Graphics Pros are waiting on CS3 to upgrade, and most will want a machine on the newer side of its life cycle. Businesses do these things in cycles and this will be some people's only chance in 3 years to get a new machine and software.
It doesn't matter if if not needed, it matters that Apple gets in sync with corporate market budgeting.
Agreed. ...IMHO whether Leopard is part of this equation is up in the air. As I mentioned before, yes, it could push a lot of Leopard adoption if Leopard ships with new Mac Pros. But it is (A) rushing to finish off properly for Apple and (B) requires a real "early adopter" attitude for the pro/prosumer/enthusiast...
...and this is one of the biggest problems with Mac OS X - you're at the mercy of what Apple thinks will be good for their business model - not what is good for the user. And there's NO competition when it comes to Mac hardware, so Apple has nothing to worry about. This PISSES ME OFF!
This is how PISSED I am:
Bye everyone. I'm switching to XP and Dell where I can buy commoditized hardware in whatever configuration I desire. My brand new MacBook will be on eBay shortly. Message me if you're interested. Sure, Dells are cheaply made and shittily designed, but it's just a tool and I shove it under the desk and forget about it.
Is that a Core2Duo? How much RAM? 8) ...Also, why don't you build your own machine -- then you *REALLY* have whatever configuration you can possibly desire. Like a 8800GTX in some sort of tiny case with no fans... Mmmm... fireworks.
Seriously dude, don't buy a Dell. Go get a DSP3 Gigabyte board for Core2Duo. Get an e6400 or 6600 and add Zalman CPU heatsink/fan and overclock that sucker to 3ghz easy and cool. 8800GTX or more reasonably 7900GS 256 or 512mb RAM. Replace stock heatsink with Zalman GPU dual-heatpipe cooler. Then overclock that sucker. Sweet. Next up: 16x DVDBurner etc. Next, RAID0 pair of 10,000rpm SATA drives. Awww yeahh. Some neon lights, neon case fans, and your set. --- also get a 600W or more rated PowerSupplyUnit, Zalman as well if possible, with large low-noise fans and heatpipes. Your case fans should all be 120mm at low rpms with vibration dampeners .... also a passive 5.25" aluminium/copper cooler case for your two 3.5" drives. Dual 120mm intake fans on the front and dual 120mm outflow fans on the back. Now RAM... DDR2-1066 4-4-4-12 or better (??1!!!) rated HyperX Kingston, OCZ, or Corsairs... 4gb in 2x1gb dual channel configs. (2x1gb, 2x1gb for 1gb each in 4 slots total)...... Aww yeah.
Yep, had the MacBook about two months. C2D 2Ghz 80GB 1GB RAM Superdrive. Includes Final Cut Express HD (unopened box), Tiger, etc. No dead pixels. I'm in the middle east right now until March 22nd and MacBook is back at home in US, so it will be a couple weeks till I can ship it.
Good luck "forgetting" about Windows when it gets in your face every day.
Also, enjoy the Vista EULA that allow Redmond to remotely search and delete stuff from your hard drive if it believes that software to be a threat.
Eh, we are Mac fans but Macvault has certainly a point, he just expressed it in a rather bold way.
Too bad Apple would not address such issues. Mind you, I am not saying Apple is wrong here since I don't know the details of its business strategy and company economics. And this topic has been beaten beyond death here and elsewhere.
Yep, had the MacBook about two months. C2D 2Ghz 80GB 1GB RAM Superdrive. Includes Final Cut Express HD (unopened box), Tiger, etc. No dead pixels. I'm in the middle east right now until March 22nd and MacBook is back at home in US, so it will be a couple weeks till I can ship it.
Dude, that is a sweet laptop. You sure you wanna get rid of it? Sorry if the Mac experience didn't work out the way you wanted it. There's no need to sell it, I have a MacBook Core[1]Duo 2ghz 2gb RAM, 60gb HD Superdrive 4x ... Running an external monitor (Sony 1280x1024 17") when "docked" on my desk. The Sony also runs off my AMD64 2.15ghz 1gb RAM nVidia6600GT 128mb VRAM for games. The AMD64 dual-boots WinXP2Pro for games, and VistaBusiness for checking out the competition. Also, Parallels on my MacBook runs WinXP2Pro, with 640mb - 1gb allocated depending on what I feel like.
We can have the best of both worlds. Dumping your Mac and getting a crappy Dell, IMHO, won't be fun. Getting a decent PC rig to do all the tinkering and upgrading and gaming, alongside your Mac, is a great hybrid setup.
...and this is one of the biggest problems with Mac OS X - you're at the mercy of what Apple thinks will be good for their business model - not what is good for the user. And there's NO competition when it comes to Mac hardware, so Apple has nothing to worry about. This PISSES ME OFF!
