What do you think will/should be the shape of the new Apple Mac Mini?

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  • Reply 41 of 52
    cubitcubit Posts: 846member
    I still think the Cube was fine; the redesign into the mini worked, of course, though Sanada's designs are pretty good!
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  • Reply 42 of 52
    Marvinmarvin Posts: 15,585moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cubit View Post


    I still think the Cube was fine; the redesign into the mini worked, of course, though Sanada's designs are pretty good!



    If you mean these:



    http://www.slashgear.com/maccube-con...sanada-191701/



    I would disagree. I think those mockups are the most impractical and pretty ugly Cube designs I've seen.



    This on the other hand would be a great design:



    http://cybernetnews.com/2006/08/29/t...a-mini-macpro/



    I don't like the Mac Pro design much but in the small enclosure, I think it works well. It's practical, attractive and a good size.



    I'd love it if they could make a Core i7 desktop version of that but also make the flat style Mini shown before.
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  • Reply 43 of 52
    mjteixmjteix Posts: 563member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    If you mean these:



    http://www.slashgear.com/maccube-con...sanada-191701/



    I would disagree. I think those mockups are the most impractical and pretty ugly Cube designs I've seen.



    This on the other hand would be a great design:



    http://cybernetnews.com/2006/08/29/t...a-mini-macpro/



    I don't like the Mac Pro design much but in the small enclosure, I think it works well. It's practical, attractive and a good size.



    I'd love it if they could make a Core i7 desktop version of that but also make the flat style Mini shown before.



    I don't think it would be a good idea to put a 130W cpu in such a small enclosure. But for the upcoming 65W quad-core cpus on a "mini-ITX" motherboard, it would be nice. Intel's G45/Q45 or nvidia desktop 9400 integrated graphics + one PCIe slot for a small dedicated video card (ATI radeaon HD 4550, for example) or anything else the customer might need/want.
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  • Reply 44 of 52
    Marvinmarvin Posts: 15,585moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mjteix View Post


    I don't think it would be a good idea to put a 130W cpu in such a small enclosure. But for the upcoming 65W quad-core cpus on a "mini-ITX" motherboard, it would be nice. Intel's G45/Q45 or nvidia desktop 9400 integrated graphics + one PCIe slot for a small dedicated video card (ATI radeaon HD 4550, for example) or anything else the customer might need/want.



    You're right. There is a rumor about a lower TDP Core i7 but probably much later on in 2009:



    http://www.tweaktown.com/news/10379/...009/index.html



    Even that will likely just drop to 95W or thereabouts. The Core 2 Quad Yorkfields at 65W coming out in Q1 certainly look like they'd be a much better option:



    http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?op...0660&Itemid=35



    I doubt they can fit those in an iMac. The 3.06GHz Core 2 Extreme is the highest up processor the iMac has and is only 44W.



    This is pretty much ideal as it's more than an iMac can offer but the Core i7 Mac Pros will be a good deal faster so it won't cut into sales. It should be a more cost-effective quad than the single Xeon Mac Pro too and would then mean that the Mac Pro can go 8-core across the lineup.



    Given that the current quad Mac Pro is £1430 with an ATI, they could have the quad cube in the range £900-1200. The Nvidia integrated at the lower end and dedicated card in the PCI slot at the higher end.



    You'd get 4GB Ram and a higher end dedicated card than the current quad Mac Pro at a lower price.
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  • Reply 45 of 52
    mjteixmjteix Posts: 563member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    I doubt they can fit those in an iMac. The 3.06GHz Core 2 Extreme is the highest up processor the iMac has and is only 44W.



    This is pretty much ideal as it's more than an iMac can offer but the Core i7 Mac Pros will be a good deal faster so it won't cut into sales. It should be a more cost-effective quad than the single Xeon Mac Pro too and would then mean that the Mac Pro can go 8-core across the lineup.



    Given that the current quad Mac Pro is £1430 with an ATI, they could have the quad cube in the range £900-1200. The Nvidia integrated at the lower end and dedicated card in the PCI slot at the higher end.



