LAS VEGAS—Velocity Micro asks a good question: Why use a stripped down media hub or smart TV, when you can connect a full-blown Windows PC to a large screen monitor or HDTV? Their answer is the Velocity Micro Edge Mini, a mini PC that’s closer in size to the Apple TV ($69.00 at Groupon)(Opens in a new window) or Roku 2 XS than the Apple Mac mini that is the standard bearer for the mini PC market. The Edge Mini is small enough to disappear behind a large screen monitor on your desk, or bolt to the back of your HDTV, for a non-intrusive way to get the full Windows and Internet experience wherever you need it.

The Edge Mini is tiny at 1.5 by 4 by 4 inches (HWD), which makes it significantly smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tiny (1.5 by 7 by 7 inches) or the Apple Mac mini (1.4 by 7.7 by 7.7 inches). There is a large Velocity Micro logo on the front panel of the pre-release unit, but VM has stated they will be shrinking the logo due to customer requests.

While the Edge Mini physically looks very much like a competitor to the Apple TV or Roku 2 XS, the system is a full-blown Windows 7/8 PC with two HDMI out ports. If you have the space, you could use the diminutive PC to play videos on an HDTV while simultaneously surfing on a smaller monitor on your desk. The system comes with a VESA mount, so you can bolt the system to the back of your display or HDTV and get an all-in-one like system without having to junk your monitor if the PC eventually becomes too slow, which is a scenario that won’t happen any time soon.

As a PC, the Edge Mini felt good, with enough performance to run Windows apps. The demo unit we tried ran a full copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, had 2GB of memory (upgradeable to 16GB), an Intel Core i3 processor with Intel HD Graphics 4000, wireless everything (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth), and runs off an mSATA SSD. Since it is a SSD-based system, boot up times and app launch times were quick, especially bringing up a web browser and checking a handful of websites. A 60 GB mSATA SSD would be enough for an Internet-based system like in a Home Theater or digital signage use, but 128GB or larger should be considered for a home or home office PC. The Edge Mini starts at $499.

Demonstrating the resiliency of the desktop form factor, the Velocity Edge Mini looks to be a solution for the vocal folks that like to hook mini PCs up to HDTVs and other large screens. Look for a review on PCMag.com soon.

Complete CES 2013 Coverage