ASUS O!Play Mini Plus – Adding Plus To The Mini

Mini vs Mini Plus: Compared and Contrasted

New Kid On The Block

At a glance, the ASUS O!Play Mini Plus looks like the buffed up version of the O!Play Mini. Like its antecedent, the O!Play Mini Plus comes in a small form factor since it does not have an internal slot to accommodate a hard drive as storage extension. Yet, in spite of this similarity, the two O!Play models are different in many ways.

While the original O!Play Mini has a smooth dark shell with a wave-like artwork on it, the O!Play Mini Plus sports a diamond-cut texture. The design partly reminds us of the RT-N56U, ASUS’ “Black Diamond” dual-band router. On the front side, both O!Plays have the same set of interfaces – a USB port and a multi-format card slot.

The rear side, on the other hand, once again conspicuously puts emphasis on the difference between the two models. The three composite RCA jacks on the O!Play Mini are reduced into a single audio-video 3.5mm port on the O!Play Mini Plus to give way to an eSATA-USB combo port and a Gigabit Ethernet slot. Nonetheless, the HDMI out and the S/PDIF optical out remained. The presence of a Gigabit Ethernet port on the O!Play Mini Plus clearly suggests that it is network-ready, whereas the O!Play Mini is not. The O!Play Mini Plus has a built-in Wi-Fi adapter as well.

Given the network-readiness of the O!Play Mini Plus, it obviously has the poise of a Smart TV alternative. Hence, ASUS has bundled it with an enhanced remote control. It is longer and has more buttons compared with that of the O!Play Mini. Moreover, it also has a dedicated Facebook button so that you can go straight to your account.