It's not like a buyer doesn't go in to this with their eyes shut or that Apple has suddenly sprung their strategy on you. Either Apple products are a solution worth buying in to for you or they aren't. Go look elsewhere if they don't sell what you want.
It's also not as if their hardware is drastically overpriced or slow either. It's a dictatorship but mostly benign.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank777
Graphics Pros are waiting on CS3 to upgrade, and most will want a machine on the newer side of its life cycle.
...but not an 8 core Mac Pro. An iMac is overkill for most of CS3's target audience. I'm waiting for CS3 (and the AlienSkin and ex-Extensis plugins) before moving to Intel from my G5 but I'm not waiting on new Mac Pros before buying CS3. It really doesn't matter if the hardware is last month's bleeding edge, I've got work to do. Most Pros buy equipment when they need it. They don't sit on their hands waiting on rumours, otherwise they'll always be waiting.
Saying that, I'm waiting on Santa Rosa based MacBook Pros. A couple more months of G5/CS2 is neither here nor there to me.
Dude, that is a sweet laptop. You sure you wanna get rid of it? Sorry if the Mac experience didn't work out the way you wanted it. There's no need to sell it, I have a MacBook Core[1]Duo 2ghz 2gb RAM, 60gb HD Superdrive 4x ... Running an external monitor (Sony 1280x1024 17") when "docked" on my desk. The Sony also runs off my AMD64 2.15ghz 1gb RAM nVidia6600GT 128mb VRAM for games. The AMD64 dual-boots WinXP2Pro for games, and VistaBusiness for checking out the competition. Also, Parallels on my MacBook runs WinXP2Pro, with 640mb - 1gb allocated depending on what I feel like.
We can have the best of both worlds. Dumping your Mac and getting a crappy Dell, IMHO, won't be fun. Getting a decent PC rig to do all the tinkering and upgrading and gaming, alongside your Mac, is a great hybrid setup.
Yea, but I still have an old iBook G4 800 - one heck of a robust workhorse - for my portable needs (email/web/internet/etc). But for my home computer I need something more flexible/modifyable - and at a commodity-level price tag. And I don't need two laptops. When Apple improves in these areas of hardware options I will think about switching back. I HATE being at the mercy of them dictating my hardware options. And, yes, I know this topic has been beaten to death. But it still remains an issue.
I'm switching to XP and Dell where I can buy commoditized hardware in whatever configuration I desire. My brand new MacBook will be on eBay shortly.
Why did you get a laptop if you wanted a desktop? The Mini is half the price of the Macbook and it's a cheap way to tide you over while Apple get their ass in gear and give us a middle of the road headless Mac. Just don't get the 1.83 one because it's a complete rip-off.
I agree that Dell have so much more choice and I really wish Apple would do something about it. I configured a nice little headless machine for £680:
1.86 GHz Core 2 Duo
2GB Ram
250GB HD
8x DVD writer
256MB Radeon X1300 Pro
Keyboard and mouse
If you consider a similar Mini:
1.83 GHz Core Duo
2GB Ram
160 Gb HD
8x DVD writer
Intel GMA graphics
Keyboard and mouse
and we get £893 - even though it's a worse machine!!! It's still over £200 more. Hence, rip-off.
What about the iMac you say? Well, the base model with a good GPU is still £799 so it's already more than £100 extra and that's before the Ram upgrade. Plus you get lumbered with a crappy screen.
After being forced to get a Mini to run OS X in my price range, I am now pissed off at the integrated graphics and the fact that Apple still haven't updated their Mini range in over 6 months. Dell is certainly looking like the way forward. A lot of people thought that the Intel switch would give us more choice and faster hardware updates. Well, I guess they were wrong, Apple are just the same on the Intel side.
Concerning build quality, I wouldn't mind having to replace parts as I know how to do it and at least I can open the Dell easily. All the Mac Minis I've used have this really annoying hard drive clunking issue too. Plus I get two years of service compared to one from Apple. If I didn't need to run OS X and Apple software, I'd honestly be sitting with a Dell right now and it's not clever of Apple to do this - force people to use their shoddy hardware deals in return for a good desktop experience. This is why their market share is so low because they are not appealling to the largest part of the market.
Are you guys serious? You're switching back? Whoa.
DAMN STRAIGHT! I just wish Mac OS X would run on Dell, etc. But oh well. That's how pissed I am about Apple's hardware DICTATORSHIP to it's users. I've had it! I'm done!
...But for my home computer I need something more flexible/modifyable - and at a commodity-level price tag. And I don't need two laptops. When Apple improves in these areas of hardware options I will think about switching back. I HATE being at the mercy of them dictating my hardware options. And, yes, I know this topic has been beaten to death. But it still remains an issue.
