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Apple releases redesigned Mac mini with HDMI port starting at $699 - Page 10

post #361 of 384
6/17/10 at 9:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stevie View Post

Microsoft Home Server is available at Amazon right now for $87.92.

ROTFLMAO.

I asked you to compare a WIndows server with unlimited client licensing that THAT is what you come up with? I guess you're unaware that even the basic Mac Mini with standard Mac OS X (NOT the server version) will do everything Windows Home Server will do.

The Mac Mini server has a full blown Mac OS X Server with unlimited client licenses. That makes is suitable for small businesses or other file serving applications. The equivalent WIndows server with just 25 client licenses is over $2,200:
http://www.software.cc/products/sc-1...08-server.html

You could buy TWO Mac Mini servers with UNLIMITED client licenses for less than the software cost alone for Windows.

Or, if you want just the software, Mac OS X Server with unlimited client licenses is $499 - 1/4 the cost of the 25 user WIndows software.

So much for the 'Apple tax'.
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post #362 of 384
6/17/10 at 12:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by John.B View Post

This is one of those rare instances where the Apple memory upgrade to 4GB makes sense ($100 vs the $109 NewEgg memory).

Ironic, given that they've finally made a field upgrade of the memory SIMMs a simple task and not minor surgery. [shrug]

On another note, does anyone want to buy a collection of sanded-sharp putty knives? LOL!

Actually, what I would probably buy is a single 4GB module for $120 off New Egg. I read somewhere that it's a little faster with 4GB + 1GB than it is with 2GB + 2GB. That way when I go to 8GB I only throw away the other 1GB stick.
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post #363 of 384
6/17/10 at 12:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nvidia2008 View Post

That is a nice machine, actually. 1333mhz RAM, and the 4850 1GB can handle all the latest games at almost-highest settings with about 2x or 4x antialiasing at 1920x1080p. Everything else being kept equal, bump the 250 to 320GB of hard disk and drop in a ATI 5850 1GB and you've got a solid gaming beast.

But don't expect a powerful GPU from Apple. Gaming on the Mac? Well, at least Valve is trying. But the Source engine is pretty efficient and not as demanding as the newer titles.

I shan't say more because apparently my recent post history shows I'm anti-Apple now. Apparently, Lemon, you've become *more* anti-Apple. I understand your frustration. I find it a bit weird, but I'm leaning towards understanding more of what you and extremeskater are saying even though 1 year ago I would have argued against it.

BUT THOSE DAMNED PC CASES ARE SO BLOODY UGLY... GEEZ. Also, no great new games that tickle my fancy, not after the epic that was Mass Effect 2 I finished a few months ago.

I think a more comparable machine for the mini is their HTPC build for £601.98 inc VAT with Window Home Premium. No IGP machine is a gaming box. It has a TV tuner and a Core i3 but just a DVD player. It has the 9300 ION I think but has a slot for a dedicated GPU.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...odid=FS-249-OK

Still...for a mini-ITX board that's one fugly HTPC case to stick it in.

New Overlord DLC for Mass Effect 2 just came out...

http://masseffect.bioware.com/media/video/416/

I've been debating Dragon Age...now on OS X too...but what I really want is a Jade Empire Sequel. My i5 MBP handles ME2 just fine on high settings but it's not that demanding a game.
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post #364 of 384
6/17/10 at 2:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheff View Post



Agreed. Especially the server model should have one for faster backups.

Does it lack wireless n? Isn't that as good as eSata?
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post #365 of 384
6/17/10 at 2:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jfanning View Post

Apple uses "overseas" support centres as well, I got one when I rang about my iMac failing, it wasn't a very nice experience, the language wasn't the issue, it was Apple providing them incorrect information. My Dell has never failed, so I can't comment about their support centres.

I called Dell twice. both times I got people with accents who knew their stuff and helped me. I was very surprised, given Dell's reputation.
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post #366 of 384
6/17/10 at 2:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ameldrum1 View Post

an attractive enclosure, but isn't this a fairly poorly thought out design?


