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.
Sorry Ireland, but that's about the silliest thing you've said in a long while. A mini fits my needs perfectly - I want a cheap server for the study that is small, quiet, and quick. I don't need a display, keyboard or mouse, just a tiny little CPU. I've got a stack of external drives, so I don't need internal bays. Right now I'm using an old G4 Cube, but I'd like it to be a little snappier(tm). I know more than a few people who switched *only* because of the mini. Just because you have this strange "You're not a *REAL* Mac owner unless..." fixation doesn't mean it reflects reality.
The mini desperately needs an upgrade, and yeah, dropping it back down to the $499 point is what it needs to keep it attractive, but it's not exactly the case that it's not a product that a 'true' Mac owner would get. I, and most other people, aren't going to be interested in a $2500 tower when we don't need the expansion, nor an iMac when we don't need a display. Heck, I don't even need the fabled mini-tower. I want small, quiet, cheap. The mini is perfect.
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3. Make TV's with built-in everything, BIG hard drive, standard DVD drive, TV remote, 24 watt speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
Speaking of fixations... I really don't get this one. I don't buy a TV unless I can get it *without* speakers, tuner, etc. They're useless in a home theatre, if you ask me. The speakers will never be able to compete with my 5.1 surround setup, and the tuner is completely dependent on what setup the customer has, not to mention the debacle that CableCARD has turned into. I honestly don't see the market for this. I've heard it compared to the iMac, but I also don't get that comparison. The iMac offers an all-inclusive solution that doesn't need to hook into anything more complex than a power jack to do its function, but a TV needs a data feed, and that simply isn't that well standardized yet. Add to that the fact that TV on demand over IP is where things are heading, and that tuner looks less and less appealing. It'd be a stopgap, over-engineered product with a vague market to begin with. Meh?
What I'd love to see, actually, is a variant of the Panasonic professional plasma series. They sell a high-end plasma display, no speakers, no tuner, not even a connector. What it has instead is a plug-in system, and you buy only the connector(s) you need. Component, composite, HDMI, DVI, doesn't matter, you purchase exactly what you need, and only what you need. They snap into the back of the unit, and you hook it up.
Now, think about having an AppleTV + LCD display with WiFi/Enet by default, and selectable components for input, and audio output. Don't need 'em? Don't get 'em. Instead, it is, primarily, a video on demand over IP display and access point. If you need to hook into a digital optical audio system, you can get a converter for that. Want to pump your existing HDMI system into it? You can do that. Have only a plain coax input? Cheap little converter snaps right in. Let the consumer configure it for exactly their particular needs, but have it push the digital media feed that Apple has been moving towards all this time.
Or, of course, they could just keep selling the exact same solution in the AppleTV, and let folks hook it up to *whatever* display they have.
Here's a thought I had earlier... You know those inventory checks Apple's forcing all the reselling stores to make? The ones people are associating with the MBP? Think it could possibly be the Mac Mini stock they're looking at so they know when they can formally discontinue it?
Sorry Ireland here, but that's about the silliest thing you've said in a long while. A mini fits my needs perfectly - I want a cheap server for the study that is small, quiet, and quick.
Not to sound like I'm on the defense, but I heard a number of people say what I just did in real life, outside of online forums. When you buy a Mac, you get what you pay for. You're looking for a cheap server, that's a different matter. For the machine to be really worth it for Apple as a company they wont be able to keep this product alive buy selling it as a server here and there. In PCWorld near me, everyone passes off the mini only to walk directly over to the iMac. As a product the mini just doesn't have it, sure it fits a niche, but not much more. I don't believe it gets people to switch like you might think, I think the real thing that gets the switchers is either the iMac or the MacBook. What's a mini? Most people outside of this inner circle think a mini is a car
Speaking of fixations... I really don't get this one. I don't buy a TV unless I can get it *without* speakers, tuner, etc. They're useless in a home theatre, if you ask me. The speakers will never be able to compete with my 5.1 surround setup, and the tuner is completely dependent on what setup the customer has, not to mention the debacle that CableCARD has turned into. I honestly don't see the market for this. I've heard it compared to the iMac, but I also don't get that comparison. The iMac offers an all-inclusive solution that doesn't need to hook into anything more complex than a power jack to do its function, but a TV needs a data feed, and that simply isn't that well standardized yet. Add to that the fact that TV on demand over IP is where things are heading, and that tuner looks less and less appealing. It'd be a stopgap, over-engineered product with a vague market to begin with. Meh?
