I have to agree with a previous post, the Mini could be resized to match the Apple TV planform. Then there may be enough room inside to include space for a Cablecard tuner, more memory, and all the feature required to work with the Apple TV to create a first class media center.
The Mini firewire ports will offer hard drive expansion and the included DVD player could stream movies to the TV via the Apple TV control box.
Also, with more storage, a little more capability............like 1080i or 1080p. Update and merge the Mini and AppleTV into an slightly more upscale AppleTV, while still offering the current one as the baseline.
Allowing more ram, a faster processor, and better graphics and I would replace my CD mini today. Parallels is tough on the mini when booting up with maxed ram, but smooth as butter and fast as lightening on my 24" iMac no matter what I do.
I have 2 mini's at work (CD), soon to be 4 and two mini's (G4) at home. They are here to stay people. They are great machines.
Allowing more ram, a faster processor, and better graphics and I would replace my CD mini today. Parallels is tough on the mini when booting up with maxed ram, but smooth as butter and fast as lightening on my 24" iMac no matter what I do.
I have 2 mini's at work (CD), soon to be 4 and two mini's (G4) at home. They are here to stay people. They are great machines.
Thanks for the tip on Parallels with the Mini. I, too, think the mini is a fantastic bargain for those of us with extra stuff. I run mine, maxed out in RAM of course, with a 23" Apple display and it is great, and i'm doing japanese on it all the time. Of course, I was a Cube fan (am... I should say), so clearly I'm a nut case, but perhaps the fact that I get all that for one-third the price I paid for my first G4^3 makes me giddy.
as well as a black iMac, I think we need a black Mac Mini too with bumped specs. This is my ideal solution right now for what I need (music recording, photo editing / Ps, basic movie editing, Mail, Safari/FF, IM, etc etc) and would probably require a HDMI for a future blu ray solution
dont flame me for my poor PS skills hehe, its all about the specs!
I ageree, an updated mini is well overdue. I'm not sure about that price point though, £629 is a bit steep for a mini and those specs aren't high enough to warrent that kind of price. I'd say £499.
I know the current top offering is £529, but that's over priced for the spec these days.
Take the guts of a mac mini, and the shell of the mac classic (SE 30 perhaps...) keep the same size monitor, upgradinging it to full color... price it right around $700...
Call it the "Mac Classic"
Tell Steve Jobs - call me, I got a lot of ideas...
Is it a killing of the mini or an evolutionary rebirth of a cube?
Somehow, I doubt that. I can't say I've ever seen a G4^3 in my own life in person, just on Drew Carey... but I've seen a few minis around (including the one I'm using at this moment). It seemed to me that the short lifespan of the Cube combined with it's apparent low sales volume, I doubt Apple would take a gamble with that design again, unfortunately.
Somehow, I doubt that. I can't say I've ever seen a G4^3 in my own life in person, just on Drew Carey... but I've seen a few minis around (including the one I'm using at this moment). It seemed to me that the short lifespan of the Cube combined with it's apparent low sales volume, I doubt Apple would take a gamble with that design again, unfortunately.
There was really nothing wrong with the Cube's design other than Apple was charging way too much money for the design factor. Price the product in line with it's functionality... make it a compelling sale through it's design. Apple had that backwards with the Cube and consequently the product was a commercial flop.
In some respects the mini commits the same mistake though to a lesser degree. Apple has to charge extra for the smallness factor but that's a design trait that has minimal consumer value over just a "small simple computer". Build it with most cost effective components (desktop parts), price accordingly, keep the styling differentiated from the run-of-the-mill PC and you have a better and more sustainable offering, IMHO. Maybe that's what Apple will do.
Somehow, I doubt that. I can't say I've ever seen a G4^3 in my own life in person, just on Drew Carey... but I've seen a few minis around (including the one I'm using at this moment). It seemed to me that the short lifespan of the Cube combined with it's apparent low sales volume, I doubt Apple would take a gamble with that design again, unfortunately.
I am still a huge G4^3 fan. It is just that I need more with my displays today, so my two are gathering dust-- well one is on "display" and the other is in box in the closet-- maybe it should be on ebay, but I'm still thinking about turning it into an aquarium....