Very.
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post #367 of 384
6/17/10 at 2:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stevie View Post

Does it lack wireless n? Isn't that as good as eSata?

No, but Firewire is-or at least close enough for backup use which is what you were responding to.
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post #368 of 384
6/17/10 at 2:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nht View Post

For me the Mini represents a better value than the 21.5" iMac given the GPU is faster and I can get the screen I want (whether IPS for photo or TN for gaming)

Personally, I'd get a 4GB module and 1 GB module for 5GB of RAM in the mini. The OCZ 4GB is down to $119 so it's only $10 more than the 2x2GB although I prefer Crucial over OCZ. At least I'm not throwing away the 2GB sticks if I want 8GB later.



I think that it makes a lot of sense to compare the Mini against other Macs, instead of comparing it to Windows machines. I don't think that many potential buyers will compare them spec for spec and dollar for dollar against Windows machines.
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post #369 of 384
6/17/10 at 2:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemon Bon Bon. View Post


But they won't/don't because they're greedy.

Lemon Bon Bon.


Its not a matter of greedy. They figured that the price they chose would maximize profits.

If they charged more, they would sell less. If they charged less, they would sell some more, but not enough to make up for the lost profits.

They choose the price that they think will yield the maximum profit. Just like every other company.

And the Mini seems to be aimed directly at populations who are not as price-conscious as others: apple fans who need a computer like this one, and new buyers/switchers who like the form factor and the position in the Apple lineup (the entry-level).

I don't think those folks care primarily about price, and/or have the monitor and keyboard already.
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post #370 of 384
6/17/10 at 3:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spiffy1 View Post

1) Apple's product line may not have "amazing spec/price ratio" but they simply just work, every time, all the time, without fail.

Do you really believe that? The failure rate was quoted in another post.
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post #371 of 384
6/17/10 at 5:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by oberpongo View Post

Ok, it has HDMI. But where does it say, that this Mac can playback iTunes HD Content. So far, Macs were not allowed to. Only AppleTV.


You're kidding. Right? What other weird gotchas are there?
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post #372 of 384
6/17/10 at 5:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FuturePastNow View Post

The bottom line is, Apple originally created the mini to be a "cheap" Mac that would draw in buyers who would otherwise not look at a Mac for a desktop computer. It no longer serves that purpose. It's not cheap enough.

I think that Apple knows what it is doing. Those customers are not as price-conscious as some others. They have already decided to buy a Mac. The only real question for them is "Which one?" If they have a decent monitor and keyboard from their PC, and if they compare the price to the iMac, it might be what they choose.
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post #373 of 384
6/17/10 at 5:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tonton View Post

So I guess I have no choice but to pay for a beautiful device that's about $200 too much, but is the only thing that suits my needs.

Steve knew you would.
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post #374 of 384
6/17/10 at 5:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by oberpongo View Post

Ok, it has HDMI. But where does it say, that this Mac can playback iTunes HD Content. So far, Macs were not allowed to. Only AppleTV.

I can play iTunes HD TV content on my original Mac Pro, I have a couple TV episodes in HD dating back to September 2008 and they play. The only thing I don't see is the ability to rent HD movies, but it looks like I can buy HD movies if I wanted to.
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post #375 of 384
6/17/10 at 6:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post

I can play iTunes HD TV content on my original Mac Pro, I have a couple TV episodes in HD dating back to September 2008 and they play. The only thing I don't see is the ability to rent HD movies, but it looks like I can buy HD movies if I wanted to.

They differ per country, I can't purchase anything in "HD" from iTunes.
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post #376 of 384
6/18/10 at 1:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stevie View Post

Its not a matter of greedy. They figured that the price they chose would maximize profits.

If they charged more, they would sell less. If they charged less, they would sell some more, but not enough to make up for the lost profits.

They choose the price that they think will yield the maximum profit. Just like every other company.

And the Mini seems to be aimed directly at populations who are not as price-conscious as others: apple fans who need a computer like this one, and new buyers/switchers who like the form factor and the position in the Apple lineup (the entry-level).

