One of the best reasons for no keyboard and mouse
The size of the Mac mini box.
Bulks add to shipping costs and storage costs. Because of the awkward relationship of the size of a keyboard compared to the size of a Mac mini, a box that contained both would be significantly larger and bulkier. People who say "Why didn't Apple just throw in a keyboard and a mouse?", who are only looking at the cost of the keyboards and mice themselves, might be missing this part of the total cost.
For the customer, when it comes to in-store purchases, I'll bet that the little lunch-box sized retail box adds to the perception that "this is just a small purchase" -- that buying a Mac mini isn't a huge decision or major commitment. Grab one. Tuck it under your arm. Take it home.
My only real concern is that Apple make it clear, both during in-store sales and online sales, that only USB keyboards and mice will work, or PS/2, but only with the appropriate adapter, so that PC switchers don't have a first experience with their first Macs of the frustration of not being able to get started after they open the box because the old keyboard and mouse they had lying around the house don't work.
If Apple isn't going to throw one of these cheap little adapters in the box from the start, they should be prominently listed as an option on the online ordering form, and readily available at retail stores, with sales people smart enough to find out if the customer needs one or not.
Bulks add to shipping costs and storage costs. Because of the awkward relationship of the size of a keyboard compared to the size of a Mac mini, a box that contained both would be significantly larger and bulkier. People who say "Why didn't Apple just throw in a keyboard and a mouse?", who are only looking at the cost of the keyboards and mice themselves, might be missing this part of the total cost.
For the customer, when it comes to in-store purchases, I'll bet that the little lunch-box sized retail box adds to the perception that "this is just a small purchase" -- that buying a Mac mini isn't a huge decision or major commitment. Grab one. Tuck it under your arm. Take it home.
My only real concern is that Apple make it clear, both during in-store sales and online sales, that only USB keyboards and mice will work, or PS/2, but only with the appropriate adapter, so that PC switchers don't have a first experience with their first Macs of the frustration of not being able to get started after they open the box because the old keyboard and mouse they had lying around the house don't work.
If Apple isn't going to throw one of these cheap little adapters in the box from the start, they should be prominently listed as an option on the online ordering form, and readily available at retail stores, with sales people smart enough to find out if the customer needs one or not.
Comments
Thinking along these lines, doesn't the little box sort of sort of suggest it's not really even a computer? I mean in a good, "nothing to fear here, just another cool consumer device to play with" way.
Pundits have been suggesting for while that the next step in the evolution of the home computer is for the "computer to disappear". Seems to me the mini Mac, along with iLife and os x is a big step in that direction.
Little box, hook it up, fire it up, look! There's a little pictures of things along the bottom! Click, I can edit my movies. Click, I download and organize my digital photos. Click, I'm online, I've got mail, etc.
The appliance that eats like a meal!
Originally posted by addabox
Good points, all.
Thinking along these lines, doesn't the little box sort of sort of suggest it's not really even a computer? I mean in a good, "nothing to fear here, just another cool consumer device to play with" way.
Exactly. Not unlike the original Mac, actually.
Pundits have been suggesting for while that the next step in the evolution of the home computer is for the "computer to disappear". Seems to me the mini Mac, along with iLife and os x is a big step in that direction.
Actually, the iMac was, and is, the major step in that direction. I know one person who thought her mom's iMac was an terminal that had to be connected to a computer over the internet to work! The mini is in one respect a step back from that, because, well, there the computer is, right in front of you. But given that it's as minor an imposition as it could possibly be.
Or maybe when they try to eject the CD in their computer that for some reason isn't being shown on the desktop, and therefore not able to be dragged to the trash can.
Not having a keyboard is a mistake.
Fortunately, there are workarounds, and the online help for PC users is pretty decent (although, would it kill Apple to print a damn manual?!).
But the point is well taken that the size of the box just screams "this is a low-risk impulse purchase!" and that's very important as far as attracting switchers goes. A keyboard would spoil the effect.
But something IS missing in this entire Mini deal. Hard to tell what, but the entire concept does not seems as good and as finished as Apple's concepts usualy do.
We'll see I guess.
Originally posted by Kink
I have to agree that the Mini's size does indeed incourage people to buy. If nothing then on the subconcious level. You are somehow not as intimidated by it, it seems so straightforward and simple.
But something IS missing in this entire Mini deal. Hard to tell what, but the entire concept does not seems as good and as finished as Apple's concepts usualy do.
We'll see I guess.
Well, if I had to think of "something missing", it might be a compelling "stand alone" application. Like an Apple slick DVR. Or an integrated media server solution. Something Apple could spotlight.
That way, you could tell yourself that you were buying, say, a home theater component and just happened to be getting a computer for free.
Although marketing a mac that way might run against the grain of Apple's DNA.
Bulks add to shipping costs and storage costs.
Definite yes on the latter, but not so much on the former. Storage space is a definite issue for places like mini Apple Stores and mall locations, but shipping costs in general are calculated by weight, not girth. While a mouse, keyboard and some extra packing material do add a little to the weight, it's probably negligible when considering the bulk discounts corportations like Apple get from domestic shippers like FedEx and overseas freight carriers.