    You'd get 4GB Ram and a higher end dedicated card than the current quad Mac Pro at a lower price.



    The C2D in the current iMacs are custom cpus with a TDP of 55W, they are not the regular penryn/montevina bunch. So stretching it to 65W cpus, if possible, would be a really nice upgrade. I can't see most of Apple'S line-up with dual-core cpus and just the Mac Pro with probably all dual-quad-core cpus with hyperthreading (16 threads) AND Snow Leopard probably released late Q1 or even late Q2.



    I wish Apple would offer a larger desktop line-up, for example:

    - Mac mini mobile-based dual-core (2 threads)

    - iMac desktop based quad-core (4 threads)

    - Mac Pro single cpu nehalem quad-core (8 threads)

    - Mac Pro dual cpu nehalem quad-core (16 threads)
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  • Reply 46 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mjteix View Post


    The C2D in the current iMacs are custom cpus with a TDP of 55W, they are not the regular penryn/montevina bunch. So stretching it to 65W cpus, if possible, would be a really nice upgrade. I can't see most of Apple'S line-up with dual-core cpus and just the Mac Pro with probably all dual-quad-core cpus with hyperthreading (16 threads) AND Snow Leopard probably released late Q1 or even late Q2.



    I wish Apple would offer a larger desktop line-up, for example:

    - Mac mini mobile-based dual-core (2 threads)

    - iMac desktop based quad-core (4 threads)

    - Mac Pro single cpu nehalem quad-core (8 threads)

    - Mac Pro dual cpu nehalem quad-core (16 threads)



    Bear in mind that Intel's use of TDP is absolutely meaningless. They just use different tiers- 35W, 65W, 95W, etc. to create segments. Those figures are not the actual power consumption/thermal output of the CPU.



    For example, the E8400, a 3.0GHz desktop CPU, is "65W TDP" according to Intel, when its actual maximum power consumption is somewhere in the neighborhood of 35-40W.
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  • Reply 47 of 52
    Quote:

    Given that the current quad Mac Pro is £1430 with an ATI, they could have the quad cube in the range £900-1200. The Nvidia integrated at the lower end and dedicated card in the PCI slot at the higher end.



    You'd get 4GB Ram and a higher end dedicated card than the current quad Mac Pro at a lower price.



    *nods. That price range...maybe £795-£1295 is about right. Oh for a 8x8x8 Cube. I think the mini was not intended to replace the Cube. It's too limited and it can't really be upgraded.



    An Alu and black themed Cube like the Macbook/Pros would be a nice addition to the black hole in Apple's desktop.



    Lemon Bon Bon.
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  • Reply 48 of 52
    .



    latest rumors say that, the "new-MacMini-Day" should be on Jan. 6, 2009 at the Macworld Expo and I feel the newMini will be a "Pocket-Slim" version with Docking Station(s) for home/office use: http://newgoos.blogspot.com/



    .
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  • Reply 49 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gaetanomarano View Post


    .



    latest rumors say that, the "new-MacMini-Day" should be on Jan. 6, 2009 at the Macworld Expo and I feel the newMini will be a "Pocket-Slim" version with Docking Station(s) for home/office use: http://newgoos.blogspot.com/



    .



    So basically you are expecting a screenless iPhone?



    Edit: I guess this is where the iPhone's video-out/Open CL features may cross into your proposed "mini's" territory.
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  • Reply 50 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by crentist View Post


    So basically you are expecting a screenless iPhone?



    the iPhone hasn't an Intel Core i7 inside it



    .
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  • Reply 51 of 52
    my guess: same shape as the current design but with some alu/black colors. I know, boring but not very unlikely to be true.



    but what to do with your old mac mini?

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  • Reply 52 of 52
    Marvinmarvin Posts: 15,585moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by d3natus View Post


    but what to do with your old mac mini?



    The problem there is that every time you want to change the roll, it's going to take about 10 minutes to get the thing open. This is one thing Apple really need to address with the Mini.
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