I don't think those folks care primarily about price, and/or have the monitor and keyboard already.

Heh. 100% mark ups. I'd call that 'maximising' profits alright. A £300 computer selling for £650.

Shadow of greed.

Lemon Bon Bon.
You know, for a company that specializes in the video-graphics market, you'd think that they would offer top-of-the-line GPUs...[/
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You know, for a company that specializes in the video-graphics market, you'd think that they would offer top-of-the-line GPUs...[/
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post #377 of 384
6/18/10 at 1:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walney View Post

Sorry, but you just have to accept that we do get gouged. $699 equates to £472 at current exchange rate. There is no import duty on computer equipment from the US, and the UK price (excluding tax) is £552, so we are sucking up an extra $118 (again, excluding taxes) compared to US price.

Even if we accept that it's more expensive doing business in the UK/Europe, the $100 increase from the old model got translated into an extra $164 at this end excluding taxes... and because we then get stiffed for the VAT, that extra $64 then becomes an extra $75 on the bottom line - that's why we get a bit p*ssed

EDIT: ... no import duty from China either

UK prices are a joke.

Other 'PC' vendors operating in the UK can do competitive prices. But Apple have gotten much worse since leaving PPC behind. Ironic considering that they've been selling more.

Ironic with it being in a recession.

Take away the OS and the design. Would you buy one?

No.

Lemon Bon Bon.
You know, for a company that specializes in the video-graphics market, you'd think that they would offer top-of-the-line GPUs...[/
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You know, for a company that specializes in the video-graphics market, you'd think that they would offer top-of-the-line GPUs...[/
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post #378 of 384
6/18/10 at 4:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemon Bon Bon. View Post

Take away the OS and the design. Would you buy one?

No.

Ehmmm. If you take away software (not just the OS, don't forget iLife & friends) and design, what is left to compare. A raw list of specifications (limited, e.g. not MTBF stuff) of components? What use is that?

Apple sells 'user experience' more than anything else. More than 'image' (they sell that too, but so is Coca Cola for 99% of their product offering). People are willing to pay for user experience. Many more just look at price and specs and get shafted on user experience.

In other words, people willingly pay for the software and design as it largely defines the user experience. Asking what you buy if you take them away only illustrates how little people understand about what is being sold.

I do think Apple charges too much for this machine outside the US. The possible extra cost (extended consumer protection maybe?) or extra risk (currency rates) can be insured and the cost of that insurance is by far not the raw 17% price difference they charge EU customers.
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post #379 of 384
6/18/10 at 6:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemon Bon Bon. View Post

Heh. 100% mark ups. I'd call that 'maximising' profits alright. A £300 computer selling for £650.

Shadow of greed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemon Bon Bon. View Post

UK prices are a joke.

Other 'PC' vendors operating in the UK can do competitive prices. But Apple have gotten much worse since leaving PPC behind. Ironic considering that they've been selling more.

Ironic with it being in a recession.

Take away the OS and the design. Would you buy one?

Take away the OS and design and you have everyone else's computer. The fact that people still buy Apple suggests that people do value software and design. Now, it is disappointing that there has been a double-whammy of a price increase for European buyers.
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post #380 of 384
6/18/10 at 7:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by oxygenhose View Post

It says it supports multichannel audio output over HDMI in Apple's specs.
You should use brain before mouth.

Regardless... 96k is an idiotic spec, you'll never actually hear the difference the marketing has convinced you of. You're obviously a home user if this is such a 'required feature', however beyond the pure pointless nature of the sampling rate/frequency combo mentioned, I'd also like to hip you to the fact that if you want to sound all 'audio pro' remember the following:

1. As a digital audio connection, HDMI is not the optimum choice, even digital rca coaxial is more reliable, the big boys use optical or even better AES/EBU.
2. If you want to flaunt specs, try 192kHz/24bit - otherwise remember you are a 'mid-sumer stereo customer', best not to try acting all macho in public.
3. Listen more carefully to study music more effectively, if you're missing something in 44.1kHz/16bit 'CD-quality' audio, it might not be a fidelity problem.