I agree apple needs a "mac pro lite" tower. Say with some E6300/6400/6600 options on the processor, room for 2nd internal hard drive and a 2nd optical drive. That'd be pretty nice-- perfect for my wife actually. I'm switching over to mac and she wants to switch as well.
Basically, I have no decision... mac pro is overkill for her and the mini is too underpowered (she will do some music recording). So... I have get her an iMac (even though i dont like the non-expandable, builtin design and i think the thing looks ugly-- the plain flat panel on the desk just looks so much cleaner than a bulky looking iMac, doesnt it?). A mini C2D might suit her needs appropriately, if that ever happens-- but at the expense of expandability.
BTW: I'm getting a mac pro for myself, when the next price drop/refresh happens. [Programmer, switching over from linux]
...So... I have get her an iMac (even though i dont like the non-expandable, builtin design and i think the thing looks ugly-- the plain flat panel on the desk just looks so much cleaner than a bulky looking iMac, doesnt it?...
You've got that right! I like a very thin bezel around the edge of the screen. The current iMac looks so stupid with that big white border and the huge white area on the bottom.
Damn! Apple could put their logo on a frickin dog turd, charge big $$$$$ and people would go crazy over it.
DAMN STRAIGHT! I just wish Mac OS X would run on Dell, etc. But oh well. That's how pissed I am about Apple's hardware DICTATORSHIP to it's users. I've had it! I'm done!
DAMN STRAIGHT! I just wish Mac OS X would run on Dell, etc. But oh well. That's how pissed I am about Apple's hardware DICTATORSHIP to it's users. I've had it! I'm done!
Have you much experience with Windows? Having switched back to Macs I can tell you that you're in for a serious *relearning* experience. I've pcs at work and it's a painful experience to use them. Good luck and I won't think less of you if you decide to come back to the Mac community.
Why did you get a laptop if you wanted a desktop? The Mini is half the price of the Macbook and it's a cheap way to tide you over while Apple get their ass in gear and give us a middle of the road headless Mac. Just don't get the 1.83 one because it's a complete rip-off.
You could be waiting a long time. There's no indication Apple are going to dip into the low margin end of the desktop market and with desktop sales in the consumer sector declining, why would they?
(and the answer isn't because 20 geeks on AppleInsider said so)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
I agree that Dell have so much more choice and I really wish Apple would do something about it. I configured a nice little headless machine for £680:
Ah, the tyranny of choice. Dells, Dells everywhere but not an OS that doesn't stink.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
1.86 GHz Core 2 Duo
2GB Ram
250GB HD
8x DVD writer
256MB Radeon X1300 Pro
Keyboard and mouse
XPS 210 Headless? Pity they don't let you pick any card other than the X1300. To do that you've got to buy one of their crappy monitors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
If you consider a similar Mini:
1.83 GHz Core Duo
2GB Ram
160 Gb HD
8x DVD writer
Intel GMA graphics
Keyboard and mouse
and we get £893 - even though it's a worse machine!!! It's still over £200 more. Hence, rip-off.
You also get a tiny small form factor and almost silent operation which you don't from Dell. And you bought the ram and HD upgrade from Apple? Are you nuts? You could have saved yourself £75-100 just there and had a spare drive left over to stick in a £10 external drive case for backup.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
What about the iMac you say? Well, the base model with a good GPU is still £799 so it's already more than £100 extra and that's before the Ram upgrade. Plus you get lumbered with a crappy screen.
You won't get a 17" screen as good as the iMac's screen for less than £150-170 so I'd beg to differ. Many of the cheap widescreen 17"s flooding the market are based on 6bit panels which sell to gamers based on over-inflated OMG!!! 2ms speed claims glossing over the fact they cant display colour accurately when their frag fest has finished.
Of course, there's nothing stopping attaching ANOTHER screen. Apart from that, it's also a 2Ghz Core 2 Duo with an X1600 GPU.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
After being forced to get a Mini to run OS X in my price range, I am now pissed off at the integrated graphics and the fact that Apple still haven't updated their Mini range in over 6 months. Dell is certainly looking like the way forward. A lot of people thought that the Intel switch would give us more choice and faster hardware updates. Well, I guess they were wrong, Apple are just the same on the Intel side.
You do know you can swap out the Mac Mini's CPU for a Core 2 Duo CPU don't you? They're pin compatible. Just as you could on the Dell.
Yes, Apple are overdue a refresh on the Mini but the only refresh that really makes sense is to wait for Intel's next GMA laptop chipset and that's only just trickling out. A Core 2 Duo upgrade alone makes very little sense.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
Concerning build quality, I wouldn't mind having to replace parts as I know how to do it and at least I can open the Dell easily. All the Mac Minis I've used have this really annoying hard drive clunking issue too.
