Clem Lefebvre and CompuLab are starting the year with an announcement that will put a big smile on your face if you are a fan of the Linux Mint operating system. The news is that the smallest and most affordable mintBox to date is on its way – the MintBox Mini.

It is five times smaller than the original mintBox, two times more powerful than the MintBox Pro, and it is half the price the mintBox 2.

“We’re very excited to work with CompuLab on the new MintBox Mini,” said Linux Mint Project Leader, Clem Lefebvre. “This new unit is smaller in size (about a 5th of the MintBox’s volume) and it can fit in your pocket. At half the price, it’s more affordable than the MintBox 2 and it features great connectivity, SSD storage and very decent performance (twice as fast as the original MintBox Pro model).”

Here’s what we know about the MintBox Mini so far.

MintBox Mini – Main Features

• Size – 0.22l volume, 0.95″ thick, small enough to comfortably fit in your pocket.
• Noise – it is completely silent because it uses internal SSD storage and has a passively cooled fanless design.
• Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Gigabit Ethernet network connectivity.
• Processor – AMD A4 6400T CPU.
• Graphics – Radeon R3 GPU; 2 HDMI sockets for dual monitors and TVs.
• Memory and storage – 4GB of RAM; 64GB SSD; microSD reader.
• Audio – jack input/output for headphones and microphones.
• USB – 3 x USB 2.0 and 2 x USB 3.0 ports.
• Price – $295 (CompuLab’s planned shipping price).

The MintBox Mini, which is expected in Q2 2015, will be available for purchase via CompuLab’s fit-PC, via Amazon US, and via Amazon Europe. The device should ship at €295 in Europe.

“CompuLab and the Linux Mint team share a passion for openness and elegance. Linux Mint out-of-the-box makes it more approachable, and we are glad that we can extend Linux Mint reach further by offering it on MintBox Mini which is smaller and more affordable than ever before,” said Irad Stavi, Chief Product Officer, CompuLab.