Seriously! They add desktop-class CPUs with higher TDPs and he complains that it?s not as thin as he wanted. Of course, if they made it thinner he?d be complaining that they stuck with notebook-class CPUs. I guess he thinks Apple can perform magic tricks and summon TARDIS technology at will.
Hey, I have a Tardis!
But all that goes in there are pencils and pens.
And the furthest it's even traveled was to the floor and back.
Has 1280x800 13.3" monitor, no match for 21.5" 1920x1080 display.
But has 7 hour battery life.
If you need monitor - add £200 + £20 (DP->DVI). £1143 in total.
4) 13.3" MBP oddly has smaller HD than base MacBook. About £200 more than MacBook overall.
So yeah, it's really hard to build a Mac system for under £1000. The Mac Mini is great if you can share/reuse existing components, but the £649 price is appalling (didn't consider the £499 option, that's £150 less (£850) for 2.26GHz, 2GB, 160GB. The Mac Mini used to be vastly cheaper over here, it's a boutique computer at these prices. :-(
But the Mac Mini 21.5" looks like a reasonable deal, once you can accept the £1000 price tag. The monitor is decent. The CPU is faster so you can delay replacement another year beyond the other options. None of the options are suitable for games (not an issue for me).
Might be worth waiting for iWork '10 and maybe a mid-cycle update for Core i3/i5 throughout product line and/or BluRay option. Only if you don't absolutely need a new computer though.
Not having Blu-ray in the iMac is not that big of a deal, but not having it as an option for the Mini is an omission. Many people do have blu-ray... I won't buy a movie that isn't Blu-ray because the quality of the picture AND the sound are so far superior to anything that can be streamed/downloaded or DVD, it isn't even funny.
The iMac is a desktop machine and 27" isn't really big enough to notice the diff between DVD and blu-ray, but 42" and above is noticeable... HDTV sales are doing very well and Blu-ray will sell very well beside DVD. Having BR in the mini would be the final step to becoming a full-functioning home theater computer.
Still the best Blu-ray player is the PS3 because it can play games, blu-ray movies, videos, pictures, and music... it is essentially the center of my home theater.
I watch many of my video podcasts on it, blu-ray movies, music, DVD, and gaming. I paid 600 for mine and I have got my money's worth out of it.
And only 300 bucks, now as well... it's a better value that any home theater PC with blu-ray.
You could always get a wired keyboard with numeric key pad and normal position of arrow keys as a no cost option with each iMac.
I've used the Logitech MX series wireless KB and Mouse for years now. As much as I love Apple, I haven't liked their external KB's since the modular version died years ago.
LOL...no matte option...because matte sucks, get over it! The aluminum iMac is far better looking than the old white models.
And BluRay is still too expensive for computer use when external hard drives are better for backups anyway. No one wants to watch a BluRay movie on their computer. People don't even watch DVD's on their computer.
Now that mouse looks awesome...finally no more scroll ball to get dirty.
Well, just played around with the BTO for the 27" iMac on Apple's site. Let's see what the best options add up to along with reasonable (but not all) accessories...
- iMac 27"
- Core i7 quad core 2.8GHz
- 16 GB 1066MHz DDR3 memory (still no 1333 yet???)
- 2TB HD
- Magic Mouse
- Wireless Keyboard
- Remote
- iWork '09
- One to One
- AppleCare
Grand total: $4,185.00
Best be saving up for awhile!
Ok, let's be realistic.
The memory upgrade is costing most of that extra bucks.
You don't have to buy memory at Apple. You can get it much cheaper at OWC, and others. A 2 TB internal drive is also bigger than most people need, and it's better to buy an external for backups anyway, again much cheaper.
If history repeats itself, you are certainly correct. Image quality was superior on Beta, VHS was more convenient because of longer playing time on the tapes. Which one won? Assuming anyone on this thread is old enough to remember the first video format war.
I remember it well.
But it doesn't apply here. B-R sales are galloping along. The fact that the B-R HD-DVD war ended as the recession begun has made it harder for people to see it, but B-R sales are almost double from a year ago, with no evidence that it's slowing down. I've even seen a player advertised for $50, and titles are dropping to DVD pricing.
Breathless stories of big gains for Blu-Ray are meaningless unless they account for a baseline. Since Blu-Ray was starting from pretty much nothing as of recently, it's not that impressive to cite percentage gains in shipments.
Meanwhile, the trend lines are clear: streaming and downloads are growing rapidly, while optical media are stagnant. Blu-Rays gains sound impressive until you note that the $500 million in Blu-Ray sales are a drop in the bucket compared to the overall home video market, with even direct view and downloads taking in $1.4 billion.
You're wrong. It's meaningful. As meaningful at iTunes sales the first few years.