The hard drive clunk is a function of the brand of laptop drive used. When it powers down it sometimes clunks. If you don't want it making that noise, set the drive to not ever sleep in the energy saver prefs. Or replace it with a different brand. Or just get used to it. It's not like Apple are the only ones with this brand of drive.
I agree with you about getting inside a Mini though. It doesn't really have to be so difficult. Same thing with the iMac. I've a Rev A G5 and it's IMHO Apple's best ever design for accessibility in the non-PowerMac models.
If they'd made it easier, perhaps the cries for mid towers would be less. The Mac Mini could have been a nice Kurobox style community dev platform.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
Plus I get two years of service compared to one from Apple. If I didn't need to run OS X and Apple software, I'd honestly be sitting with a Dell right now and it's not clever of Apple to do this - force people to use their shoddy hardware deals in return for a good desktop experience. This is why their market share is so low because they are not appealling to the largest part of the market.
The largest part of the market after laptops is business desktops. It's not about the hardware there, it's entirely software. There's also very little profit there.
Have you much experience with Windows? Having switched back to Macs I can tell you that you're in for a serious *relearning* experience. I've pcs at work and it's a painful experience to use them. Good luck and I won't think less of you if you decide to come back to the Mac community.
I'm not in any way a Windows/MS fanboy. I've been a Mac lover for the last 20 years.
Experience with Windows?... Here's an excerpt from my resume:
TECHNICAL SKILLS
LAN / WAN Administration
? Understanding of concepts, technologies, and best practices essential to LAN / WAN design
? Configuration of Cisco hardware such as routers, firewalls, switches and bridges
? Data Center and Disaster Recovery Center design, research, engineering and construction
? Installation and administration of Exchange email servers, Active Directory domain controllers, and SQL
? Administration of Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2000/XP, Mac OS X, Linux, HPUX, and FreeBSD
? Provisioning of wide and local area networks utilizing Frame Relay, T1, VPN, OC, MPLS and wireless
? Maintenance and execution of backup schedules and media rotation for servers and databases
? Installation and repair of CAT5e/6, fiber optic, coaxial cable, and wireless network infrastructure
? Management of network services such as TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, DNS and DHCP
Computer Hardware
? Evaluation, acquisition, and upgrades of Dell and HP rack-mount server hardware
? Troubleshooting, diagnostics, and repair of faulty workstation and server hardware
? Testing and installation of printers, scanners, modems, wired / wireless network adapters
Computer Software
? Evaluation and testing of software in test environments before deploying to live systems
? Remote installation and management of operating systems, software, device drivers, etc.
? License management and detailed record keeping of software and license compliance
? Software security and virus management and removal using enterprise-level virus mitigation tools
Help Desk & End User Support
? Implementation and maintenance of help desk system to keep track of work order status and resolution
? Clear, effective, and timely communication with management, co-workers, customers, and vendors
? Unobtrusive troubleshooting of software, hardware, and network errors both remotely and on-site
EXPERIENCE
Network Administrator, (Financial Industry / Southern Oregon), July 2004 ? June 2006
? Designed, configured, implemented and administered Local and Wide Area Networks for credit union
? Supported end users and maintained all workstations, printers, scanners, servers and core systems
? Worked with team to develop and manage Information Security Management System and related policies
? Rolled out network and communications infrastructure for new credit union branch offices.
? Designed, managed and maintained credit union data center infrastructure and systems.
? Received training and experience on Harland Financial Solutions? FSP, Ultradata and Ultrafis
? Performed nightly data processing tasks, backup procedures, etc.
Network Technician, (Telecom Industry / Southern Oregon), December 1999 ? January 2002
? Implemented and administered corporate LAN, workstations, printers, servers, cabling and phone systems
? Researched, designed, built and managed ISP offering dialup and wireless ISP services
? Supported and resolved technical and accounting issues for customers, staff and departments
You've got that right! I like a very thin bezel around the edge of the screen. The current iMac looks so stupid with that big white border and the huge white area on the bottom.
Where else would I stick my Post-Its?
I quite like it. It adds weight to the design. I can understand where it's coming from design wise. You should perhaps learn about visual design before dissing it. Apple isn't perfect but they often follow well founded design rules like the rule of thirds or the golden proportion. There's a certain amount of design history too in the iMac going back as far as the original Mac.
Someone thinking Dells look cool, or worse are indifferent to the whole aesthetic properties of what they spend most of the day staring at, probably won't appreciate that I guess though.
DAMN STRAIGHT! I just wish Mac OS X would run on Dell, etc. But oh well. That's how pissed I am about Apple's hardware DICTATORSHIP to it's users. I've had it! I'm done!
Why should Apple let Dell have the hardware sale?
Apple is a hardware company who, accidently, provides a pretty good OS in the mix for free.
