Apple releases redesigned Mac mini with HDMI port starting at $699 - Page 4

If by 'component' you mean 'machined aluminum enclosure' then yes. But everything else inside has dropped in price over the years.

Currently my first recommendation for business that are looking to upgrade their PCs.

There is nothing in the PC world that combines the power, flexibility and support that the Mac Mini/OS/Software provides at its price. Most companies are heavily invested in hardware that is more than capable of connecting to a mini, and yet use their most costly concerns, i.e., their current software. Great way to introduce Apple to a PC-centric audience.

With the recent explosive successes from Apple in the last couple of years, more decision makers, employees and even IT personnel are in the most part familiar with or an Apple user of some sort. And as I have noticed, the security issues surrounding PCs vs Macs is quickly sinking in.

I find it interesting that anyone would suggest a trimmed down version just to lower the price. As we have learned, netbooks are just plain slow, cumbersome and downright ugly. Why is it necessary that Apple degrade themselves just to satisfy a market that is such a failure?

And you are partially right, i.e, Apple is focusing these on the user.

I believe most people are complaining about the price of the base model. It received a $100 price increase. With the refresh people expected better hardware, but they expected the price point to stay the same, which is what happens with almost all new Apple product releases.

I think that the base model is hilariously overpriced. One thing that's funny is that if you upgrade the base model to the bigger hard drive, more ram, and faster processor, the price becomes $1049, which is more than the server model, and it only has one 5400RPM 500GB hard drive instead of 2 7200RPM 500GB hard drives. Sucks for people who want the specs of the server model except need an optical drive.

Almost makes sense to get a $999 server model + $99 external superdrive. Then for $50 more, you'd get 2 faster hard drives (though you'd have the bulk of the superdrive, though you probably wouldn't need it all the time).

IMO, they shouldn't have raised the price of the base model.

[QUOTE=Dlux;1653099]It seems that there would be a market for an Apple product that accomplishes the following:

1) Plays every form of Apple-supplied content.
2) Plays Netflix instant-play content.
3) Plays YouTube, Hulu, other internet-based content.
4) Plays BD discs.
5) Can be completely controlled using any touch iDevice
5a) Comes with a better bundled remote for out-of-the-box operation.
6) Supports HDMI, DisplayPort, optical audio out
7) Serves as an iPhone/iPod dock
8) Integrate seamlessly with a separate --and entirely optional-- iTunes package that turns a full-funtion Mac into a centralized home media library.[QUOTE]

I totally agree with you here. I've been posting about this for years now. I think a home-base-type of device is a necessity at this point. Especially now that the iPad is out. the fact that you need a computer for the iphone/ipod/ipad is kind of missing a huge market out there of people that only need these devices and not a full-blown computer. I think it's coming, the signs are starting to point in that direction.

spending $700+ on a home theater box (Mac Mini) is way overkill, AGREED!

This one has me puzzled as well. I just don't see anything that would bump the cost by $100. The graphics card is a bit newer, but arguably still a base card, current for it's time, just as the old card was. Other than the HDMI port, and the SD Card reader, the incremental increases in CPU speed and storage capacity don't seem to warrant that price increase. This will be a tough sell for Apple. I would have to pass on this as well. $700 for something so minimal just doesn't make much sense.

I'm glad I just bought a mini a year and a half ago, and popped in my own hard drive and memory upgrades for less than this.

I was excited to read about this update - and $699 usually equates to about £500-550, which is in itself a 7-10% increase on currency conversion plus sales tax. Apple says it costs more to do business in the UK, so we suck it up.

BUT HOW DOES $699 equate to £649 ???????????

im running mine on a dell 24"..really nice.

The EASY user installed ram is huge.

Maybe you should check on RAM prices before complaining. Laptop SODIMMs are expensive:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...844&CatId=4153

That exact memory is $429 plus shipping. Plus, you have to install it yourself. Plus, there's no Apple warranty on the memory. Plus, you don't know if it's going to work (there's a history of third party memory not working with Macs). Plus, if you break something while installing the memory, you're SOL.

Personally, I'd pay Apple $500 for the memory rather than buying it from a third party for $429 plus shipping. OK, you'll get $50 back by selling the 1 GB memory on eBay, but it's still not an overwhelming difference - certainly in line with what many computer vendors charge for RAM upgrades.

it's there. I think they might have shifted it from Mac to ipod but it is there. I just looked in the store.



$699 is the pre sales tax amount. So convert it, then add 17.5% VAT. We'll go low and say 500 pounds. with the VAT that's 587 pounds (give or take a couple). The rest is customs etc. Same as we pay on UK items sold in the US

Why no i5 or i7?

Core 2 is surely tired by now.

Just wondering.

I think it's a good deal for what you get. Yeah, you have to supply a monitor and keyboard+mouse, and if you don't have those items, you're probably better off getting an iMac or low end MB(P), unless you fear all-in-one designs, but, if you do you can get a Mac for a pretty good price. People really should just give up on the idea that Apple's going to sell a Mini for a price approaching a cheap PC, at least partly because, now that Apple has created a certain brand image for itself, that would end up weakening it.