I obviously know what HDMI supports... so my question is rather if it works through the stack, or if, like on my current AppleTV, it will be downsampled to 16/44.1. The reason I want 24/96, is because I got music in that resolution (and 24/48) and I'd like to hear it that way on my sound system in my living room. Big difference? Most unlikely. Some? That's what I'd like to hear. If you got a good receiver, jitter shouldn't be a problem anyway... the data will be reclocked.
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post #381 of 384
6/18/10 at 10:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by oxygenhose View Post

It says it supports multichannel audio output over HDMI in Apple's specs.
You should use brain before mouth.

Regardless... 96k is an idiotic spec, you'll never actually hear the difference the marketing has convinced you of. You're obviously a home user if this is such a 'required feature', however beyond the pure pointless nature of the sampling rate/frequency combo mentioned, I'd also like to hip you to the fact that if you want to sound all 'audio pro' remember the following:

1. As a digital audio connection, HDMI is not the optimum choice, even digital rca coaxial is more reliable, the big boys use optical or even better AES/EBU.
2. If you want to flaunt specs, try 192kHz/24bit - otherwise remember you are a 'mid-sumer stereo customer', best not to try acting all macho in public.
3. Listen more carefully to study music more effectively, if you're missing something in 44.1kHz/16bit 'CD-quality' audio, it might not be a fidelity problem.

It may be a cooked mastering problem, see the "loudness wars". I think much of what people hear in the higher rate recordings is less dynamic range compression, clipping, etc. that is normally imposed onto the mastering of the more mass market version.
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post #382 of 384
6/19/10 at 2:50am
Optical Audio's great; I swear by it on my Panasonic XR45 amp (I'm an 'audiophile' and only care about good stereo music, not multichannel theater). That said, it doesn't have the bandwidth of HDMI.

Higher sampling rates are a good thing (tm). It has less to do with human hearing than it does with the laws of sampling (anything, music included).



I'd rather be listening to "D"
stimuli.ca | freshtunes.ca
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stimuli.ca | freshtunes.ca
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post #383 of 384
6/19/10 at 3:53am
Well, just thought I would finish my crib on this new release with the actual price in India (incl. of taxes).
http://www.apple.co.in/store/

Mac Mini (base) = USD 974.9 ( US price (without taxes) = 699)
Mac Mini (server) = USD 1409 ( US price (without taxes) = USD 999)
iMac base model = USD 1409. ( US price (without taxes) = USD 1199 ).

The Mini is a rip off.
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Most of us employ the Internet not to seek the best information, but rather to select information that confirms our prejudices. - Nicholas D. Kristof
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post #384 of 384
6/19/10 at 8:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post

Take away the OS and design and you have everyone else's computer. The fact that people still buy Apple suggests that people do value software and design. Now, it is disappointing that there has been a double-whammy of a price increase for European buyers.

Heh. I love the OS and design. Otherwise I wouldn't be Apple Man.

But. Yeah. That was kind of my point. Not only would it be 'everyone else's' computer, the specs also wouldn't stack up. Because Apple's specs, minus the OS and design are bordering on the ridiculous. eg paying £1500 to get access to quad core tech' and charging through the nose for a 'Duo' cpu? Pathetic.

£650 for a mini that ONLY has 2 gigs of ram? Ram is NOTHING! Apple still, STILL hosing customers on ram.

And GPUs? Don't get me started. Penny pinching vram, half assed consumer gpus...eg a low end Radeon 4850 that you have to pay £1500 to get? How much is that card?

Because most 'bucket vendors' include better gpus, more vram, more ram, bigger hard drive and a monitor at smaller prices.

ie Apple's trading very highly on its OS and design and getting away with murder on the specs.

Lemon Bon Bon.
You know, for a company that specializes in the video-graphics market, you'd think that they would offer top-of-the-line GPUs...[/
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You know, for a company that specializes in the video-graphics market, you'd think that they would offer top-of-the-line GPUs...[/
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