A 15 year flash in the pan. Buy-to-own digital movies are going nowhere fast. Apple needs to pull their head out of the sand.
...in case you missed the background - Blu-Ray drives are seeing much higher than average error rates, and are widely seen as an incremental upgrade to DVD. With other technology already queuing up to replace it - let me remind you of Steve Jobs comments at WWDC - that Apple always looks at and evaluates the forward value of a technology as they decide whether it should be included in their footprint. That being said, you can buy from a nice selection of external Blu-ray drives to attach to your computing device, which means that Apple doesn't have to install it in the case itself.
btw a "fifteen year flash-in-the-pan" constitutes a conflagration by any fire-fighting standards - so you may want to find another expression for a "temporary market anomaly spanning a decade and a half and a wide variety of devices producing unprecedented profitability and success for a previously pre-humously pronounced dead corporate entity".
I've been pretty pissed about the price increase as well. But if you go to dell's website and price out a 50/50 comparable machine (the Dell Studio Hybrid) it prices out at $689.
2.2 Ghtz w/ 3MB cache, 2 gigs ram, SD slot, HDMI, etc. So even though i'm pissed abotu the price of this, it's competitive. I guess it all boils down to components.
It still is a little amazing that you couldn't get the price down to at least $499 at the entry level.
You were right the first time. It all boils down to being competitive. Apple knows what their competitors sell and for how much. The annoyance I'm hearing is that Apple isn't going to sell a cheaper, stripped-down model to go up against their competitors' cheaper stripped-down models. Anybody who is seriously surprised by that just hasn't been paying attention.
Clearly, Apple is a failure. They can't make ipads and iphones fast enough for demand. They can't please investors. I mean, just look at their stock price over the last 5 years. An abomination if ever I have seen one. They make the baby jesus cry.
The feds should investigate them and leave the good companies (BP, massey energy, etc alone). Those companies are doing such wonderful things. Also, I think the telecoms are doing a great job. I could not ask more of my cable or phone providers. The fact that I have one choice of semi-fast internet in my area and the price goes up for no reason every other month pleases me as a consumer and citizen. You're doing a heck of a job brownie! Meanwhile, apple puts out crap and more crap. I demand an investigation immediately.
It's more expensive to make smaller computing devices. The Mini is much smaller than before especially considering the power supply is built-in. Hence the higher price.
IF you want pure Mhz/ram/hd then it's always cheaper to buy a plain old vanilla Windows box.
HDMI out timing is strange given Apple now passes audio/video through mini-display port and sell a 3rd party adapter to pass audio/video through to HDMI.
For that price, they should have at least thrown in 4GB RAM and 500GB hard drive.
Very disappointing. (I'll wait for the inevitable price drop).
I was going to say the same thing. I feel the price would be fine if it had 4GB of RAM. I also feel the same for the Macbook which still comes with only 2GB.
Sooooooo.... $700 for a (probably) foxconn motherboard in (the equivalent of) a laptop with no display or battery.
But, hey! That aluminum case sure is nifty!
Quote:
Same engineering and chips (just different board layout) as the current MBP 13".
Shame about the price. 800€ for the base model is ludicrous - that's iMac territory!
Quote:
Like others, I am very disappointed with the price. Particularly when I discovered it came with only 2gb of RAM. 4gb is a prudent minimum these days. It's great to see that they are trying to make user upgrades to the RAM possible, however.
Other things sort of piss me off, and it gets at the heart of all that is wrong with Jonathan Ive's designs. In so many ways the guy is brilliant, but increasingly we see the utter sacrifice of utility and purpose to esthetic considerations. To a degree which sharply goes against Ive's own stated design goals.
Perhaps the goofiest of all is the downward facing speakers on the iMac, guaranteed to sound absolutely awful. The speaker drivers should be facing the user, preferably at ear level height. This, of course, gets in the way of Apple's esthetics. Conclusion: usability and user experience are to be ruthless subjugated to esthetics.
And then there is the goofy issue of all the I/O ports on the iMac being on the back of the machine.
Think about it: what decent reason could there be to have the headphone jack on the BACK of the machine?
Or an SD card reader?
Particularly if you wanted to use this Mini as part of a home entertainment set up. Sure, it's nice to be able to pop in a memory card from your uncle's camera in order to see some pics. If you wish for that to be an option, mounting this in a shelf or rack is out of the question.
Far from regarding Apple's hardware as incredibly superior, I'm increasingly finding it to be the biggest liability. Generally speaking, the prices ARE too high. And far too often the hardware choices are too limited and very, very poorly designed with regards to practical considerations.