I suppose you also said that those big gains weren't important because the baseline was small?
iTunes is scrapping the bottom of the barrel as far as HD is concerned. I've sen better looking DVDs then some of that crap. Look at any Criterion DVD.
iTunes 720p is still much better than Comcast's 1080i (which is the true bottom of the barrel), and I'm paying them monthly for their crap.
I'd love 1080p from iTunes, but the vast majority of people wouldn't have the bandwidth to make that practical.
Not having Blu-ray in the iMac is not that big of a deal, but not having it as an option for the Mini is an omission. [,,,] Having BR in the mini would be the final step to becoming a full-functioning home theater computer.
They have mini-DVI and mini-DisplayPort on the Mini, but no HDMI. It seems clear that Apple isn?t focusing the Mac mini on the living room. That is what the AppleTV was designed for.
For one instant, near the beginning, they flash an Imac with duel DVD sized slots on the right side. Its during a pan from that side. Don't know how to grab just a frame.
Again, percentage increases don't tell you much unless you account for what they're increasing from. The fact is that digital already pulls in way more money than BluRay.
That seems like a very convoluted and somewhat conspiratorial way to account for what's being reported. An easier way to explain it is that the tech press is aware of the misleading nature of talking about rates of increase that doesn't acknowledge absolute numbers.
Of course it's doing "fine", the question is what's going to happen in the near future.
Look at what you wrote-- you start by citing Blu-Ray's increasing percentage of optical disc market share as evidence of the format's success, then follow up by dismissing the slump in the DVD market as inevitable. So...... Blu-Ray gets a bigger percentage of a decreasing market.
Just like the unsuccessful iTunes music store, right?
And the truth is that you don't know where downloading movies is going either, it could be just as ephemeral as what you think B-R will be.
For one instant, near the beginning, they flash an Imac with duel DVD sized slots on the right side. Its during a pan from that side. Don't know how to grab just a frame.
There is an SD card slot and DVD drive slot on the right side.
Comments
Seriously! They add desktop-class CPUs with higher TDPs and he complains that it?s not as thin as he wanted. Of course, if they made it thinner he?d be complaining that they stuck with notebook-class CPUs. I guess he thinks Apple can perform magic tricks and summon TARDIS technology at will.
Hey, I have a Tardis!
But all that goes in there are pencils and pens.
And the furthest it's even traveled was to the floor and back.
Any display that my parakeet keeps on pecking at is one that's to reflective to see the beautiful LED screen properly.
I couldn't agree more and thanks for the imagery. You had me laughing all through lunch.
1) Mac Mini
Base: £649, Magic Mouse £55, Wired KB £28, iWork £54 -> £786 (+ monitor (£200) TN)
2.53GHz, 320GB, 4GB, 9400M
2) iMac
Base 21.5": £949 (includes Mouse, Keyboard), iWork £54 -> £1003 (includes monitor IPS)
3.06GHz, 500GB, 4GB, 9400M
3) MacBook
Base: £799 (includes trackpad, keyboard), iWork £54 -> £853
2.26GHz, 250GB, 2GB (£70 upgrade to 4GB), 9400M
Has 1280x800 13.3" monitor, no match for 21.5" 1920x1080 display.
But has 7 hour battery life.
If you need monitor - add £200 + £20 (DP->DVI). £1143 in total.
4) 13.3" MBP oddly has smaller HD than base MacBook. About £200 more than MacBook overall.
So yeah, it's really hard to build a Mac system for under £1000. The Mac Mini is great if you can share/reuse existing components, but the £649 price is appalling (didn't consider the £499 option, that's £150 less (£850) for 2.26GHz, 2GB, 160GB. The Mac Mini used to be vastly cheaper over here, it's a boutique computer at these prices. :-(
But the Mac Mini 21.5" looks like a reasonable deal, once you can accept the £1000 price tag. The monitor is decent. The CPU is faster so you can delay replacement another year beyond the other options. None of the options are suitable for games (not an issue for me).
Might be worth waiting for iWork '10 and maybe a mid-cycle update for Core i3/i5 throughout product line and/or BluRay option. Only if you don't absolutely need a new computer though.
Streaming growing faster than Blu-Ray.
DVD sales plummeting.
That doesn't mean much. People who are getting streaming aren't getting the same IQ.
B-R is growing pretty quickly.
The iMac is a desktop machine and 27" isn't really big enough to notice the diff between DVD and blu-ray, but 42" and above is noticeable... HDTV sales are doing very well and Blu-ray will sell very well beside DVD. Having BR in the mini would be the final step to becoming a full-functioning home theater computer.
Still the best Blu-ray player is the PS3 because it can play games, blu-ray movies, videos, pictures, and music... it is essentially the center of my home theater.
I watch many of my video podcasts on it, blu-ray movies, music, DVD, and gaming. I paid 600 for mine and I have got my money's worth out of it.
And only 300 bucks, now as well... it's a better value that any home theater PC with blu-ray.
Your MacBook Pro already has a rechargeable battery.