I really did love the functionality and size-- everything on the desktop (except the Brick, of course) and nicely integrated with the 22" Cinema Display, or the original 15" version. Even the speakers worked nicely, though I soon hooked it up with Sound Sticks.
I do use a Mini 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo with 2MB (not a very "mini" name, eh? ) paired with a fine 23" Apple monitor. You see, I am still making that same "error" of paying more than is really necessary for convenient size). It just does not have the full ease and convenience of the Cube.
I am a fan of the Mini, though, since its small size IS a major point in its favor, particularly for those of us with a plethora of peripherals lying about-- extra mice, keyboards, monitors/flat panels, extra hard drives and such. I recently discovered the Macessity "Stand by MI",allowing me to lift up the monitor and put the Mini under it-- great product (no endorsement contract signed yet-- but it really made me wish that I could similarly upgrade the Mini itself for funtionality. It really should have been brought up to Core 2 Duo status by now.
I didn't even bother opening the thread until I was just kinda bored.
But I do hope they get rid of the Mini.
I agree, it doesn't do anything for me. If you want a Mac, and you don't want to pay a grand, then buy a refurb, or a second hand one. Otherwise you obviously don't want one. If you want to play your media on your TV, use an Apple TV or another streaming media server etc. I actually think apple has made a few good moves lately, like chaning their name and getting into phones.
Apple still has a few things to do though;
1. Make an iPhone nano.
2. Make that real video iPod.
3. Make TV's with built-in everything, BIG hard drive, standard DVD drive, TV remote, 24 watt speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
4. Either make a decent mouse, or bring out a multi-touch keyboard.
I agree, it doesn't do anything for me. If you want a Mac, and you don't want to pay a grand, then buy a refurb, or a second hand one. Otherwise you obviously don't want one. If you want to play your media on your TV, use an Apple TV or another streaming media server etc. I actually think apple has made a few good moves lately, like chaning their name and getting into phones.
Apple still has a few things to do though;
1. Make an iPhone nano.
2. Make that real video iPod.
3. Make TV's with built-in everything, BIG hard drive, standard DVD drive, TV remote, 24 watt speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
4. Either make a decent mouse, or bring out a multi-touch keyboard.
5. An ultra-portable notebook, or a tablet.
6. Get TV shows and movies to europe.
7. iTunes HD and iPTV service.
8. ..and more surprises too
Here's an idea for an Apple TV 2.0:
250 GB HD
1 HD Tuner
Non upgradeable (Because that's how Apple likes it)
When you want to watch something that comes on at the same time of your recording, Apple TV asks you if you want to schedule a downloading of that episode from the iTunes HD TV store.
I agree, it doesn't do anything for me. If you want a Mac, and you don't want to pay a grand, then buy a refurb, or a second hand one. Otherwise you obviously don't want one. If you want to play your media on your TV, use an Apple TV or another streaming media server etc. I actually think apple has made a few good moves lately, like chaning their name and getting into phones.
Apple still has a few things to do though;
1. Make an iPhone nano.
2. Make that real video iPod.
3. Make TV's with built-in everything, BIG hard drive, standard DVD drive, TV remote, 24 watt speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
4. Either make a decent mouse, or bring out a multi-touch keyboard.
5. An ultra-portable notebook, or a tablet.
6. Get TV shows and movies to europe.
7. iTunes HD and iPTV service.
8. ..and more surprises too
Just because you don't like the Mini doesn't mean that it is a bad product or that it doesn't have a place in Apple's line up. I would say that as long as Apple can't hit the $799 (or better yet $699) price point with an iMac then the Mini is a good product for them to keep (although they need to try to get a $499 model again). In fact it probably has a bigger market than a number of the products that you list.
I know there are a lot of people wanting that TV, but it would cost $1000 or more than a TV with a comparable display but without all that stuff and like it or not AIO TV's have never been big sellers wether it has been with integrated VCR or DVD. The people who would spend the extra money for such a device would probably not be satisfied with the 24 watt speakers and other concessions to get everything in it.