This newest Mac Mini should retail for $399. As should the 24" display which currently sells for $899.
If memory serves, you could be classified as anti-Apple based on your posting history.
Well, if you take my 3-month posting history, possibly. But take into account a few years of my postings...
That's so weird though, for me, to be considered anti-Apple. Wow. Seriously, it's weird. But, life is short, I gotta call it like I see it nowadays. My opinions are what they are.
Fair enough, maybe I am drifting to the "anti-Apple stance". I just hope my postings are still of value while letting me let off a bit of steam. As long as I don't write personal attacks, I think I'll be fine. This is, after all, Appleinsider.com NOT AppleLover.com
You were right the first time. It all boils down to being competitive. Apple knows what their competitors sell and for how much. The annoyance I'm hearing is that Apple isn't going to sell a cheaper, stripped-down model to go up against their competitors' cheaper stripped-down models. Anybody who is seriously surprised by that just hasn't been paying attention.
Apple is not going to join in the "race to the bottom" and there are still plenty of sources for existing Mac mini's. The problem is many folks here want more features and power for less money - understandable, but perhaps unrealistic given Apple's track-record. This appears to be work on Apple's part to open up differentiation in their lines, pricing-wise, to perhaps allow for some expansion in their bridge category devices (iPad). And gentlegeeks here seem to forget that Apple always works to simplify their product lines, not make them more complex - which is why there is only ONE Macbook (with limited upgrades) for example. The cost/price-window on the low-end equipment is narrow, and the devices themselves tend to not be very forward-looking. This all works against the desires of the disillusioned herein.
"Sooooooo.... $700 for a (probably) foxconn motherboard in (the equivalent of) a laptop with no display or battery. But, hey! That aluminum case sure is nifty!"
...some salient quotes from the web.
Thank you. A Fox(conn) by any other name, would smell... Wait, wha...
Mac Mini + iPad + Jaadu VNC = Remote display touchscreen. No need for wireless keyboard and mouse.
Add in plexapp or boxee and Airvideo for iPad = ultimate entertainment experience.
That's exactly what I did, but logmein rather than Jaadu. Either way, the iPad works for 90% of what I do when on the road, but when I need the other 10%, I just log into my Mini server.
Quote:
Originally Posted by casey4147
The one thing about the price increase that I don't understand is, why isn't the Server model an additional $100 more?
It's not. The previous server price was also $999. Given that it comes with unlimited client licenses, that's a very attractive price.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nvidia2008
Call me a troll, but sorry to say the design and engineering is brilliant but the component and assembly quality is significantly poorer compared to Macs from 3 to 6 years ago.
Sure, some will want me to quote "facts" and "statistics", but, well, truth will out.
IOW, your mind is made up, don't confuse you with the facts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cory Bauer
And if the iPad wasn't a slave device that requires a computer, that would be a very viable solution.
The iPad doesn't require a computer for everyone. Some people would get by just fine with an iPad alone. The Apple store will set it up for them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by universeman
Who wants to own a movie when they're all available for streaming? One day. I have never understood why people would want to have racks of plastic discs in their living rooms.
I agree in principle, but only if all movies were available by streaming. Netflix brags a lot about their streaming, but it's actually relatively few movies that are available that way.
Regarding Blu Ray, can you not buy an external Blu Ray player and connect it to the USB on the Mac Mini? Thought I read someplace the software doesn't support it.
Say what you want about Blu Ray, the picture is gorgeous. Whether it becomes obsolete now or later, it should be a part of the home theatre for the present. At least until 3-D content becomes available.
It's more expensive to make smaller computing devices. The Mini is much smaller than before especially considering the power supply is built-in. Hence the higher price.
IF you want pure Mhz/ram/hd then it's always cheaper to buy a plain old vanilla Windows box.
HDMI out timing is strange given Apple now passes audio/video through mini-display port and sell a 3rd party adapter to pass audio/video through to HDMI.
The saddest thing though is that the PC DIY market is full of these UGLY, UGLY, RIDICULOUS BEASTLY TOWERS, and smaller form factors are all not-that-attractive (compared to Apple, I guess) branded (Dell, HP, etc), non-DIY cases.
Comments
A 15 year flash in the pan. Buy-to-own digital movies are going nowhere fast. Apple needs to pull their head out of the sand.
