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Minibaybus:::...
When
you want to plug several electrical items into a house socket,
like me you probably buy a multi-gang distribution lead
that turns one socket into three, or four, or more, so why
not do the same with your PC?
The
Minibaybus takes a single input and turns it into four outputs.
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The
Packaging
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Sunbeam
could so easily have made a slab-like box with no style
and no imagination but credit where it's due, the matt,
beige Minibaybus is curved and sculpted and oddly tactile.
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The
Contents
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Inputs
and Outputs
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Reassuringly
solid, not that it particularly needs to be, the minibaybus
is quite deep and chunky.
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Side
View
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The
thick padded foam base pad is designed to accommodate case
panels that flex slightly or which aren't quite flat. It
is of course self adhesive, just remove the backing paper
and stick it where you want it!
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Padded
Self Adhesive Base
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It's
quite bulky I suppose for what it is but the designer shape
means it gets away with it. It looks like it was designed
to look the way it does and that makes it okay. But just
to make sure it becomes a worthwhile feature and not just
some functional necessity, it was given the Sunbeam treatment....
Yup,
you guessed it, it lights up!
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Illuminated
Connectors
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The
input and all four outputs light up in blue, while there's
a high intensity red and green LED fitted just for the hell
of it!
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Illuminated
Connectors
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I'm
not quite sure why the two external LEDs are labeled"Red"
and "Green". Most of us can work that out for
ourselves, while to those who can't it probably doesn't
matter.
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Illuminated
Connectors
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Conclusion
The
3DVelocity 'Dual Conclusions Concept' Explained: After discussing
this concept with users as well as companies and vendors
we work with, 3DVelocity have decided that where necessary
we shall aim to introduce our 'Dual Conclusions Concept'
to sum up our thoughts and impressions on the hardware we
review. As the needs of the more experienced users and enthusiasts
have increased, it has become more difficult to factor in
all the aspects that such a user would find important, while
also being fair to products that may lack these high end
"bonus" capabilities but which still represent
a very good buy for the more traditional and more prevalent
mainstream user. The two categories we've used are:
The
Mainstream User ~ The mainstream user is likely to put
price, stock performance, value for money, reliability and/or
warranty terms ahead of the need for hardware that operates
beyond its design specifications. The mainstream user may
be a PC novice or may be an experienced user, however their
needs are clearly very different to those of the enthusiast,
in that they want to buy products that operate efficiently
and reliably within their advertised parameters.
The
Enthusiast ~ The enthusiast cares about all the things
that the mainstream user cares about but is more likely
to accept a weakness in one or more of these things in exchange
for some measure of performance or functionality beyond
its design brief. For example, a high priced motherboard
may be tolerated in exchange for unusually high levels of
overclocking ability or alternatively an unusually large
heat sink with a very poor fixing mechanism may be considered
acceptable if it offers significantly superior cooling in
return.
The
Mainstream User ~
Case
modding hardware and lighting equipment are no longer the
preserve of the experienced PC user or the technical geek.
Most of the equipment on the market is quick and simple
to fit, and Sunbeam more than most seem to be going all
out to lure the less able or less knowledgeable user.
You'll
need to supply your own vision and imagination, but the
finished results can be genuinely stunning with a little
planning and effort.
Easy
power management and integrated switches make Sunbeam a
great choice for newer users and experienced users alike.
Go on treat yourself! It's nearly Christmas.
The
Enthusiast ~
Better
made than many modding kits I've looked at, Sunbeam seem
to be taking the quality issue seriously. Cheap modding
gear is all well and good but there's a lot of truth in
that old adage of "buy cheap, buy twice!".
I'd
be lying if I said every single item in the line oozes quality,
but I'm guessing they don't manufacture their entire product
line so that's partly to be expected. Most of it however
does seem to be surprisingly well put together.
With
a variety of effects to suit all tasted, Sunbeam seem to
be heading in the right direction, but in this rapidly expanding
field they'll need to keep a finger on the pulse if they're
to follow what's hot and what's not, something that so far
they seem to be doing fairly well.
A
very accomplished line of products that can transform your
PC!
We're
always looking for ways to make our reviews fairer. A Right
To Reply gives the manufacturer or supplier of the product
being reviewed a chance to make public comments on what
we've said. They can explain perhaps why they've done the
things we were unhappy with or blow their own trumpet over
the things we loved. It's easy for us to pick a product
apart but sometimes things are done a certain way for very
specific reasons and here the company concerned can explain
the reasoning behind their decisions.
Should
Sunbeam decide to exercise their "Right To Reply",
we'll publish their comments below:
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