[j1nx]

It seems like there is a RACE now on who can bring out XBMC images for the ARM/Mali400 based devices. The company or team or programmer+hacker that does it will get instant recognition and be seen as the source for purchases and downloads.

I don't think it is a race, more like a common goal. ARM is taking over the small and quite computer market. This market is also commonly used by all us HTPC freaks. ARM = Cheap, ARM = Energy saving, ARM = (most of the time) fanless and therefor very quite. So IF the best mediacenter software could run on it one way or the other, it will definetely boost sales. Face it, if a ARM box for under $100,- can play all your media, why buy those expensive HTPC's. Yes, for doing more then just some media watching you will still buy a good system. likely the system in your living room, but all the other TV's in the house might now also being connected to XBMC.

The road is still long, though. It started with AppleTV and the relative expensive pandaboards and beagleboards (they are not designed to be dedicated mediaplayers), then the raspberry Pi and now the A1X/Mali boxes.

So many Chinese companies are now jumping onto making media boxes based on this hardware level.

The Mele Ax000 is not alone now in the market.

They also see the enormous wave coming. If you are smart, you jump on your board, trying to catch that wave. The oppurtunities for those companies are huge.