...in case you missed the background - Blu-Ray drives are seeing much higher than average error rates, and are widely seen as an incremental upgrade to DVD. With other technology already queuing up to replace it - let me remind you of Steve Jobs comments at WWDC - that Apple always looks at and evaluates the forward value of a technology as they decide whether it should be included in their footprint. That being said, you can buy from a nice selection of external Blu-ray drives to attach to your computing device, which means that Apple doesn't have to install it in the case itself.
btw a "fifteen year flash-in-the-pan" constitutes a conflagration by any fire-fighting standards - so you may want to find another expression for a "temporary market anomaly spanning a decade and a half and a wide variety of devices producing unprecedented profitability and success for a previously pre-humously pronounced dead corporate entity".
Glad I could help you out there.
I've been pretty pissed about the price increase as well. But if you go to dell's website and price out a 50/50 comparable machine (the Dell Studio Hybrid) it prices out at $689.
2.2 Ghtz w/ 3MB cache, 2 gigs ram, SD slot, HDMI, etc. So even though i'm pissed abotu the price of this, it's competitive. I guess it all boils down to components.
It still is a little amazing that you couldn't get the price down to at least $499 at the entry level.
You were right the first time. It all boils down to being competitive. Apple knows what their competitors sell and for how much. The annoyance I'm hearing is that Apple isn't going to sell a cheaper, stripped-down model to go up against their competitors' cheaper stripped-down models. Anybody who is seriously surprised by that just hasn't been paying attention.
Clearly, Apple is a failure. They can't make ipads and iphones fast enough for demand. They can't please investors. I mean, just look at their stock price over the last 5 years. An abomination if ever I have seen one. They make the baby jesus cry.
The feds should investigate them and leave the good companies (BP, massey energy, etc alone). Those companies are doing such wonderful things. Also, I think the telecoms are doing a great job. I could not ask more of my cable or phone providers. The fact that I have one choice of semi-fast internet in my area and the price goes up for no reason every other month pleases me as a consumer and citizen. You're doing a heck of a job brownie! Meanwhile, apple puts out crap and more crap. I demand an investigation immediately.
[sarcasm OFF]
Much better.
I just recently threw away my Flowerpower imac
Threw it away???
I recently SOLD mine, $80. Went in less than a day.
Yes, that was a joke.
IF you want pure Mhz/ram/hd then it's always cheaper to buy a plain old vanilla Windows box.
HDMI out timing is strange given Apple now passes audio/video through mini-display port and sell a 3rd party adapter to pass audio/video through to HDMI.
HDMI out is strange given Apple now passes audio/video through mini-display port and sell a 3rd party adapter to pass them through to HDMI.
So you think that's handier than simply using an HDMI cable?
I had resigned myself to wait for the new model and was ready to buy at introduction, specifically because I wanted the 320M.
I went to the store this morning and saw the price. Um, what? More expensive?
Then I went to the specs and saw 2GB as the base memory config, taking up both slots.
You have got to be kidding me.
Faster CPU, faster GPU, Unibody design, SD card slot, HDMI...worth $100 to me
If I want more RAM, I'll upgrade it myself for less than Apple charges.
Now it is also drop dead easy to DIY.
For that price, they should have at least thrown in 4GB RAM and 500GB hard drive.
Very disappointing. (I'll wait for the inevitable price drop).
I was going to say the same thing. I feel the price would be fine if it had 4GB of RAM. I also feel the same for the Macbook which still comes with only 2GB.
Sooooooo.... $700 for a (probably) foxconn motherboard in (the equivalent of) a laptop with no display or battery.
But, hey! That aluminum case sure is nifty!
Same engineering and chips (just different board layout) as the current MBP 13".
Shame about the price. 800€ for the base model is ludicrous - that's iMac territory!
Like others, I am very disappointed with the price. Particularly when I discovered it came with only 2gb of RAM. 4gb is a prudent minimum these days. It's great to see that they are trying to make user upgrades to the RAM possible, however.
Other things sort of piss me off, and it gets at the heart of all that is wrong with Jonathan Ive's designs. In so many ways the guy is brilliant, but increasingly we see the utter sacrifice of utility and purpose to esthetic considerations. To a degree which sharply goes against Ive's own stated design goals.
Perhaps the goofiest of all is the downward facing speakers on the iMac, guaranteed to sound absolutely awful. The speaker drivers should be facing the user, preferably at ear level height. This, of course, gets in the way of Apple's esthetics. Conclusion: usability and user experience are to be ruthless subjugated to esthetics.
And then there is the goofy issue of all the I/O ports on the iMac being on the back of the machine.
Think about it: what decent reason could there be to have the headphone jack on the BACK of the machine?
Or an SD card reader?
