I&#x27;m sure you could find some second-hand early 4-5 year old Mac Mini computers at low prices. They&#x27;re pretty robust little buggers.<p>But even at $500 you&#x27;re buying a computer that has an excellent track record for reliability and industry-leading warranty support. It might seem like overkill but compare that to the time investment you&#x27;ll sink into a hacked and unsupported solution.<p>(Believe me, I&#x27;ve played with enough of those cheap Atom PCs to know that I&#x27;d never, ever rely on them.)