Have you guys thought about putting the Mac Mini into the center of your living room? I know it would fit right into mine.
I found HomeTheaterMac.com and the community there really knew their stuff. They got me started with my Mac Centric Home Theater Systm. I hope you find it helpful too.
So can you or cant you install your own RAM and AE card? Much sadness if you cant...
You CAN install RAM. Many reputable sources have quoted Apple on the warranty issue: you're fine unless you break something, same as with any computer.
It's really not hard. There's some risk of scratching your Mini if you're careless--but on the bottom where you can't see anyway.
And once the case is open, the RAM slot is right there, easy to get to.
I can understand Apple discouraging hordes of clueless buyers from wrecking their Minis carelessly. But that's all it is: discouragement. You don't have to listen
Wireless options aren't so easy. You probably COULD install them yourself, but it would be a bigger challenge.
Get real, users doing DVD production beyond iMovie/iDVD won't be using Mac minis so a small-ish 4200rpm drive isn't that big a deal.
Thanks for your input aegisdesign but iMovie/iDVD is exactly what I'm talking about. Consider this: One double density DVD (which the new SuperDrive for the Mac mini can burn) of video taken with any digital video camera amounts to a lot of data before it is compressed at the authoring stage, regardless of whether the user is using iDVD or Final Cut Pro.
Also consider that iPOD Photo stores 60Gb, where would you store that amount of data if you wish to back that up? On your HARD DRIVE is one option. Another is to burn it to DVD but it would take 7 or 8 double density disks to do that, and they're not cheap. So, soon enough, Joe user buys an external 160Gb drive and hooks it up to the sole FireWire port and "Hey Presto", there's a chunk of desk real estate and the only firewire port gone!
The underlining point of my post was that there is a market for Mac mini periferals that have a Mac mini look, just like there are a lot of iPOD periferals that have an iPOD look.
If users with this display experience screen tinting and lines when running a screen saver or other visualizer in Full Screen, Apple suggests using an alternative display.
Great. If your >$1000 *Apple* display doesn't work, just use an 'alternative' one! Simple!
Just wanted to say that Appleinsider did a nice article giving us all the details that apple seems not interested in letting the consumer know about. Bravo! Good Job.
Thanks for your input aegisdesign but iMovie/iDVD is exactly what I'm talking about. Consider this: One double density DVD (which the new SuperDrive for the Mac mini can burn)
No it can't. It's appears to be the same MATSHITA UJ-825 superdrive as in the iMac and Powerbook. 4.7GB. Apple.com points you to the same 4x 4.7GB media in the shop as for the others in the range.
No Macs come with Dual-Layer (which is what I presume you meant) drives yet.
Quote:
Originally posted by Bart Smastard
of video taken with any digital video camera amounts to a lot of data before it is compressed at the authoring stage, regardless of whether the user is using iDVD or Final Cut Pro.
A DV stream off a camcorder is about 10-13GB per hour depending on format.
So the Mac mini with 80GB disk wouldn't be out of the question for editing most home users camcorder videos and burning to DVD but as I said, anyone doing serious editing is going to want a faster, bigger computer.
I've done video editing on a G4-Yikes! 450Mhz so it's not impossible, but that's all we had at the time. IIRC the drive was only 40GB too.
Quote:
Originally posted by Bart Smastard
Also consider that iPOD Photo stores 60Gb, where would you store that amount of data if you wish to back that up? On your HARD DRIVE is one option. Another is to burn it to DVD but it would take 7 or 8 double density disks to do that, and they're not cheap. So, soon enough, Joe user buys an external 160Gb drive and hooks it up to the sole FireWire port and "Hey Presto", there's a chunk of desk real estate and the only firewire port gone!
1) Joe User doesn't back up
2) To get 60GB onto the iPod, they'd have to have 60GB of photos and tunes in their iPhoto and iTunes library already on their Mac mini.
3) The Lacie D2 drive I have sat here, which is a nice silver colour and about the same size as a Mac mini (6.5" by 6" by 1.8") has a firewire pass through port. Most firewire drives do. It'd sit nicely under/on a Mac mini and take up no space.