It has nothing to do with hardware dictatorship, it's their bussines selling hardware.
If they sell more hardware by making excellent software than they are probably the only company who understands how things should work.
Comments
Bye. Don't let the door...
Good luck "forgetting" about Windows when it gets in your face every day.
Also, enjoy the Vista EULA that allow Redmond to remotely search and delete stuff from your hard drive if it believes that software to be a threat.
Ok, Vista sucks. I'll use XP SP2 or Server 2003.
Graphics Pros are waiting on CS3 to upgrade, and most will want a machine on the newer side of its life cycle. Businesses do these things in cycles and this will be some people's only chance in 3 years to get a new machine and software.
It doesn't matter if if not needed, it matters that Apple gets in sync with corporate market budgeting.
Agreed.
...and this is one of the biggest problems with Mac OS X - you're at the mercy of what Apple thinks will be good for their business model - not what is good for the user. And there's NO competition when it comes to Mac hardware, so Apple has nothing to worry about. This PISSES ME OFF!
This is how PISSED I am:
Bye everyone. I'm switching to XP and Dell where I can buy commoditized hardware in whatever configuration I desire. My brand new MacBook will be on eBay shortly. Message me if you're interested. Sure, Dells are cheaply made and shittily designed, but it's just a tool and I shove it under the desk and forget about it.
Is that a Core2Duo? How much RAM? 8) ...Also, why don't you build your own machine -- then you *REALLY* have whatever configuration you can possibly desire. Like a 8800GTX in some sort of tiny case with no fans... Mmmm... fireworks.
Seriously dude, don't buy a Dell. Go get a DSP3 Gigabyte board for Core2Duo. Get an e6400 or 6600 and add Zalman CPU heatsink/fan and overclock that sucker to 3ghz easy and cool. 8800GTX or more reasonably 7900GS 256 or 512mb RAM. Replace stock heatsink with Zalman GPU dual-heatpipe cooler. Then overclock that sucker. Sweet. Next up: 16x DVDBurner etc. Next, RAID0 pair of 10,000rpm SATA drives. Awww yeahh. Some neon lights, neon case fans, and your set.
Is that a Core2Duo? How much RAM?...
Yep, had the MacBook about two months. C2D 2Ghz 80GB 1GB RAM Superdrive. Includes Final Cut Express HD (unopened box), Tiger, etc. No dead pixels. I'm in the middle east right now until March 22nd and MacBook is back at home in US, so it will be a couple weeks till I can ship it.
Bye. Don't let the door...
Good luck "forgetting" about Windows when it gets in your face every day.
Also, enjoy the Vista EULA that allow Redmond to remotely search and delete stuff from your hard drive if it believes that software to be a threat.
Eh, we are Mac fans but Macvault has certainly a point, he just expressed it in a rather bold way.
Too bad Apple would not address such issues. Mind you, I am not saying Apple is wrong here since I don't know the details of its business strategy and company economics. And this topic has been beaten beyond death here and elsewhere.
Good luck Macvault.
Yep, had the MacBook about two months. C2D 2Ghz 80GB 1GB RAM Superdrive. Includes Final Cut Express HD (unopened box), Tiger, etc. No dead pixels. I'm in the middle east right now until March 22nd and MacBook is back at home in US, so it will be a couple weeks till I can ship it.
Dude, that is a sweet laptop. You sure you wanna get rid of it? Sorry if the Mac experience didn't work out the way you wanted it. There's no need to sell it, I have a MacBook Core[1]Duo 2ghz 2gb RAM, 60gb HD Superdrive 4x ... Running an external monitor (Sony 1280x1024 17") when "docked" on my desk. The Sony also runs off my AMD64 2.15ghz 1gb RAM nVidia6600GT 128mb VRAM for games. The AMD64 dual-boots WinXP2Pro for games, and VistaBusiness for checking out the competition. Also, Parallels on my MacBook runs WinXP2Pro, with 640mb - 1gb allocated depending on what I feel like.
We can have the best of both worlds. Dumping your Mac and getting a crappy Dell, IMHO, won't be fun. Getting a decent PC rig to do all the tinkering and upgrading and gaming, alongside your Mac, is a great hybrid setup.
...and this is one of the biggest problems with Mac OS X - you're at the mercy of what Apple thinks will be good for their business model - not what is good for the user. And there's NO competition when it comes to Mac hardware, so Apple has nothing to worry about. This PISSES ME OFF!
It's not like a buyer doesn't go in to this with their eyes shut or that Apple has suddenly sprung their strategy on you. Either Apple products are a solution worth buying in to for you or they aren't. Go look elsewhere if they don't sell what you want.
It's also not as if their hardware is drastically overpriced or slow either. It's a dictatorship but mostly benign.
