Apple tables plans for Mac mini iPod dock once again

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 48
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    I think its a wise move to not include the built-in doc. Sure, some people would use it, but they can also buy a dock or just use the iPod cable they already have.



    Switching to desktop drives has a few other pluses including reduced costs and increased performance. If the revamped mini uses standard SATA drives I'd be more inclined to pick one up as a central file/dev server. With decent RAM and the Core Duo its a fantastic MAMP server (Mac OS / Apache / MySQL / PHP).



    Then again, this might be a reason to not use desktop drives. If a $600 mini can takeover for a $2000 desktop you know Apple will lose some sales.
  • Reply 22 of 48
    leonisleonis Posts: 3,427member
    If you look at LaCie's Mac Mini hard drive stacking case and Newer Tech's Ministack you will see the width of Mini itself will be fine for the 3.5" HD but the height will have to increase by like 1.5"



    I say even with a taller case the new Mini will still be tiny
  • Reply 23 of 48
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Leonis

    If you look at LaCie's Mac Mini hard drive stacking case and Newer Tech's Ministack you will see the width of Mini itself will be fine for the 3.5" HD but the height will have to increase by like 1.5"



    I say even with a taller case the new Mini will still be tiny




    I was actually surprised by how small it was when I saw it in person. The photos online made it look quite big (comparatively). Even with a 3.5" HDD, it's still tiny.



    Now for that extra RAM slot...
  • Reply 24 of 48
    zengazenga Posts: 267member
    No mayor changes in design will come to the mini... More of everything maybe.. and it can only get smaler not bigger.. The "Mini" is a portable MAC looking for any type of screen you have, TV, LCD, Plasma you name it... Home entertaintment comes to mind, as simple as that, well that, and also the fact that you have a beauty of a machine to do all the stuff you do in the confort of your bed (if you like) and enjoy!



    All I want is a 11 or 13" Mac Book pro or not & voila!!!



    Love my iMac!!!
  • Reply 25 of 48
    There is a news bulletin from our own Appleinsider:



    http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1524



    wouldn't it be possible that they scraped the dock in favor of another kind of connection?
  • Reply 26 of 48
    yes....i know....scrapped...typo
  • Reply 27 of 48
    gordygordy Posts: 1,004member
    <rant>

    What is everyone's deal with Front Row? Front Row is awful...just awful. The remote is not responsive, the GUI is just an iPod interface blown up, and 320 x 240 [iTMS videos] looks like crap at full screen. While I don't care for CenterStage much either, I'd use it before Front Row.



    My God [check my stats folks b4U trip], this goes beyond the 'fanboy' crap I read over at Engadget. Front Row is not good. Please, lets move on.



    Besides, if it's 'marginally' responsive on a Core Duo iMac, why would anyone be salivating over this running in a Mini with half the power?

    </rant>



    That being said--never mind, I'm done.
  • Reply 28 of 48
    I think an iPod dock would ruin some of the 'stackability' of the mac mini.
  • Reply 29 of 48
    You wouldn't have to raise the enclosure 1.5", more like 1" IF you used a thinner drive.



    Normal 3.5" hard drives are "1/3"-height, but when I upgraded my Replay, I noticed the 40GB drive in there was significantly thinner, more like "1/4"-height, that 1/3-height.



    Obviously, those thinner drives are sold for media centers, so Apple could spec those - even if it might be to our advantage to have a standard 3.5" hard drive for upgraders.



    Without a 3.5" drive, the mini will never be a media center, Intel Core or G4.
  • Reply 30 of 48
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    (about side ports on a mini)



    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chris Cuilla





    Whew! That was a good one...ohhhmygosh...



    ( don't you know that things like convenience never ever get in the way of aesthetics on Apple computers! )




    Tell that to their laptop designers. They could hide the ports in the back, but they don't.
  • Reply 31 of 48
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Bulky Cranium

    Possibly a dumb question here, but wdo larger HDs run any hotter? Could they be sticking to the small enclosure for heat reasons?



    The reason I ask is my LaCie HD inclusures sound like a hair dryer compared to my Powerbook & Mac Mini.




    Some LaCie enclosures are fanless. I have an external fanless WD drive too. It is possible to design a fan cooling system that is pretty quiet, it seems to be one of those shortcuts that everyone takes.



    Quote:

    Originally posted by starwxrwx

    I think an iPod dock would ruin some of the 'stackability' of the mac mini.



    Apple didn't design the mini to have anything stacked on top of it. There is barely any structure on the top face and it could press the optical drive. Metal objects on the top would block the wireless signals.