Apple's last Ultra portable was the PB 2400 if I recall. It sold well in Japan, and was a dud here in the states. There is probably a smaller market than there is for the Mini and it would probably take a bit more to engineer. Add to the fact that they would need to use the smaller keyboard that ultra portables use which everyone would complain about and you have a dud in the long run. A tablet might be even worse. There is yet to be a really successful tablet, it is to costly to produce to be more than a niche product and the markets that need it already have them available with the software that they need. Also Apple would need to concentrate on a more corporate client, but right now they are focusing on the consumer market.
The Mini probably has the smallest R&D cost of any Mac right now, and can receive the slowest and smallest upgrade cycle of all their computers and still remain marketable and the only computer that Apple can get in that low end market that they can best attract "Switchers" with. It would be great to get the starting point back down to $499.
Non upgradeable (Because that's how Apple likes it)
When you want to watch something that comes on at the same time of your recording, Apple TV asks you if you want to schedule a downloading of that episode from the iTunes HD TV store.
The problem with that is WHAT HD tuner to put in it, Cable, OTA, or Satellite? It would be less expensive and more flexible to just put in a FW port and finish and expand on the FW video software that they have in the FW development kit. Since cable companies are required to give you a cable box (and satellite as well with an HD subscription) with an active FW port on it if requested then they can directly hook into the boxes tuner and receive video via the FW cable. This works the same with any TV that has a FW port for OTA tuners. The problem is that FW ports have not made their way to the lower end TV's which are increasingly receiving USB ports. I don't know if something similar can be accomplished with USB 2 or not, if so then there is a good reason to have the USB 2 port on the Apple TV. Bottom line is that a tuner built into the Apple TV is not the ideal situation what you really want it a way for the Apple TV to control the tuner that is in the system that you currently have as well as the system that you will buy in the future.
What is more important to the success of the Apple TV in the long run is his #7 which will bring content via the internet to the TV in your living room. I personally think that video sales, commercial iPTV, and video rental/subscription can all coexist to deliver that content. Each has their own purpose and market which consumers will regularly cross to fill their video needs. Most people will rent the majority of their video or subscribe to a service similar to a cable package today and watch some commercial driven content such as news. When they come across a TV show or movie that they want to own or watch commercial free then they will purchase it just as they do now. The only real change will be in the delivery of the content and how ad revenue and commercials work to finance the content producers.
Comments
I have to agree with a previous post, the Mini could be resized to match the Apple TV planform. Then there may be enough room inside to include space for a Cablecard tuner, more memory, and all the feature required to work with the Apple TV to create a first class media center.
The Mini firewire ports will offer hard drive expansion and the included DVD player could stream movies to the TV via the Apple TV control box.
Also, with more storage, a little more capability............like 1080i or 1080p. Update and merge the Mini and AppleTV into an slightly more upscale AppleTV, while still offering the current one as the baseline.
Well, it was a nice dream anyway.
I have 2 mini's at work (CD), soon to be 4 and two mini's (G4) at home. They are here to stay people. They are great machines.
Allowing more ram, a faster processor, and better graphics and I would replace my CD mini today. Parallels is tough on the mini when booting up with maxed ram, but smooth as butter and fast as lightening on my 24" iMac no matter what I do.
I have 2 mini's at work (CD), soon to be 4 and two mini's (G4) at home. They are here to stay people. They are great machines.
Thanks for the tip on Parallels with the Mini. I, too, think the mini is a fantastic bargain for those of us with extra stuff. I run mine, maxed out in RAM of course, with a 23" Apple display and it is great, and i'm doing japanese on it all the time. Of course, I was a Cube fan (am... I should say), so clearly I'm a nut case, but perhaps the fact that I get all that for one-third the price I paid for my first G4^3 makes me giddy.
Your title is misleading, I thought you meant its fan.
Likewise - I was about to offer you mine which has had a really noisy DVD drive ever since I upgraded that memory chip 18 months ago...
dont flame me for my poor PS skills hehe, its all about the specs!
Get me this machine by November Apple!!
I know the current top offering is £529, but that's over priced for the spec these days.
Call it the "Mac Classic"
Tell Steve Jobs - call me, I got a lot of ideas...
Big Wes
Wasn't there just the rumor that they were going to kill off the mini soon?
Yes...so the quiet you hear is the solemnity of impending doom...
Is it a killing of the mini or an evolutionary rebirth of a cube?