Quote:
Originally posted by Bart Smastard
The underlining point of my post was that there is a market for Mac mini periferals that have a Mac mini look, just like there are a lot of iPOD periferals that have an iPOD look.
I'm sure there is but if I knew I wanted to edit a lot of video, I'd not start with a sub $500 computer with a small drive and limited RAM and then add on expensive peripherals.
Great. If your >$1000 *Apple* display doesn't work, just use an 'alternative' one! Simple!
*Chuckle*
Reminds me of the Monty Python sketch where one of the team can't pronounce words with the letter 'C' in them, pronouncing them as 'B's instead. So the other person in the sketch suggests using a 'K' instead.
I'm wondering if Apple uses some pins to remotely switch the powersupply into a low-power-mode when the Mac Mini is turned off. It's difficult to do this only by sensing the current, so maybe that's the reason for the pin numbers.
Me too don't believe that Apple has thought about any add-on's connected to the power plug, it wouldn't make much sense, because Firewire, USB2, Bluetooth and Airport covers most peripherials which are available.
When does S-ATA External become a standard? It would have made very much sense in the Mac Mini (and every other Mac, of course). Many people are complainig about the slow 2.5" Harddrives, and USB/Firewire isn't that fast(compared to S-ATA).
Update: I forgot about FW800, but it's still not as fast as S-ATA
When does S-ATA External become a standard? It would have made very much sense in the Mac Mini (and every other Mac, of course). Many people are complainig about the slow 2.5" Harddrives, and USB/Firewire isn't that fast(compared to S-ATA).
Update: I forgot about FW800, but it's still not as fast as S-ATA
huh? aye, me heartie, i don't see anything but FW800 on the horizon, arrrr....
So, soon enough, Joe user buys an external 160Gb drive and hooks it up to the sole FireWire port and "Hey Presto", there's a chunk of desk real estate and the only firewire port gone!
Except most external firewire drives have pass-through ports (well, the two I have do, and I didn't even think about that when I got them, and others I've seen also do as well). And what is the his firewire port for, if not to use? If Apple included a 200GB hard disk, would it be OK to get rid of the port then? Or maybe, they should just lose the hard drive altogether, since everyone's apparently going to need large hard drives anyway.
He can always plug in his iPod into the USB ports, you know.
Hopefully, subsequent versions of the mini will resolve a few immediate problems. It's clear that at least two more ports are needed, one more USB 2, and one more firewire.
I like the idea of slices designed to fit underneath the mini. The ideal slice would house one (or even two) 3.5" HDDs, and provide passthrough firewire, USB2 (2 of each) as well as line A/V in/out.
Power requirements may become a factor, a pass through power plug might be possible as well. Jetison the mini powersupply, use the slice instead, though it would have to have enough power to run the mini, and the slice.
Here's something I prepared earlier on how 'slices' might look... In this case, any of you into electronic music and analog synths will know what I'm talking about in da piccie... I call it TranceFire modules.
For those of you with no bloody idea what I'm talking about, replace those slices with whatever you can dream - Power slice, HDD slice, EyeTV slice, BluRay slice, etc...
Yeah baby, that Apple logo with two leaves instead of one -- That's the Apple2 slice
hmm... so it looks like on your Rig and what You Use It For... you'd be seeing max real benefit at the 512 or 640mb mark... 1 GB prolly a bit overkill for you...
Hmm? No, my aversion to actually closing anything, fed by Exposé, makes me a bona fide RAM hog. What I meant is, that anything that makes the system run more efficiently in limited RAM is probably lost on me, because I have a whole lot of RAM to begin with.
Over time, OS X has gotten faster on my machine. But it's mostly been the big updates that have had the most noticeable results.
No it can't. It's appears to be the same MATSHITA UJ-825 superdrive as in the iMac and Powerbook. 4.7GB. Apple.com points you to the same 4x 4.7GB media in the shop as for the others in the range.
