Mac mini Rev. B Speculation

fulmer

Ok, I've seen lots of Powermac threads but no Mac mini threads...



What's your guess on when it will arrive and what it will have in it?



Here's my guess...



Base Model:

1.5GHz Single Core

Dual RAM Slots (2x256MB)

60HD (4500RPM)

Radeon 9600 w/64MB VRAM

Combo Drive

$499US



Top Model:

1.67MHz Single Core

Dual RAM Slots (2x256MB)

100GB HD (4500RPM)

Radeon 9600 w/64MB VRAM

Combo Drive

$599US



Still no built-in AirPort, Bluetooth or SuperDrive (8x + DL), but BTO. Maybe they'll have an option for a 5400RPM drive too...



I've no idea on the release date... but I'm hoping for June/July

ompus

I think we'll see a simple speed bump, followed by a real revision in form.



The bump:



Price points stay the same.

Processors bumped to 1.5 & 1.67 Mhz.

Standard memory bumped to 512 Mb.

Video card upgraded to full Core Image compatibility.

Hard Disk bumped to 5400 rpm.

Introduced with Tiger or soon after.



Rev B:



Price points stay

Everything is more, better, faster.

The primary difference will be design change to allow secure stacking of third party "slices". The addition of FW800 will ensure slices have plenty of bandwith to the mini.

August introduction.

Quote:

Originally posted by fulmer

Ok, I've seen lots of Powermac threads but no Mac mini threads...



What's your guess on when it will arrive and what it will have in it?



Here's my guess...



Base Model:

1.5GHz Single Core

Dual RAM Slots (2x256MB)

60HD (4500RPM)

Radeon 9600 w/64MB VRAM

Combo Drive

$499US



Top Model:

1.67MHz Single Core

Dual RAM Slots (2x256MB)

100GB HD (4500RPM)

Radeon 9600 w/64MB VRAM

Combo Drive

$599US



Still no built-in AirPort, Bluetooth or SuperDrive (8x + DL), but BTO. Maybe they'll have an option for a 5400RPM drive too...



I've no idea on the release date... but I'm hoping for June/July

hmurchison

my desires



Base Model:

1.5GHz Single Core

512MB RAM Standard

60GB (5400RPM)

FW400 10/100

5200FX w/64MB VRAM

Combo Drive

$499US



Top Model:

1.67MHz Single Core

1GB RAM Standard

80GB (5400RPM)

FW400 10/100/1000

Nvidia 6200

Superdrive

$599US

alliancep.s.i

Im saving up for one, think well see it before april 25? whens tigers release?

amorph

Quote:

Originally posted by alliancep.s.i

Im saving up for one, think well see it before april 25? whens tigers release?

I would be very surprised. Any updates they do to the mini until summer will be essentially shuffling parts around between "standard" and "BTO," because those are relatively easy to do. Even so, Apple will only do that in order to put out fires (e.g, the recent upgrade to 512MB standard, because everyone was griping about the 256MB standard RAM).



What I would not rule out is the introduction of a new, different model. Apple introduced the 12" and 17" PowerBooks barely more than a month after rolling out an updated 15".



I'm not saying it's likely, but I'm not ruling it out, either.

ibook911

I think everyone here has very big expectations. I'm not looking for much besides 512MB becoming standard.

mikef

I want to use one of these cool little machines as a home server. I would really like to have external SATA capability or even just dual FW800 buses for connecting some fast disks.



A long shot, I know, but one can dream

hmurchison

I see the Mac mini as evolving into.



A G5 based system with more System on a chip capabilities.



Meaning I expect Apple to develop a hardware platform makes it easy to create small systems (STB, etc)



Thus I'd love to see.



Mac mini G5



2.2Ghz G5

Chipset includes Airport, Bluetooth

Add eSata to the FW400

Add Expresscard support (no need for PCI)

HDMI output



The more we integrate the cheaper and more powerful the mini can become.

shetline

What I'd like to see:



Digital Audio Output

IR receiver built in



You can get these things as clunky add-ons, with a USB hub almost inevitably thrown into the mess, but if these features were built in the, iMac mini would be ready to go, right out of the box, into a home theater system, paving the way for both great living room iTunes access and to TiVo-like PVR applications.



