Oh, to be in China or Japan and have my pick of compact desktop systems! Yet here I am in misty Seattle, forced to pack my seven hard drives and PCI port expansion cards into a case that would comfortably accomodate a toddler. The “net-top” idea may seem silly to many who enjoy powerhouse desktop systems, but the facts are these: tons of laptops never actually leave the desk, and the desktop form factor is cheaper. So why pay an extra hundred clams for portability you’re never going to use?

Anyway, HP has a nice little compact system going on here, with an Atom-based setup; however, your benefits from Atom are limited because you don’t have to worry about power consumption in a desktop. The new Acer over here actually looks smaller and sports a more serious processor, although it does cost twice as much (~$600 vs. the HP starting at $300). I’d go with Acer, but I’d take HP out for a drink.
[via Akihabara News and SlashGear]