Particularly if you wanted to use this Mini as part of a home entertainment set up. Sure, it's nice to be able to pop in a memory card from your uncle's camera in order to see some pics. If you wish for that to be an option, mounting this in a shelf or rack is out of the question.
Far from regarding Apple's hardware as incredibly superior, I'm increasingly finding it to be the biggest liability. Generally speaking, the prices ARE too high. And far too often the hardware choices are too limited and very, very poorly designed with regards to practical considerations.
This newest Mac Mini should retail for $399. As should the 24" display which currently sells for $899.
some salient quotes from the web.
If memory serves, you could be classified as anti-Apple based on your posting history.
Well, if you take my 3-month posting history, possibly. But take into account a few years of my postings...
That's so weird though, for me, to be considered anti-Apple. Wow. Seriously, it's weird. But, life is short, I gotta call it like I see it nowadays. My opinions are what they are.
Fair enough, maybe I am drifting to the "anti-Apple stance". I just hope my postings are still of value while letting me let off a bit of steam. As long as I don't write personal attacks, I think I'll be fine. This is, after all, Appleinsider.com NOT AppleLover.com
You were right the first time. It all boils down to being competitive. Apple knows what their competitors sell and for how much. The annoyance I'm hearing is that Apple isn't going to sell a cheaper, stripped-down model to go up against their competitors' cheaper stripped-down models. Anybody who is seriously surprised by that just hasn't been paying attention.
Apple is not going to join in the "race to the bottom" and there are still plenty of sources for existing Mac mini's. The problem is many folks here want more features and power for less money - understandable, but perhaps unrealistic given Apple's track-record. This appears to be work on Apple's part to open up differentiation in their lines, pricing-wise, to perhaps allow for some expansion in their bridge category devices (iPad). And gentlegeeks here seem to forget that Apple always works to simplify their product lines, not make them more complex - which is why there is only ONE Macbook (with limited upgrades) for example. The cost/price-window on the low-end equipment is narrow, and the devices themselves tend to not be very forward-looking. This all works against the desires of the disillusioned herein.
some salient quotes from the web.
I see you've been at Ars.
I think if they would have included those new hybrid Seagate drives and included 4 gbs of RAM then there would be value in this update, IMO.
"Sooooooo.... $700 for a (probably) foxconn motherboard in (the equivalent of) a laptop with no display or battery. But, hey! That aluminum case sure is nifty!"
...some salient quotes from the web.
Thank you. A Fox(conn) by any other name, would smell... Wait, wha...
Mac Mini + iPad + Jaadu VNC = Remote display touchscreen. No need for wireless keyboard and mouse.
Add in plexapp or boxee and Airvideo for iPad = ultimate entertainment experience.
That's exactly what I did, but logmein rather than Jaadu. Either way, the iPad works for 90% of what I do when on the road, but when I need the other 10%, I just log into my Mini server.
The one thing about the price increase that I don't understand is, why isn't the Server model an additional $100 more?
It's not. The previous server price was also $999. Given that it comes with unlimited client licenses, that's a very attractive price.
Call me a troll, but sorry to say the design and engineering is brilliant but the component and assembly quality is significantly poorer compared to Macs from 3 to 6 years ago.
Sure, some will want me to quote "facts" and "statistics", but, well, truth will out.
IOW, your mind is made up, don't confuse you with the facts.
And if the iPad wasn't a slave device that requires a computer, that would be a very viable solution.
The iPad doesn't require a computer for everyone. Some people would get by just fine with an iPad alone. The Apple store will set it up for them.
Who wants to own a movie when they're all available for streaming? One day. I have never understood why people would want to have racks of plastic discs in their living rooms.
I agree in principle, but only if all movies were available by streaming. Netflix brags a lot about their streaming, but it's actually relatively few movies that are available that way.
Say what you want about Blu Ray, the picture is gorgeous. Whether it becomes obsolete now or later, it should be a part of the home theatre for the present. At least until 3-D content becomes available.
It's more expensive to make smaller computing devices. The Mini is much smaller than before especially considering the power supply is built-in. Hence the higher price.
IF you want pure Mhz/ram/hd then it's always cheaper to buy a plain old vanilla Windows box.
HDMI out timing is strange given Apple now passes audio/video through mini-display port and sell a 3rd party adapter to pass audio/video through to HDMI.
The saddest thing though is that the PC DIY market is full of these UGLY, UGLY, RIDICULOUS BEASTLY TOWERS, and smaller form factors are all not-that-attractive (compared to Apple, I guess) branded (Dell, HP, etc), non-DIY cases.