What I'd love to see, actually, is a variant of the Panasonic professional plasma series. They sell a high-end plasma display, no speakers, no tuner, not even a connector. What it has instead is a plug-in system, and you buy only the connector(s) you need. Component, composite, HDMI, DVI, doesn't matter, you purchase exactly what you need, and only what you need. They snap into the back of the unit, and you hook it up.
Now, think about having an AppleTV + LCD display with WiFi/Enet by default, and selectable components for input, and audio output. Don't need 'em? Don't get 'em. Instead, it is, primarily, a video on demand over IP display and access point. If you need to hook into a digital optical audio system, you can get a converter for that. Want to pump your existing HDMI system into it? You can do that. Have only a plain coax input? Cheap little converter snaps right in. Let the consumer configure it for exactly their particular needs, but have it push the digital media feed that Apple has been moving towards all this time.
Or, of course, they could just keep selling the exact same solution in the AppleTV, and let folks hook it up to *whatever* display they have.
I think you are right when you say you don't get it. Be honest, did you think at the time Apple making an mp3 player was a good idea?
Not to sound like I'm on the defense, but I heard a number of people say what I just did in real life, outside of online forums. When you buy a Mac, you get what you pay for. You're looking for a cheap server, that's a different matter.
Sorry, but I disagree. I'm looking for a cheap *MAC* server. If I wanted 'a cheap server', I'd go get a POS vanilla x86 box and throw Linux on it. I want something usable, not as cheap as possible.
Seriously, I don't get the 'if you aren't willing to pay $2500, then you don't *deserve* a Mac' mentality. It's always the new converts that are the most rabid, innit? Don't make me beat ya with mah cane, ya whippersnapper.
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For the machine to be really worth it for Apple as a company they wont be able to keep this product alive buy selling it as a server here and there. In PCWorld near me, everyone passes off the mini only to walk directly over to the iMac.
Not surprising, the iMac has glitz and glamour. It draws the eye in the store.
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As a product the mini just doesn't have it, sure it fits a niche, but not much more. I don't believe it gets people to switch like you might think, I think the real thing that gets the switchers is either the iMac or the MacBook. What's a mini? Most people outside of this inner circle think a mini is a car
And yet the mini is the machine that most serious techie geeks I know that switched, did so with. It was cheap enough to be a "Oh what the heck, I'll find out more about this other Unixy thing...", stripped down enough not to offend their sense of terminal aesthetics, and small enough to fit on their already cluttered desks. It definitely has a market. As large as the general consumer market? Nope. But then, neither is the pro market the Mac Pro is aimed at.
Apple may not have the financial justification to keep the mini, but to make comments that essentially boil down to "If you can't pay the big bucks, you're not a *true* Mac user" is just incredibly short-sighted and silly. Frankly, it just proves correct the anti-Mac folks who claim that Mac users are just elitist snobs. Worst. Reason. Ever. Really.
I think you are right when you say you don't get it. Be honest, did you think at the time Apple making an mp3 player was a good idea?
Actually, yes. I bought a 1st gen iPod immediately after trying one in the store. (Still use it, too.) Why? Because they *stripped it down* to the bare essentials. It's what they do best.
What you're asking for is the antithesis of that, plain and simple.
Apple = minimalist design.
Any idiot can slap together a featureitis-inspired bullet list and make a product out of it, but distilling a product down to the critical pieces and threading a pervasive and clean interface through them to make a simple and elegant item... that takes talent and work.
Frankly, what you're asking for is what I'd expect from MS. "Let's slap a Windows Media Center into a display! It'll be GREAT!"
So no, I don't get the desire for this product. It doesn't match Apple's design aesthetic, it's counter to their corporate track record with consumer devices, there are serious technical issues that simply won't be overcome until the market settles down, and the number of potential buyers would be vanishingly small. Seriously, think about it - it's going to appeal to those who need an Apple TV *AND* a DVD player, *AND* a speaker setup *AND* a new HDTV, *AND* don't need a cable box, and, and, and... really, how many people do you think are in that boat? And you think the mini has a niche? Yeesh.
IMHO, it's a nice machine at about $50 to $100 less than current.
An updated Mini, at least the one I would expect, would be a fair deal $50 to $100 less than it is currently priced. The current Mini would be a fair deal at $150-200 less than the current price. If the RAM were more easily user upgradable, at least for me, it would be a more attractive product. Personally though I would much rather spend a bit more and get a lower end refirbished iMac than a Mini for use as a computer.