Graphics Pros are waiting on CS3 to upgrade, and most will want a machine on the newer side of its life cycle.
...but not an 8 core Mac Pro. An iMac is overkill for most of CS3's target audience. I'm waiting for CS3 (and the AlienSkin and ex-Extensis plugins) before moving to Intel from my G5 but I'm not waiting on new Mac Pros before buying CS3. It really doesn't matter if the hardware is last month's bleeding edge, I've got work to do. Most Pros buy equipment when they need it. They don't sit on their hands waiting on rumours, otherwise they'll always be waiting.
Saying that, I'm waiting on Santa Rosa based MacBook Pros. A couple more months of G5/CS2 is neither here nor there to me.
Dude, that is a sweet laptop. You sure you wanna get rid of it? Sorry if the Mac experience didn't work out the way you wanted it. There's no need to sell it, I have a MacBook Core[1]Duo 2ghz 2gb RAM, 60gb HD Superdrive 4x ... Running an external monitor (Sony 1280x1024 17") when "docked" on my desk. The Sony also runs off my AMD64 2.15ghz 1gb RAM nVidia6600GT 128mb VRAM for games. The AMD64 dual-boots WinXP2Pro for games, and VistaBusiness for checking out the competition. Also, Parallels on my MacBook runs WinXP2Pro, with 640mb - 1gb allocated depending on what I feel like.
We can have the best of both worlds. Dumping your Mac and getting a crappy Dell, IMHO, won't be fun. Getting a decent PC rig to do all the tinkering and upgrading and gaming, alongside your Mac, is a great hybrid setup.
Yea, but I still have an old iBook G4 800 - one heck of a robust workhorse - for my portable needs (email/web/internet/etc). But for my home computer I need something more flexible/modifyable - and at a commodity-level price tag. And I don't need two laptops. When Apple improves in these areas of hardware options I will think about switching back. I HATE being at the mercy of them dictating my hardware options. And, yes, I know this topic has been beaten to death. But it still remains an issue.
I'm switching to XP and Dell where I can buy commoditized hardware in whatever configuration I desire. My brand new MacBook will be on eBay shortly.
Why did you get a laptop if you wanted a desktop? The Mini is half the price of the Macbook and it's a cheap way to tide you over while Apple get their ass in gear and give us a middle of the road headless Mac. Just don't get the 1.83 one because it's a complete rip-off.
I agree that Dell have so much more choice and I really wish Apple would do something about it. I configured a nice little headless machine for £680:
1.86 GHz Core 2 Duo
2GB Ram
250GB HD
8x DVD writer
256MB Radeon X1300 Pro
Keyboard and mouse
If you consider a similar Mini:
1.83 GHz Core Duo
2GB Ram
160 Gb HD
8x DVD writer
Intel GMA graphics
Keyboard and mouse
and we get £893 - even though it's a worse machine!!! It's still over £200 more. Hence, rip-off.
What about the iMac you say? Well, the base model with a good GPU is still £799 so it's already more than £100 extra and that's before the Ram upgrade. Plus you get lumbered with a crappy screen.
After being forced to get a Mini to run OS X in my price range, I am now pissed off at the integrated graphics and the fact that Apple still haven't updated their Mini range in over 6 months. Dell is certainly looking like the way forward. A lot of people thought that the Intel switch would give us more choice and faster hardware updates. Well, I guess they were wrong, Apple are just the same on the Intel side.
Concerning build quality, I wouldn't mind having to replace parts as I know how to do it and at least I can open the Dell easily. All the Mac Minis I've used have this really annoying hard drive clunking issue too. Plus I get two years of service compared to one from Apple. If I didn't need to run OS X and Apple software, I'd honestly be sitting with a Dell right now and it's not clever of Apple to do this - force people to use their shoddy hardware deals in return for a good desktop experience. This is why their market share is so low because they are not appealling to the largest part of the market.
Are you guys serious? You're switching back? Whoa.
DAMN STRAIGHT! I just wish Mac OS X would run on Dell, etc. But oh well. That's how pissed I am about Apple's hardware DICTATORSHIP to it's users. I've had it! I'm done!
...But for my home computer I need something more flexible/modifyable - and at a commodity-level price tag. And I don't need two laptops. When Apple improves in these areas of hardware options I will think about switching back. I HATE being at the mercy of them dictating my hardware options. And, yes, I know this topic has been beaten to death. But it still remains an issue.
I agree apple needs a "mac pro lite" tower. Say with some E6300/6400/6600 options on the processor, room for 2nd internal hard drive and a 2nd optical drive. That'd be pretty nice-- perfect for my wife actually. I'm switching over to mac and she wants to switch as well.