Somehow, I doubt that. I can't say I've ever seen a G4^3 in my own life in person, just on Drew Carey... but I've seen a few minis around (including the one I'm using at this moment). It seemed to me that the short lifespan of the Cube combined with it's apparent low sales volume, I doubt Apple would take a gamble with that design again, unfortunately.
Somehow, I doubt that. I can't say I've ever seen a G4^3 in my own life in person, just on Drew Carey... but I've seen a few minis around (including the one I'm using at this moment). It seemed to me that the short lifespan of the Cube combined with it's apparent low sales volume, I doubt Apple would take a gamble with that design again, unfortunately.
There was really nothing wrong with the Cube's design other than Apple was charging way too much money for the design factor. Price the product in line with it's functionality... make it a compelling sale through it's design. Apple had that backwards with the Cube and consequently the product was a commercial flop.
In some respects the mini commits the same mistake though to a lesser degree. Apple has to charge extra for the smallness factor but that's a design trait that has minimal consumer value over just a "small simple computer". Build it with most cost effective components (desktop parts), price accordingly, keep the styling differentiated from the run-of-the-mill PC and you have a better and more sustainable offering, IMHO. Maybe that's what Apple will do.
Your title is misleading, I thought you meant its fan.
ROFL. I didn't even bother opening the thread until I was just kinda bored.
But I do hope they get rid of the Mini.
Somehow, I doubt that. I can't say I've ever seen a G4^3 in my own life in person, just on Drew Carey... but I've seen a few minis around (including the one I'm using at this moment). It seemed to me that the short lifespan of the Cube combined with it's apparent low sales volume, I doubt Apple would take a gamble with that design again, unfortunately.
I am still a huge G4^3 fan. It is just that I need more with my displays today, so my two are gathering dust-- well one is on "display" and the other is in box in the closet-- maybe it should be on ebay, but I'm still thinking about turning it into an aquarium....
I really did love the functionality and size-- everything on the desktop (except the Brick, of course) and nicely integrated with the 22" Cinema Display, or the original 15" version. Even the speakers worked nicely, though I soon hooked it up with Sound Sticks.
I do use a Mini 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo with 2MB (not a very "mini" name, eh?
I am a fan of the Mini, though, since its small size IS a major point in its favor, particularly for those of us with a plethora of peripherals lying about-- extra mice, keyboards, monitors/flat panels, extra hard drives and such. I recently discovered the Macessity "Stand by MI",allowing me to lift up the monitor and put the Mini under it-- great product (no endorsement contract signed yet-- but it really made me wish that I could similarly upgrade the Mini itself for funtionality. It really should have been brought up to Core 2 Duo status by now.
I didn't even bother opening the thread until I was just kinda bored.
But I do hope they get rid of the Mini.
I agree, it doesn't do anything for me. If you want a Mac, and you don't want to pay a grand, then buy a refurb, or a second hand one. Otherwise you obviously don't want one. If you want to play your media on your TV, use an Apple TV or another streaming media server etc. I actually think apple has made a few good moves lately, like chaning their name and getting into phones.
Apple still has a few things to do though;
1. Make an iPhone nano.
2. Make that real video iPod.
3. Make TV's with built-in everything, BIG hard drive, standard DVD drive, TV remote, 24 watt speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
4. Either make a decent mouse, or bring out a multi-touch keyboard.
5. An ultra-portable notebook, or a tablet.
6. Get TV shows and movies to europe.
7. iTunes HD and iPTV service.
8. ..and more surprises too
I agree, it doesn't do anything for me. If you want a Mac, and you don't want to pay a grand, then buy a refurb, or a second hand one. Otherwise you obviously don't want one. If you want to play your media on your TV, use an Apple TV or another streaming media server etc. I actually think apple has made a few good moves lately, like chaning their name and getting into phones.
Apple still has a few things to do though;
1. Make an iPhone nano.
2. Make that real video iPod.
3. Make TV's with built-in everything, BIG hard drive, standard DVD drive, TV remote, 24 watt speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
4. Either make a decent mouse, or bring out a multi-touch keyboard.
5. An ultra-portable notebook, or a tablet.
6. Get TV shows and movies to europe.
7. iTunes HD and iPTV service.