Of course, some basics like shipping with 512 MB and 64 MB video RAM would be nice too. I don't see dual RAM slots happening, however, because that would take a lot of mobo redesign.

sport73

an "Apple Representative" called me last week to conduct a survey regarding my recent Mac Mini purchase; items of note in the survey were:



A focus and several questions (including "what would you most like to see included: 512MB RAM, SuperDisk, or Keyboard/Mouse") was the built-in RAM, so I expect Apple is aware of the shortcoming and plans to add 512MB to all future revisions (and other products).



A keen interest in where/how the Mini was used, but without an option (among the 5 provided by the survey) as a Home Theater Mac, which suggests that Apple is still overlooking the Living Room...

t'hain esh kelch

I only expect a Mhz update, and MAYBE a ram update to 512. And the update will happen in Paris, probably.

hmurchison

Quote:

Digital Audio Output

IR receiver built in

HDMI in the future can handle both Digital Video and Audio. I forgot about IR. That would be handy as well.



I figure Bluetooth could make for a kickass remote that could display Track info.

alliancep.s.i

512mb standard would be great and nicer vid

matsu

I imagine that HDTV functionality could really propel mini sales, and FW800 would be a good addition to allow more functional "slices" to emerge... It isn't all about performance in the video-jockey sense, maybe more a sense of convenience? Boot your mini, read a little email, browse web, maybe a little iChat A/V ? With adequate storage, you could keep any pics family sends right there on the mini, and serve it back for slide shows, or QT based home movies.



All I see it needing is one "slice" This would hook up to a new mini via FW800 (perhaps snapping to the bottom via a non-standard connector) and it would carry a large 3.5" HDD, some port replication, and video-in for PVR functionality. Also included in the box would be a dongle for various A/V out options (though most HDTV's can accept a DVI-in)



Mark it as the ideal home station. We have a 720P capable DLP set -- at 56" wide it's more than capable of delivering a nice interface for couch surfing, when 1080p sets emerge, it's only going to get better.



I've been saying this for a while, so I don't mind saying it again, HDTV is going to really change "home" computing, it already has, we just don't know it yet... what is needed now is for someone to make it simple, accessible and reliable...



Consoles could do it, but they're too proprietary. Mini is very console-like, but it has the benefit of a well supported, relatively open, standards based approach.

amorph

Quote:

Originally posted by Matsu



Consoles could do it, but they're too proprietary.

Shhhh, don't tell Microsoft. You'll break Steve Ballmer's heart.

Quote:

Mini is very console-like, but it has the benefit of a well supported, relatively open, standards based approach.

Here's hoping that Apple doesn't get greedy and forget how much of their success depends on that "relatively open, standards based approach."

bka77

Quote:

Originally posted by alliancep.s.i

Im saving up for one, think well see it before april 25? whens tigers release?

Why do you want it on or before April 25?

I think it will take longer until we see an update.

cosmonut

Get real folks. The Mac mini JUST came out in JANUARY. We won't see a speed bump or anything similar for a while. Apple has a history of letting a first generation of any brand new product sit and ferment for a while before an update. I expect we might see a speed bump or features upgrade at MW Paris...at the earliest.



If you want a Mac mini, just buy it now and get it over with.

alliancep.s.i

Quote:

Originally posted by bka77

Why do you want it on or before April 25?

I think it will take longer until we see an update.

ill have the bills then

ineedag5pbnow

PowerMac Mini G5 Workstation...dont ask why or how or who will even buy it, but it sounds cool...make it a little smaller than the cube and put in all the goods once the powermacs get a really big boost. on the back have multiple easy assess slots for extra drives...put all the connections on one side like that imac G5... pair it up with a cinema display of choice and you will have the coolest mac ever, and its a fourth the size of the current powermac...the execs will go crazy for it...

gon

My 1.2GHz iBook finds 1080i almost unwatchable, 720p plain impossible to run.



I wonder what kind of horsepower it would take to play them well - is a 1.67GHz G4 enough, for instance? GPU accelerated video is a possibility, too.



I don't expect radical changes to the mini. Rather I would expect a slightly bigger new Mac using desktop hard disks, possibly a G5 on the slow side. If there is a video Mac it is not going to be a mini.

matsu

I don't think HDTV really requires that much power to decode and display. Set-top boxes and cable co (rental) digital terminals don't really have that much oomph to them -- one dedicated chip could do the job, or a better software approach for existing hardware. Even pretty basic video hardware has enough power these days, it just doesn't have a proper API telling it how to use that power to acomplish the task. Apple can address the problem in the same way as they have written 'core' graphics technologies -- that is put the power of modern GPUs to work for something better than pushing polygons/framerates...



Apple is very good at that sort of thing, and that's the solution I would expect...