No Macs come with Dual-Layer (which is what I presume you meant) drives yet.
oh really? interesting, because these fellas seem to think different
mac mini is basic machine. it will have basic machine features apparently some features compromised for design. i.e. laptop drive instead of desktop drive etc...
come on people, basic machine for basic computer needs.
the form factor alone for the price makes this a nice alternative to mac or pc towers.
this machine will be a huge hit. i think this machine easily sell more then 100,000 units being produced by apple.
this will have the same affect as the original imac.
let's get some marketshare so more software developers have insentive to optimize software for osx which by itself will cause speed gains for the next few years even if all mac hardware is stalled.
Here's something I prepared earlier on how 'slices' might look... In this case, any of you into electronic music and analog synths will know what I'm talking about in da piccie... I call it TranceFire modules.
For those of you with no bloody idea what I'm talking about, replace those slices with whatever you can dream - Power slice, HDD slice, EyeTV slice, BluRay slice, etc...
That's kind of an interesting idea. If you were to seriously consider making them, I would think that you'd want a gap between them. On the mini, there is a gap around the lower front and sides to take in air. I think each device should handle its own thermal management rather than adding burdens to the mini. If the air is ducted though the stack, with the mini on top, it would be getting all the heat that the devices below it, and the fan would also have to fight more flow resistance.
That's kind of an interesting idea. If you were to seriously consider making them, I would think that you'd want a gap between them. On the mini, there is a gap around the lower front and sides to take in air. I think each device should handle its own thermal management rather than adding burdens to the mini. If the air is ducted though the stack, with the mini on top, it would be getting all the heat that the devices below it, and the fan would also have to fight more flow resistance.
in the mock-up i posted, i forgot to mention that the slices all use quantum tunelling to finally solve Apple's heat issues... it sends all extra heat to a parallel universe (where unfortunately from now on Apple users there all have to run their chips at lower GHZ because of the Apple CPU heat from our universe) so your Mac mini, and the future PowerBook G5, will run at a constant 75deg F or 20deg C, gentle to the touch on a hot day, reassuring on a cold one.
Comments
I found HomeTheaterMac.com and the community there really knew their stuff. They got me started with my Mac Centric Home Theater Systm. I hope you find it helpful too.
Originally posted by CtLirt
So can you or cant you install your own RAM and AE card? Much sadness if you cant...
You CAN install RAM. Many reputable sources have quoted Apple on the warranty issue: you're fine unless you break something, same as with any computer.
This video shows how to open the case:
http://www.smashsworld.com/uploads/macminidl.php
It's really not hard. There's some risk of scratching your Mini if you're careless--but on the bottom where you can't see anyway.
And once the case is open, the RAM slot is right there, easy to get to.
I can understand Apple discouraging hordes of clueless buyers from wrecking their Minis carelessly. But that's all it is: discouragement. You don't have to listen
Wireless options aren't so easy. You probably COULD install them yourself, but it would be a bigger challenge.
Originally posted by aegisdesign
Get real, users doing DVD production beyond iMovie/iDVD won't be using Mac minis so a small-ish 4200rpm drive isn't that big a deal.
Thanks for your input aegisdesign but iMovie/iDVD is exactly what I'm talking about. Consider this: One double density DVD (which the new SuperDrive for the Mac mini can burn) of video taken with any digital video camera amounts to a lot of data before it is compressed at the authoring stage, regardless of whether the user is using iDVD or Final Cut Pro.
Also consider that iPOD Photo stores 60Gb, where would you store that amount of data if you wish to back that up? On your HARD DRIVE is one option. Another is to burn it to DVD but it would take 7 or 8 double density disks to do that, and they're not cheap. So, soon enough, Joe user buys an external 160Gb drive and hooks it up to the sole FireWire port and "Hey Presto", there's a chunk of desk real estate and the only firewire port gone!
The underlining point of my post was that there is a market for Mac mini periferals that have a Mac mini look, just like there are a lot of iPOD periferals that have an iPOD look.
Geez some people are hard to impress
If users with this display experience screen tinting and lines when running a screen saver or other visualizer in Full Screen, Apple suggests using an alternative display.
Great. If your >$1000 *Apple* display doesn't work, just use an 'alternative' one! Simple!