Basically, I have no decision... mac pro is overkill for her and the mini is too underpowered (she will do some music recording). So... I have get her an iMac (even though i dont like the non-expandable, builtin design and i think the thing looks ugly-- the plain flat panel on the desk just looks so much cleaner than a bulky looking iMac, doesnt it?). A mini C2D might suit her needs appropriately, if that ever happens-- but at the expense of expandability.
BTW: I'm getting a mac pro for myself, when the next price drop/refresh happens. [Programmer, switching over from linux]
...So... I have get her an iMac (even though i dont like the non-expandable, builtin design and i think the thing looks ugly-- the plain flat panel on the desk just looks so much cleaner than a bulky looking iMac, doesnt it?...
You've got that right! I like a very thin bezel around the edge of the screen. The current iMac looks so stupid with that big white border and the huge white area on the bottom.
Damn! Apple could put their logo on a frickin dog turd, charge big $$$$$ and people would go crazy over it.
DAMN STRAIGHT! I just wish Mac OS X would run on Dell, etc. But oh well. That's how pissed I am about Apple's hardware DICTATORSHIP to it's users. I've had it! I'm done!
Bye. x x x
DAMN STRAIGHT! I just wish Mac OS X would run on Dell, etc. But oh well. That's how pissed I am about Apple's hardware DICTATORSHIP to it's users. I've had it! I'm done!
Have you much experience with Windows? Having switched back to Macs I can tell you that you're in for a serious *relearning* experience. I've pcs at work and it's a painful experience to use them. Good luck and I won't think less of you if you decide to come back to the Mac community.
Why did you get a laptop if you wanted a desktop? The Mini is half the price of the Macbook and it's a cheap way to tide you over while Apple get their ass in gear and give us a middle of the road headless Mac. Just don't get the 1.83 one because it's a complete rip-off.
You could be waiting a long time. There's no indication Apple are going to dip into the low margin end of the desktop market and with desktop sales in the consumer sector declining, why would they?
(and the answer isn't because 20 geeks on AppleInsider said so)
I agree that Dell have so much more choice and I really wish Apple would do something about it. I configured a nice little headless machine for £680:
Ah, the tyranny of choice. Dells, Dells everywhere but not an OS that doesn't stink.
1.86 GHz Core 2 Duo
2GB Ram
250GB HD
8x DVD writer
256MB Radeon X1300 Pro
Keyboard and mouse
XPS 210 Headless? Pity they don't let you pick any card other than the X1300. To do that you've got to buy one of their crappy monitors.
If you consider a similar Mini:
1.83 GHz Core Duo
2GB Ram
160 Gb HD
8x DVD writer
Intel GMA graphics
Keyboard and mouse
and we get £893 - even though it's a worse machine!!! It's still over £200 more. Hence, rip-off.
You also get a tiny small form factor and almost silent operation which you don't from Dell. And you bought the ram and HD upgrade from Apple? Are you nuts? You could have saved yourself £75-100 just there and had a spare drive left over to stick in a £10 external drive case for backup.
What about the iMac you say? Well, the base model with a good GPU is still £799 so it's already more than £100 extra and that's before the Ram upgrade. Plus you get lumbered with a crappy screen.
You won't get a 17" screen as good as the iMac's screen for less than £150-170 so I'd beg to differ. Many of the cheap widescreen 17"s flooding the market are based on 6bit panels which sell to gamers based on over-inflated OMG!!! 2ms speed claims glossing over the fact they cant display colour accurately when their frag fest has finished.
Of course, there's nothing stopping attaching ANOTHER screen. Apart from that, it's also a 2Ghz Core 2 Duo with an X1600 GPU.
After being forced to get a Mini to run OS X in my price range, I am now pissed off at the integrated graphics and the fact that Apple still haven't updated their Mini range in over 6 months. Dell is certainly looking like the way forward. A lot of people thought that the Intel switch would give us more choice and faster hardware updates. Well, I guess they were wrong, Apple are just the same on the Intel side.
You do know you can swap out the Mac Mini's CPU for a Core 2 Duo CPU don't you? They're pin compatible. Just as you could on the Dell.
Yes, Apple are overdue a refresh on the Mini but the only refresh that really makes sense is to wait for Intel's next GMA laptop chipset and that's only just trickling out. A Core 2 Duo upgrade alone makes very little sense.
Concerning build quality, I wouldn't mind having to replace parts as I know how to do it and at least I can open the Dell easily. All the Mac Minis I've used have this really annoying hard drive clunking issue too.
The hard drive clunk is a function of the brand of laptop drive used. When it powers down it sometimes clunks. If you don't want it making that noise, set the drive to not ever sleep in the energy saver prefs. Or replace it with a different brand. Or just get used to it. It's not like Apple are the only ones with this brand of drive.