    That said, I don't think it makes sense for a dock to be there, the mini would just look like an oversized dock for those that use it for iPods, or just be a very large empty hole for those that don't.
  • Reply 32 of 48
    Quote:

    Originally posted by 1984

    So it seems all this talk of an Apple DVR was just a fantasy.



    No, not a fantasy. I don't believe this "talk" is just talk. I personally believe it WILL be a reality, just not as soon as some people suggest. If you look at the pieces that Apple has available currently (Mac Mini, Front Row, remote, etc.) you'd be hard pressed not to think that there will be an Apple DVR. Whether it is just a glorified Mac Mini or not is irrelevant.
  • Reply 33 of 48
    shanmugamshanmugam Posts: 1,200member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by G_Warren









    Nice mockup, i prefer the ports on the right hand side and power as well something similar to Cinema Display power button



    oh yeah i like to see a mini APPLE logo in front of Mac mini something similar to logo in the Cinema display, and remove the Big logo on top of the machine which is going to be covered by External HDD or something else



    that will be clever marketing ....
  • Reply 34 of 48
    tenobelltenobell Posts: 7,014member
    Single core in the mini is fine. The target audience is not buying this computer for performance.



    Apple should create a small tower with dual core. Something larger than the mini but smaller than the Power Mac. No monitor and at least two exansion slots.
  • Reply 35 of 48
    may be over the period of time, small tower could eventually replace PowerMacs ... if Heat and power consumption of CPUs/Pheripherals keep going down ... RETURN of CUBE then?
  • Reply 36 of 48
    sjksjk Posts: 603member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by initiator

    If you look at the pieces that Apple has available currently (Mac Mini, Front Row, remote, etc.) you'd be hard pressed not to think that there will be an Apple DVR.



    A critical component you (and others) have omitted is the tuner. Elgato's EyeTV has over a half-dozen different products that support:



    Analog

    DVB-C

    DVB-S

    DVB-T

    ATSC/Clear QAM



    How do you propose Apple would handle the different signals for an international DVR product?



    Personally, I'm glad to keep the tuner component external like with EyeTV. That makes it's portable and upgradable.



    Another little-discussed issue is the program guide (from different providers). Elgato finally integrated one with its recent EyeTV 2 software release but there's limited provider support so not every customer can use it.



    I'm still not convinced Apple intends to delve directly into the DVR market even if it has solutions for those and other issues.
  • Reply 37 of 48
    Originally posted by TenoBell

    Single core in the mini is fine. The target audience is not buying this computer for performance....Apple should create a small tower with dual core. Something larger than the mini but smaller than the Power Mac. No monitor and at least two exansion slots.




    And the ability to BYO graphic card!!!!!!!
  • Reply 38 of 48
    Quote:

    Originally posted by JeffDM

    (about side ports on a mini)



    Tell that to their laptop designers. They could hide the ports in the back, but they don't.




    Actually, if you look closely, the screen covers the back when its open, so putting ports there isn't an option unless they redesign the screen. picture



    I still want a docking station connector on the bottom ala IBM Thinkpad.
  • Reply 39 of 48
    arnelarnel Posts: 103member
    If I remember rightly the rumours of the Mac Mini iPod dock came about because of the unused firewire connections on the riser card inside.



    It's a good job they didn't include the dock - a firewire connection would be next to useless with the 5G and iPod nano! Perhaps this is why they're shying away from the idea - if they keep the connector external they can still change it about when they need to (or when they just feel like getting everyone to pay up a bit more money).



    Neil.

    a.k.a. Arnel
  • Reply 40 of 48
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sjk

    A critical component you (and others) have omitted is the tuner. Elgato's EyeTV has over a half-dozen different products that support:



    Analog

    DVB-C

    DVB-S

    DVB-T

    ATSC/Clear QAM



    How do you propose Apple would handle the different signals for an international DVR product?





    Well, this is not a prime problem i guess. They managed to

    develop different types of keyboards and OSs and such to match

    different needs by different countries. So probably no big deal.



    Quote:

    Personally, I'm glad to keep the tuner component external like with EyeTV. That makes it's portable and upgradable.



    Imagine a BTO option with Elgato inside, i wouldn't hesitate

    a split second to order such a beast, would i not?



    Quote:

    I'm still not convinced Apple intends to delve directly into the DVR market even if it has solutions for those and other issues.



    I believe Apple is urged to get into this DVR market, - better yesterday

    than tomorrow. Otherwise a whole vivid (profit-wise) market just pass by.

    (Do they want to slip this DVR oportunity by? Seemingly...)

    My 2 cents.
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