Originally posted by Bart Smastard
Thanks for your input aegisdesign but iMovie/iDVD is exactly what I'm talking about. Consider this: One double density DVD (which the new SuperDrive for the Mac mini can burn)
No it can't. It's appears to be the same MATSHITA UJ-825 superdrive as in the iMac and Powerbook. 4.7GB. Apple.com points you to the same 4x 4.7GB media in the shop as for the others in the range.
No Macs come with Dual-Layer (which is what I presume you meant) drives yet.
Originally posted by Bart Smastard
of video taken with any digital video camera amounts to a lot of data before it is compressed at the authoring stage, regardless of whether the user is using iDVD or Final Cut Pro.
A DV stream off a camcorder is about 10-13GB per hour depending on format.
So the Mac mini with 80GB disk wouldn't be out of the question for editing most home users camcorder videos and burning to DVD but as I said, anyone doing serious editing is going to want a faster, bigger computer.
I've done video editing on a G4-Yikes! 450Mhz so it's not impossible, but that's all we had at the time. IIRC the drive was only 40GB too.
Originally posted by Bart Smastard
Also consider that iPOD Photo stores 60Gb, where would you store that amount of data if you wish to back that up? On your HARD DRIVE is one option. Another is to burn it to DVD but it would take 7 or 8 double density disks to do that, and they're not cheap. So, soon enough, Joe user buys an external 160Gb drive and hooks it up to the sole FireWire port and "Hey Presto", there's a chunk of desk real estate and the only firewire port gone!
1) Joe User doesn't back up
2) To get 60GB onto the iPod, they'd have to have 60GB of photos and tunes in their iPhoto and iTunes library already on their Mac mini.
3) The Lacie D2 drive I have sat here, which is a nice silver colour and about the same size as a Mac mini (6.5" by 6" by 1.8") has a firewire pass through port. Most firewire drives do. It'd sit nicely under/on a Mac mini and take up no space.
Originally posted by Bart Smastard
The underlining point of my post was that there is a market for Mac mini periferals that have a Mac mini look, just like there are a lot of iPOD periferals that have an iPOD look.
I'm sure there is but if I knew I wanted to edit a lot of video, I'd not start with a sub $500 computer with a small drive and limited RAM and then add on expensive peripherals.
Originally posted by Bart Smastard
Consider this: One double density DVD (which the new SuperDrive for the Mac mini can burn)
Not to be nitpicking, but the Mac mini's SuperDrive does not support "dual density" discs - I assume you thought of dual-layer DVDs.
It does support DVD+R(W) and DVD-R(W) both being single-layered.
Source: http://www.apple.com/macmini/specs.html - Built-to-Order options -> DVD
Originally posted by jouster
Great. If your >$1000 *Apple* display doesn't work, just use an 'alternative' one! Simple!
*Chuckle*
Reminds me of the Monty Python sketch where one of the team can't pronounce words with the letter 'C' in them, pronouncing them as 'B's instead. So the other person in the sketch suggests using a 'K' instead.
'Silly Bunt' ;-)
I'm wondering if Apple uses some pins to remotely switch the powersupply into a low-power-mode when the Mac Mini is turned off. It's difficult to do this only by sensing the current, so maybe that's the reason for the pin numbers.
Me too don't believe that Apple has thought about any add-on's connected to the power plug, it wouldn't make much sense, because Firewire, USB2, Bluetooth and Airport covers most peripherials which are available.
When does S-ATA External become a standard? It would have made very much sense in the Mac Mini (and every other Mac, of course). Many people are complainig about the slow 2.5" Harddrives, and USB/Firewire isn't that fast(compared to S-ATA).
Update: I forgot about FW800, but it's still not as fast as S-ATA
Originally posted by uruguru
When does S-ATA External become a standard? It would have made very much sense in the Mac Mini (and every other Mac, of course). Many people are complainig about the slow 2.5" Harddrives, and USB/Firewire isn't that fast(compared to S-ATA).
Update: I forgot about FW800, but it's still not as fast as S-ATA
Originally posted by Bart Smastard
So, soon enough, Joe user buys an external 160Gb drive and hooks it up to the sole FireWire port and "Hey Presto", there's a chunk of desk real estate and the only firewire port gone!