The server model seems like an even better deal and a good option for a small server. (Especially if you don't have an old PC lying around that you can drop Linux onto, or the inclination to do so.)

AppleTV still available on the Canadian site, under iPod.

http://store.apple.com/ca/browse/hom...BUYNOW-APPLETV

Newegg will sell you 8GB of Mini RAM for as low as $320. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...e=&srchInDesc=


AppleTV is available in the same location ("Shop iPod") on the US store as well.

Energy consumption. Switching to i5 or i7 would require more energy - which requires more cooling and a bigger power supply. The unit would have to become significantly larger.

Plus, of course, you can see dozens of people whining about the price. Either i5 or i7 would increase the price - making the whining even worse.

Nice upgrade.

Just too much which is not surprising.

Apple does not know how to build a computer for under $500 you know.

Apple wants us to move completely over to digital content. How could you not buy the server after the price increase to the entry level mini?

Could this announcement mean that the new Mac Pro, 6 and 12-core desktops are not far behind? Hope so.

Why is it funny to you that different people have different preferences? By inference, you regard opinions that differ from yours as "funny". Your attitude strikes me as funny.

I really, really detest your use of the word "whiners". I detest you for this, and I detest everyone who uses this word in a similar way, to dismiss the opinions of people who offer reasoned criticisms of a product from which you evidently derive your sense of self-worth. I've read through most of the posts here, and without exception, the critical comments were well-reasoned. I did not see one critical comment that was baseless.




And there are people like you who think it is chivalrous to come to the aid of a gigantic corporation like Apple every time that someone else dares to speak of what it is about the product that they happen not to like. Yes, Apple sells lots of computers, but in what way do you imagine that this is a counter argument to the reasoned criticisms that various people have offered? It is as though you believe that people derived their criticisms from the false assumption that Apple is not successful at selling computers. Your response is sophomoric. You have added nothing but noise to this discussion.




What exactly is the nature of your dysfunction? Why do you think it helpful, useful, or relevant for you to repeatedly state the obvious? Do you really think that it is not obvious to everyone that the people who have shared their reasoned criticisms can buy other computers? Several people have even pointed this out, and I would have wondered why they did so, since this is manifest, but perhaps they did so because they anticipated that you would come along and tell them that they can buy other computers. Why don't you offer a polite, reasoned rebuttal in the form of a list of reasons that you think the new Mini is worth the new price? This is the only polite, civilized way for you to react to the opinions with which you clearly take strong exception. But thus far, you have made no sincere effort to list the reasons that you think the new Mini is worth the new price. Are you really as dysfunctional as make yourself appear to be?


FINALLY! An informed, reasoned, polite, civil rebuttal that nearly manages to simply point out advantages of the Mini that, for some people, makes it worth the extra cost. But you still didn't quite manage it, because you used a tone that is less than polite, starting with that "BTW". The "BTW" adds no true meaning to your point. It is thrown in simply as a slur.





You disgust me. All that this is about is your effort to make yourself into a "White Knight" by coming to the defense of poor-little-old Apple Computer. That is all this is about. You barely managed to give any meaningful rebuttal at all to the various reasoned criticisms that various people have offered. You have added zero value to this discussion. All you have added is a whole lot of noise. You final sentence implies (in an overt way) that you think it is wrong for any person to ever offer any reasoned criticism of any product unless they can make a better product for less money! Yes, this is exactly what you are saying, and this is preposterous.

The thing you are forgetting is that the Apple TV is pitched at a lot of different uses.

One of them is indeed the AppleTV-esque do-it-all living room media computer you want it to be, but it's not the only market they are aiming at. With this revision, the Mac Mini becomes one step short of perfect for this kind of living-room use (because it lacks blu-ray), but it's still pretty darn close to perfect.

The fact is however, that there are lots of other use scenarios that it's also aimed at and also good for.

this is an unbelieavably sexy device that sets new standards for ultra compact desktop computers. Absolutely stunning and powerful.

That said, I have a sour feeling here. Apple should have already released a home server nas, I am to my neck in files and just can't manage them anymore between phones, pads, lappies, imacs, an ipods, and I can't keep plugging everything in and out. The time capsule should be upgraded to a nas home server.

And cross device file syncing via wifi and the cloud is desperately needed. Steve aknowledged that in part, but....

RAM has been dropping in price for a while. My point about that is, I don't need 8 Gigs of RAM right now, but i may need it in 2-4 years. My girlfriend just got a 13" MBP as was told that installing/updating the RAM was "out of the question". It either comes fully loaded with RAM or not. I'm glad to see that you can at least upgrade on the MINI, unlike before where you got it all or nothing style. I'll be happy to upgrade later, when i need it. not shell out $1300 bucks for right now just because i may need it in a couple years.

Just too expensive. Nobody wants to pay that kind of money for a stand alone desktop. $100 less and maybe it would be worth it. For what you would spend on a base mac mini and 24 inch apple display, you could just buy yourself a 3.06ghz 27 inch iMac for about the same price, and that comes with a bigger hard disk and twice the ram. Makes no sense.

