Over the last year small form factor computers have flourished. Users have been captivated by their compact size. SFF computers have developed considerably during this year, from systems that were limited to word processing, to the fully capable set top entertainment systems of today. Before we had customized small form factor computers, Micro-ATX was the next best thing to having a small desktop PC. However, Micro-ATX based computers were never as successful for various reasons. What made SFF based computers so successful was the cooperation between motherboard manufacturers and case makers. For example, Shuttle delivered extremely small SFF systems because they designed a custom motherboard to suit a very small custom case, creating a new specification. Even the power supply unit was customized to suit these very small systems. The first company that introduced a practical SSF barebone system was Shuttle and they made it work from the word go! It could have been considered a gamble for Shuttle, as these systems are costly to produce and a great deal of recourses would have been required for production. However Shuttle has made these systems work and as a result they now account for 50% of Shuttles revenues. Due to the on going success of the XPC range, Shuttle have continued to produce updated models on a regular basis. With the obvious success of these systems, other motherboard manufacturers have begun producing their own versions.

Shuttle may have been the first to offer such a product but the head start will only keep them ahead for so long. With other major players such as MSI also making a huge impact on the SFF market, things are only going to get more interesting. MSI made their SFF début with the Mega PC and thankfully its much more than just an XPC copy. The Mega PC does really have something special to offer the user, as you will discover in this review. I guess MSI decided they wanted to offer something special and not just be another manufacturer providing the basis for just another small PC.

The possibilities for SFF computing are virtually unlimited and MSI has taken a few more steps in exploiting their potential. Shuttle originally focused on office productivity with their early XPC models. However, as time passed the need for a more powerful model was at hand and therefore an AGP supportive version became available. With both gaming and office use covered the next step was home entertainment. While all the XPCs have in a way been able to be used for this kind of application there have been a number of limitations. These limitations have been removed to a certain extent with the MSI Mega PC range. The MSI Mega can provide the user with a fully equipped Home Theater System with stand-alone Hi-Fi System capabilities. The Mega PC even comes with a remote, making it much more like the conventional DVD player.