Comments
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.
Sorry Ireland, but that's about the silliest thing you've said in a long while. A mini fits my needs perfectly - I want a cheap server for the study that is small, quiet, and quick. I don't need a display, keyboard or mouse, just a tiny little CPU. I've got a stack of external drives, so I don't need internal bays. Right now I'm using an old G4 Cube, but I'd like it to be a little snappier(tm). I know more than a few people who switched *only* because of the mini. Just because you have this strange "You're not a *REAL* Mac owner unless..." fixation doesn't mean it reflects reality.
The mini desperately needs an upgrade, and yeah, dropping it back down to the $499 point is what it needs to keep it attractive, but it's not exactly the case that it's not a product that a 'true' Mac owner would get. I, and most other people, aren't going to be interested in a $2500 tower when we don't need the expansion, nor an iMac when we don't need a display. Heck, I don't even need the fabled mini-tower. I want small, quiet, cheap. The mini is perfect.
3. Make TV's with built-in everything, BIG hard drive, standard DVD drive, TV remote, 24 watt speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
Speaking of fixations... I really don't get this one. I don't buy a TV unless I can get it *without* speakers, tuner, etc. They're useless in a home theatre, if you ask me. The speakers will never be able to compete with my 5.1 surround setup, and the tuner is completely dependent on what setup the customer has, not to mention the debacle that CableCARD has turned into. I honestly don't see the market for this. I've heard it compared to the iMac, but I also don't get that comparison. The iMac offers an all-inclusive solution that doesn't need to hook into anything more complex than a power jack to do its function, but a TV needs a data feed, and that simply isn't that well standardized yet. Add to that the fact that TV on demand over IP is where things are heading, and that tuner looks less and less appealing. It'd be a stopgap, over-engineered product with a vague market to begin with. Meh?
What I'd love to see, actually, is a variant of the Panasonic professional plasma series. They sell a high-end plasma display, no speakers, no tuner, not even a connector. What it has instead is a plug-in system, and you buy only the connector(s) you need. Component, composite, HDMI, DVI, doesn't matter, you purchase exactly what you need, and only what you need. They snap into the back of the unit, and you hook it up.
Now, think about having an AppleTV + LCD display with WiFi/Enet by default, and selectable components for input, and audio output. Don't need 'em? Don't get 'em. Instead, it is, primarily, a video on demand over IP display and access point. If you need to hook into a digital optical audio system, you can get a converter for that. Want to pump your existing HDMI system into it? You can do that. Have only a plain coax input? Cheap little converter snaps right in. Let the consumer configure it for exactly their particular needs, but have it push the digital media feed that Apple has been moving towards all this time.
Or, of course, they could just keep selling the exact same solution in the AppleTV, and let folks hook it up to *whatever* display they have.
Sorry Ireland here, but that's about the silliest thing you've said in a long while. A mini fits my needs perfectly - I want a cheap server for the study that is small, quiet, and quick.
Not to sound like I'm on the defense, but I heard a number of people say what I just did in real life, outside of online forums. When you buy a Mac, you get what you pay for. You're looking for a cheap server, that's a different matter. For the machine to be really worth it for Apple as a company they wont be able to keep this product alive buy selling it as a server here and there. In PCWorld near me, everyone passes off the mini only to walk directly over to the iMac. As a product the mini just doesn't have it, sure it fits a niche, but not much more. I don't believe it gets people to switch like you might think, I think the real thing that gets the switchers is either the iMac or the MacBook. What's a mini? Most people outside of this inner circle think a mini is a car
Speaking of fixations... I really don't get this one. I don't buy a TV unless I can get it *without* speakers, tuner, etc. They're useless in a home theatre, if you ask me. The speakers will never be able to compete with my 5.1 surround setup, and the tuner is completely dependent on what setup the customer has, not to mention the debacle that CableCARD has turned into. I honestly don't see the market for this. I've heard it compared to the iMac, but I also don't get that comparison. The iMac offers an all-inclusive solution that doesn't need to hook into anything more complex than a power jack to do its function, but a TV needs a data feed, and that simply isn't that well standardized yet. Add to that the fact that TV on demand over IP is where things are heading, and that tuner looks less and less appealing. It'd be a stopgap, over-engineered product with a vague market to begin with. Meh?