I agree with you about getting inside a Mini though. It doesn't really have to be so difficult. Same thing with the iMac. I've a Rev A G5 and it's IMHO Apple's best ever design for accessibility in the non-PowerMac models.
If they'd made it easier, perhaps the cries for mid towers would be less. The Mac Mini could have been a nice Kurobox style community dev platform.
Plus I get two years of service compared to one from Apple. If I didn't need to run OS X and Apple software, I'd honestly be sitting with a Dell right now and it's not clever of Apple to do this - force people to use their shoddy hardware deals in return for a good desktop experience. This is why their market share is so low because they are not appealling to the largest part of the market.
The largest part of the market after laptops is business desktops. It's not about the hardware there, it's entirely software. There's also very little profit there.
All these leaks are done on purpose. What I really want it's new hardware, as in new MacBook Pro or new iMac.
i thought you were more interested in Leopard
Have you much experience with Windows? Having switched back to Macs I can tell you that you're in for a serious *relearning* experience. I've pcs at work and it's a painful experience to use them. Good luck and I won't think less of you if you decide to come back to the Mac community.
I'm not in any way a Windows/MS fanboy. I've been a Mac lover for the last 20 years.
Experience with Windows?... Here's an excerpt from my resume:
TECHNICAL SKILLS
LAN / WAN Administration
? Understanding of concepts, technologies, and best practices essential to LAN / WAN design
? Configuration of Cisco hardware such as routers, firewalls, switches and bridges
? Data Center and Disaster Recovery Center design, research, engineering and construction
? Installation and administration of Exchange email servers, Active Directory domain controllers, and SQL
? Administration of Microsoft Windows Server 2003/2000/XP, Mac OS X, Linux, HPUX, and FreeBSD
? Provisioning of wide and local area networks utilizing Frame Relay, T1, VPN, OC, MPLS and wireless
? Maintenance and execution of backup schedules and media rotation for servers and databases
? Installation and repair of CAT5e/6, fiber optic, coaxial cable, and wireless network infrastructure
? Management of network services such as TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, DNS and DHCP
Computer Hardware
? Evaluation, acquisition, and upgrades of Dell and HP rack-mount server hardware
? Troubleshooting, diagnostics, and repair of faulty workstation and server hardware
? Testing and installation of printers, scanners, modems, wired / wireless network adapters
Computer Software
? Evaluation and testing of software in test environments before deploying to live systems
? Remote installation and management of operating systems, software, device drivers, etc.
? License management and detailed record keeping of software and license compliance
? Software security and virus management and removal using enterprise-level virus mitigation tools
Help Desk & End User Support
? Implementation and maintenance of help desk system to keep track of work order status and resolution
? Clear, effective, and timely communication with management, co-workers, customers, and vendors
? Unobtrusive troubleshooting of software, hardware, and network errors both remotely and on-site
EXPERIENCE
Network Administrator, (Financial Industry / Southern Oregon), July 2004 ? June 2006
? Designed, configured, implemented and administered Local and Wide Area Networks for credit union
? Supported end users and maintained all workstations, printers, scanners, servers and core systems
? Worked with team to develop and manage Information Security Management System and related policies
? Rolled out network and communications infrastructure for new credit union branch offices.
? Designed, managed and maintained credit union data center infrastructure and systems.
? Received training and experience on Harland Financial Solutions? FSP, Ultradata and Ultrafis
? Performed nightly data processing tasks, backup procedures, etc.
Network Technician, (Telecom Industry / Southern Oregon), December 1999 ? January 2002
? Implemented and administered corporate LAN, workstations, printers, servers, cabling and phone systems
? Researched, designed, built and managed ISP offering dialup and wireless ISP services
? Supported and resolved technical and accounting issues for customers, staff and departments
You've got that right! I like a very thin bezel around the edge of the screen. The current iMac looks so stupid with that big white border and the huge white area on the bottom.
Where else would I stick my Post-Its?
I quite like it. It adds weight to the design. I can understand where it's coming from design wise. You should perhaps learn about visual design before dissing it. Apple isn't perfect but they often follow well founded design rules like the rule of thirds or the golden proportion. There's a certain amount of design history too in the iMac going back as far as the original Mac.
Someone thinking Dells look cool, or worse are indifferent to the whole aesthetic properties of what they spend most of the day staring at, probably won't appreciate that I guess though.
DAMN STRAIGHT! I just wish Mac OS X would run on Dell, etc. But oh well. That's how pissed I am about Apple's hardware DICTATORSHIP to it's users. I've had it! I'm done!
Why should Apple let Dell have the hardware sale?
Apple is a hardware company who, accidently, provides a pretty good OS in the mix for free.
It has nothing to do with hardware dictatorship, it's their bussines selling hardware.
If they sell more hardware by making excellent software than they are probably the only company who understands how things should work.