You should get an EEG to make sure you have brain function. It might be time to pull the cord on you.
He's an AI masochist. Increased beatings only spur his post count.
You could always get a wired keyboard with numeric key pad and normal position of arrow keys as a no cost option with each iMac.
I've used the Logitech MX series wireless KB and Mouse for years now. As much as I love Apple, I haven't liked their external KB's since the modular version died years ago.
And no matte and still ugly black border- puke.
I now have to wait 6 more months.
LOL...no matte option...because matte sucks, get over it! The aluminum iMac is far better looking than the old white models.
And BluRay is still too expensive for computer use when external hard drives are better for backups anyway. No one wants to watch a BluRay movie on their computer. People don't even watch DVD's on their computer.
Now that mouse looks awesome...finally no more scroll ball to get dirty.
Well, just played around with the BTO for the 27" iMac on Apple's site. Let's see what the best options add up to along with reasonable (but not all) accessories...
- iMac 27"
- Core i7 quad core 2.8GHz
- 16 GB 1066MHz DDR3 memory (still no 1333 yet???)
- 2TB HD
- Magic Mouse
- Wireless Keyboard
- Remote
- iWork '09
- One to One
- AppleCare
Grand total: $4,185.00
Best be saving up for awhile!
Ok, let's be realistic.
The memory upgrade is costing most of that extra bucks.
You don't have to buy memory at Apple. You can get it much cheaper at OWC, and others. A 2 TB internal drive is also bigger than most people need, and it's better to buy an external for backups anyway, again much cheaper.
What's with all of the Palm Pre ads on AppleInsider? I count 3 separate ones on this page alone.
Use Click for Flash, as I do, and you won't see them.
In this economy, blue jeans before blu-ray, but it still has a future as an archival media.
If history repeats itself, you are certainly correct. Image quality was superior on Beta, VHS was more convenient because of longer playing time on the tapes. Which one won? Assuming anyone on this thread is old enough to remember the first video format war.
I remember it well.
But it doesn't apply here. B-R sales are galloping along. The fact that the B-R HD-DVD war ended as the recession begun has made it harder for people to see it, but B-R sales are almost double from a year ago, with no evidence that it's slowing down. I've even seen a player advertised for $50, and titles are dropping to DVD pricing.
Breathless stories of big gains for Blu-Ray are meaningless unless they account for a baseline. Since Blu-Ray was starting from pretty much nothing as of recently, it's not that impressive to cite percentage gains in shipments.
Meanwhile, the trend lines are clear: streaming and downloads are growing rapidly, while optical media are stagnant. Blu-Rays gains sound impressive until you note that the $500 million in Blu-Ray sales are a drop in the bucket compared to the overall home video market, with even direct view and downloads taking in $1.4 billion.
You're wrong. It's meaningful. As meaningful at iTunes sales the first few years.
I suppose you also said that those big gains weren't important because the baseline was small?
iTunes is scrapping the bottom of the barrel as far as HD is concerned. I've sen better looking DVDs then some of that crap. Look at any Criterion DVD.
iTunes 720p is still much better than Comcast's 1080i (which is the true bottom of the barrel), and I'm paying them monthly for their crap.
I'd love 1080p from iTunes, but the vast majority of people wouldn't have the bandwidth to make that practical.
Not having Blu-ray in the iMac is not that big of a deal, but not having it as an option for the Mini is an omission. [,,,] Having BR in the mini would be the final step to becoming a full-functioning home theater computer.
They have mini-DVI and mini-DisplayPort on the Mini, but no HDMI. It seems clear that Apple isn?t focusing the Mac mini on the living room. That is what the AppleTV was designed for.
Gotta love Amazon Prime eh?
Yes, if you buy enough to give them the $79 up front to become a Prime member.
Then the free, same day service in certain areas, for SOME of their stuff SEEMS to be a good deal.
But it isn't.
Again, percentage increases don't tell you much unless you account for what they're increasing from. The fact is that digital already pulls in way more money than BluRay.
That seems like a very convoluted and somewhat conspiratorial way to account for what's being reported. An easier way to explain it is that the tech press is aware of the misleading nature of talking about rates of increase that doesn't acknowledge absolute numbers.
Of course it's doing "fine", the question is what's going to happen in the near future.
Look at what you wrote-- you start by citing Blu-Ray's increasing percentage of optical disc market share as evidence of the format's success, then follow up by dismissing the slump in the DVD market as inevitable. So...... Blu-Ray gets a bigger percentage of a decreasing market.
Just like the unsuccessful iTunes music store, right?
And the truth is that you don't know where downloading movies is going either, it could be just as ephemeral as what you think B-R will be.
For one instant, near the beginning, they flash an Imac with duel DVD sized slots on the right side. Its during a pan from that side. Don't know how to grab just a frame.
There is an SD card slot and DVD drive slot on the right side.