleek, as thin as it can get with the ION benefits all in one unit that simply works - once you get an OS on there? Well the Zotac MAG is all that. |
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