8. ..and more surprises too
Here's an idea for an Apple TV 2.0:
250 GB HD
1 HD Tuner
Non upgradeable (Because that's how Apple likes it)
When you want to watch something that comes on at the same time of your recording, Apple TV asks you if you want to schedule a downloading of that episode from the iTunes HD TV store.
I agree, it doesn't do anything for me. If you want a Mac, and you don't want to pay a grand, then buy a refurb, or a second hand one. Otherwise you obviously don't want one. If you want to play your media on your TV, use an Apple TV or another streaming media server etc. I actually think apple has made a few good moves lately, like chaning their name and getting into phones.
Apple still has a few things to do though;
1. Make an iPhone nano.
2. Make that real video iPod.
3. Make TV's with built-in everything, BIG hard drive, standard DVD drive, TV remote, 24 watt speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
4. Either make a decent mouse, or bring out a multi-touch keyboard.
5. An ultra-portable notebook, or a tablet.
6. Get TV shows and movies to europe.
7. iTunes HD and iPTV service.
8. ..and more surprises too
Just because you don't like the Mini doesn't mean that it is a bad product or that it doesn't have a place in Apple's line up. I would say that as long as Apple can't hit the $799 (or better yet $699) price point with an iMac then the Mini is a good product for them to keep (although they need to try to get a $499 model again). In fact it probably has a bigger market than a number of the products that you list.
I know there are a lot of people wanting that TV, but it would cost $1000 or more than a TV with a comparable display but without all that stuff and like it or not AIO TV's have never been big sellers wether it has been with integrated VCR or DVD. The people who would spend the extra money for such a device would probably not be satisfied with the 24 watt speakers and other concessions to get everything in it.
Apple's last Ultra portable was the PB 2400 if I recall. It sold well in Japan, and was a dud here in the states. There is probably a smaller market than there is for the Mini and it would probably take a bit more to engineer. Add to the fact that they would need to use the smaller keyboard that ultra portables use which everyone would complain about and you have a dud in the long run. A tablet might be even worse. There is yet to be a really successful tablet, it is to costly to produce to be more than a niche product and the markets that need it already have them available with the software that they need. Also Apple would need to concentrate on a more corporate client, but right now they are focusing on the consumer market.
The Mini probably has the smallest R&D cost of any Mac right now, and can receive the slowest and smallest upgrade cycle of all their computers and still remain marketable and the only computer that Apple can get in that low end market that they can best attract "Switchers" with. It would be great to get the starting point back down to $499.
Here's an idea for an Apple TV 2.0:
250 GB HD
1 HD Tuner
Non upgradeable (Because that's how Apple likes it)
When you want to watch something that comes on at the same time of your recording, Apple TV asks you if you want to schedule a downloading of that episode from the iTunes HD TV store.
The problem with that is WHAT HD tuner to put in it, Cable, OTA, or Satellite? It would be less expensive and more flexible to just put in a FW port and finish and expand on the FW video software that they have in the FW development kit. Since cable companies are required to give you a cable box (and satellite as well with an HD subscription) with an active FW port on it if requested then they can directly hook into the boxes tuner and receive video via the FW cable. This works the same with any TV that has a FW port for OTA tuners. The problem is that FW ports have not made their way to the lower end TV's which are increasingly receiving USB ports. I don't know if something similar can be accomplished with USB 2 or not, if so then there is a good reason to have the USB 2 port on the Apple TV. Bottom line is that a tuner built into the Apple TV is not the ideal situation what you really want it a way for the Apple TV to control the tuner that is in the system that you currently have as well as the system that you will buy in the future.
What is more important to the success of the Apple TV in the long run is his #7 which will bring content via the internet to the TV in your living room. I personally think that video sales, commercial iPTV, and video rental/subscription can all coexist to deliver that content. Each has their own purpose and market which consumers will regularly cross to fill their video needs. Most people will rent the majority of their video or subscribe to a service similar to a cable package today and watch some commercial driven content such as news. When they come across a TV show or movie that they want to own or watch commercial free then they will purchase it just as they do now. The only real change will be in the delivery of the content and how ad revenue and commercials work to finance the content producers.