Except most external firewire drives have pass-through ports (well, the two I have do, and I didn't even think about that when I got them, and others I've seen also do as well). And what is the his firewire port for, if not to use? If Apple included a 200GB hard disk, would it be OK to get rid of the port then? Or maybe, they should just lose the hard drive altogether, since everyone's apparently going to need large hard drives anyway.
He can always plug in his iPod into the USB ports, you know.
I like the idea of slices designed to fit underneath the mini. The ideal slice would house one (or even two) 3.5" HDDs, and provide passthrough firewire, USB2 (2 of each) as well as line A/V in/out.
Power requirements may become a factor, a pass through power plug might be possible as well. Jetison the mini powersupply, use the slice instead, though it would have to have enough power to run the mini, and the slice.
For those of you with no bloody idea what I'm talking about, replace those slices with whatever you can dream - Power slice, HDD slice, EyeTV slice, BluRay slice, etc...
Yeah baby, that Apple logo with two leaves instead of one -- That's the Apple2 slice
Originally posted by sunilraman
hmm... so it looks like on your Rig and what You Use It For... you'd be seeing max real benefit at the 512 or 640mb mark... 1 GB prolly a bit overkill for you...
Hmm? No, my aversion to actually closing anything, fed by Exposé, makes me a bona fide RAM hog.
Over time, OS X has gotten faster on my machine. But it's mostly been the big updates that have had the most noticeable results.
Originally posted by aegisdesign
No it can't. It's appears to be the same MATSHITA UJ-825 superdrive as in the iMac and Powerbook. 4.7GB. Apple.com points you to the same 4x 4.7GB media in the shop as for the others in the range.
No Macs come with Dual-Layer (which is what I presume you meant) drives yet.
oh really? interesting, because these fellas seem to think different
http://www.hardmac.com/article.php?id=44
A bit of a hassle, but a nice surprise nonetheless if true.
edited for a typo
mac mini is basic machine. it will have basic machine features apparently some features compromised for design. i.e. laptop drive instead of desktop drive etc...
come on people, basic machine for basic computer needs.
the form factor alone for the price makes this a nice alternative to mac or pc towers.
this machine will be a huge hit. i think this machine easily sell more then 100,000 units being produced by apple.
this will have the same affect as the original imac.
let's get some marketshare so more software developers have insentive to optimize software for osx which by itself will cause speed gains for the next few years even if all mac hardware is stalled.
just some thoughts.
action
Originally posted by sunilraman
Here's something I prepared earlier on how 'slices' might look... In this case, any of you into electronic music and analog synths will know what I'm talking about in da piccie... I call it TranceFire modules.
For those of you with no bloody idea what I'm talking about, replace those slices with whatever you can dream - Power slice, HDD slice, EyeTV slice, BluRay slice, etc...
That's kind of an interesting idea. If you were to seriously consider making them, I would think that you'd want a gap between them. On the mini, there is a gap around the lower front and sides to take in air. I think each device should handle its own thermal management rather than adding burdens to the mini. If the air is ducted though the stack, with the mini on top, it would be getting all the heat that the devices below it, and the fan would also have to fight more flow resistance.
Originally posted by JeffDM
That's kind of an interesting idea. If you were to seriously consider making them, I would think that you'd want a gap between them. On the mini, there is a gap around the lower front and sides to take in air. I think each device should handle its own thermal management rather than adding burdens to the mini. If the air is ducted though the stack, with the mini on top, it would be getting all the heat that the devices below it, and the fan would also have to fight more flow resistance.
in the mock-up i posted, i forgot to mention that the slices all use quantum tunelling to finally solve Apple's heat issues... it sends all extra heat to a parallel universe (where unfortunately from now on Apple users there all have to run their chips at lower GHZ because of the Apple CPU heat from our universe) so your Mac mini, and the future PowerBook G5, will run at a constant 75deg F or 20deg C, gentle to the touch on a hot day, reassuring on a cold one.
RiscPC images and information
Product brochure...
I remember really liking the idea of this machine!
Originally posted by sunilraman
in the mock-up i posted,
I found some other variants to the theme:
Sample Optical drive add-ons
USB Hub
Tall Stack