Also, if you bought a mac mini with 4 gigs ram, 500gig hdd, shitty keyboard and mouse, and a cheap 22'ish inch 1080p display you could be spending more than the base 21.5 inch imac, which has same ram and hdd, better IPS display, and comes with a bluetooth keyboard and magic mouse???

This is absolutely, undoubtably, a complete ripoff even by Apple standards.

"Blu-ray is a bag of hurt".

- Steve Jobs

You used a lot of words to prove that you're incapable of rational debate and are unable to do anything more than throw out personal attacks.

If you ever feel like a rational discussion, feel free.

The low end iMac with the integrated graphics also needs an upgrade now, it has lower graphics than the Mini.

I thought that hardware is supposed to be cheaper - not more expensive. At least Apple should have courtesy to keep previous level of pricing for Mac Mini, that is $599. Knowing their policy they will not drop the price (noyt likely), but they will keep introducing new models at the same price... which creates foolish threshold.

Besides that looks like replacement of Apple TV which is good as AppleTV sucks more and more (if you add a lot of media on network it cannot handle it and provides false reports on previously played movies "Format not supportted..." as it simply times out on communication with streaming by iTunes from other computers).

Now having that said, I still think that Mr. Jobs should reconsider his position on low end processors based computers and at least bring some nettop for less than that. Acer Aspire Revo at $209 can play HD content (based on ION) and it is more than enough with its hyperthreaded Atom 230 for daily tasks. If someone needs more than this then dual core based version with Atom 330 and ION also exists for only $360-$370 (not for $699 and having external optical drive is a good option for $70 for today's computers). Why do we have to cheat to install our licensed Mac OS X on those? I would love low end Mac and I do not consider Mac Mini low end enymore with this rising pricing.

Actually if they had say, doubled the size of the Mini (which would have still been smaller than a Shuttle PC), they could have put i5 or i7 chips in, along with a better video card and still sold for well under a grand. People are willing to pay for what they view as a value and a small footprint Apple computer with an i5 and good video would be well worth it. Instead, they barely bump it at all spec-wise, shrink it down even more (admittedly it is a very pretty design) and raise the price. I would have considered switching from Windows over to OSX for a machine like that. Guess I'll keep watching and waiting to see if Apple produces a machine to fit my purposes anytime soon.

Sales of putty knives will fall around the country to the great confusion of hardware store owners

Whoever told your girlfriend that was either a complete liar or idiot. You can upgrade the ram or hard disk in any mac, even by yourself, without voiding the warranty. They only void the warranty if you damage the computer, and of course they don't cover replacement parts or issues caused by such parts. Anybody who says otherwise (including apple employees), is misinformed.

We're not talking about a mobile device here. So what that a BR device consumes power? This device of all Apple devices is crying out for a BR drive if it is to be positioned as a living room device.

Then buy the iMac. Duh. Apple even gives you that comparison for your convenience.

Compare Mac Mini, Mini Server, entry iMac

That would be nice from them, will love to see the take apart to have a better idea on how it can be done... should be sata as the other minis, specially since i am almost 100% sure that is the same board used on the server version. I think it will go down on how to attach the extra hd in the space left of the super drive.

Thanks mods for merging the threads

Far away from perfect. Have you used it? I have been using it for last years daily with my family. I find it far away from prefect comparing to recently found XBMC or Boxeee. I could open list of flaws in design apprach to Apple TV not to mention its casual problems with content. Only rental works erelatively okay (excapt glitches when it can give you only 24 hours to play rented movie even though you have not started it yet... or some rented movies given FULL YEAR to watch which happened to me - both cases).

That's about it. But this new Mini does look really nice though.

antkm1 Your girlfriend got BS'd cause memory on ALL mac but old mini is user replaceable. Mini's was the more "difficult" to replace cause the many screws and take apart but now is a breeze.

she bought it at the Apple store. i don't exactly remember the conversation, other than the outcome made her just buy the "fully-Loaded" model because they were VERY hesitant about upgrading anything. I think the actual conversation was that upgrade cost alone would not be worth the money spent, so they encouraged just to have the RAM included in the computer she purchased. Since Apple Stores only sell the Base-Model and the Fully-Loaded-Model as your only options, upgrading can be costly and time consuming for THEM.

Personally, i've always purchased computers online or over the phone, customizing each option to my needs. I like purchasing low on RAM and upgrading in a couple years because it saves money (since tech. components usually go down in price over time) and i'm a pretty average user that doesn't need the top-line model right now. I've done this with the last 3 computers i've owned (since 1993) and it's always worked well.

The fact that Apple doesn't like to do this in the past, or charges you an arm and leg for is what's frustrating; until i saw that the new Mini will allow the user to change out the RAM now. That's a welcomed new direction. And, the fact they hid the access panel in a way that doesn't affect the "Apple Look" of the device is an added bonus.

I think that's exactly where they're going.

Yeah, I can see why they keep the mini as an entry spec computer, in contrast to the iMac which I think is a good deal as a complete computer system. Having a lower spec mini allows people to get into using macs with their existing hardware without the expense of an iMac. Making the mini more expensive defeats the purpose.

Apple has actually made the mini more expensive than the iMac, for what you get.