What I'd love to see, actually, is a variant of the Panasonic professional plasma series. They sell a high-end plasma display, no speakers, no tuner, not even a connector. What it has instead is a plug-in system, and you buy only the connector(s) you need. Component, composite, HDMI, DVI, doesn't matter, you purchase exactly what you need, and only what you need. They snap into the back of the unit, and you hook it up.
Now, think about having an AppleTV + LCD display with WiFi/Enet by default, and selectable components for input, and audio output. Don't need 'em? Don't get 'em. Instead, it is, primarily, a video on demand over IP display and access point. If you need to hook into a digital optical audio system, you can get a converter for that. Want to pump your existing HDMI system into it? You can do that. Have only a plain coax input? Cheap little converter snaps right in. Let the consumer configure it for exactly their particular needs, but have it push the digital media feed that Apple has been moving towards all this time.
Or, of course, they could just keep selling the exact same solution in the AppleTV, and let folks hook it up to *whatever* display they have.
I think you are right when you say you don't get it. Be honest, did you think at the time Apple making an mp3 player was a good idea?
Not to sound like I'm on the defense, but I heard a number of people say what I just did in real life, outside of online forums. When you buy a Mac, you get what you pay for. You're looking for a cheap server, that's a different matter.
Sorry, but I disagree. I'm looking for a cheap *MAC* server. If I wanted 'a cheap server', I'd go get a POS vanilla x86 box and throw Linux on it. I want something usable, not as cheap as possible.
Seriously, I don't get the 'if you aren't willing to pay $2500, then you don't *deserve* a Mac' mentality. It's always the new converts that are the most rabid, innit? Don't make me beat ya with mah cane, ya whippersnapper.
For the machine to be really worth it for Apple as a company they wont be able to keep this product alive buy selling it as a server here and there. In PCWorld near me, everyone passes off the mini only to walk directly over to the iMac.
Not surprising, the iMac has glitz and glamour. It draws the eye in the store.
As a product the mini just doesn't have it, sure it fits a niche, but not much more. I don't believe it gets people to switch like you might think, I think the real thing that gets the switchers is either the iMac or the MacBook. What's a mini? Most people outside of this inner circle think a mini is a car
And yet the mini is the machine that most serious techie geeks I know that switched, did so with. It was cheap enough to be a "Oh what the heck, I'll find out more about this other Unixy thing...", stripped down enough not to offend their sense of terminal aesthetics, and small enough to fit on their already cluttered desks. It definitely has a market. As large as the general consumer market? Nope. But then, neither is the pro market the Mac Pro is aimed at.
Apple may not have the financial justification to keep the mini, but to make comments that essentially boil down to "If you can't pay the big bucks, you're not a *true* Mac user" is just incredibly short-sighted and silly. Frankly, it just proves correct the anti-Mac folks who claim that Mac users are just elitist snobs. Worst. Reason. Ever. Really.
I think you are right when you say you don't get it. Be honest, did you think at the time Apple making an mp3 player was a good idea?
Actually, yes. I bought a 1st gen iPod immediately after trying one in the store. (Still use it, too.) Why? Because they *stripped it down* to the bare essentials. It's what they do best.
What you're asking for is the antithesis of that, plain and simple.
Apple = minimalist design.
Any idiot can slap together a featureitis-inspired bullet list and make a product out of it, but distilling a product down to the critical pieces and threading a pervasive and clean interface through them to make a simple and elegant item... that takes talent and work.
Frankly, what you're asking for is what I'd expect from MS. "Let's slap a Windows Media Center into a display! It'll be GREAT!"
So no, I don't get the desire for this product. It doesn't match Apple's design aesthetic, it's counter to their corporate track record with consumer devices, there are serious technical issues that simply won't be overcome until the market settles down, and the number of potential buyers would be vanishingly small. Seriously, think about it - it's going to appeal to those who need an Apple TV *AND* a DVD player, *AND* a speaker setup *AND* a new HDTV, *AND* don't need a cable box, and, and, and... really, how many people do you think are in that boat? And you think the mini has a niche? Yeesh.
I'd be dissapointed if they discontinue the Mac Mini. It's a nice little machine at the right price.
IMHO, it's a nice machine at about $50 to $100 less than current.
IMHO, it's a nice machine at about $50 to $100 less than current.
An updated Mini, at least the one I would expect, would be a fair deal $50 to $100 less than it is currently priced. The current Mini would be a fair deal at $150-200 less than the current price. If the RAM were more easily user upgradable, at least for me, it would be a more attractive product. Personally though I would much rather spend a bit more and get a lower end refirbished iMac than a Mini for use as a computer.