IF the Mini dies, what will replace it, if anything ?

2

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 47
    sequitursequitur Posts: 1,910member
    Marvin,

    are you listening in on this Mini discussion. I understand you have a Mini. Do you have any complaints with it? What are your thoughts on it? Any problems peculiar to the Mini? Pros and cons?

    If Apple doesn't come up with a replacement for it, I will buy a Mini. I'm sure that someone (MacMall maybe) will be selling them even if they're discontinued. I refuse to buy an AIO and a MacPro is overkill.



    Something interesting about the iMac is that PC Magazine and other PC publications have lauded the iMac for its ELEGANCE. I wonder if they know how a lot of vet MacUsers feel about AIO's.
  • Reply 22 of 47
    vineavinea Posts: 5,585member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by snoopy View Post


    If it has, say, three slots and two HDD slots, it might be close to the much discussed Mac mini tower, except for shape. However, it could become a Mac Mini replacement only if there is a low-end model: economy motherboard, no PCI-e connectors, on-board graphics, and a single HDD bay and optical drive bay.







    Too big. 2 slots max and maybe 2 HDDs but likely not unless stacked vertically. The current Shuttle in that size range is kinda fugly and couldn't squeeze in more than 2 slots...primarily so you could CrossFire or SLI.



    With 2 HDD and full length slots the proportions are just not very elegant cube wise. Pizza box would be more elegant but mean risers or a weirder layout like in the older Sun and NeXT pizza boxes with horizontal daughtercard like slots.



    I can see a single half/reduced length slot and perhaps 2 HDDs stacked vertically for a cube sized Mac.



    Vinea
  • Reply 23 of 47
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iPeon View Post


    Unless you already have a display that is better than the iMac's.



    So pretty much any display that costs over $50.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sequitur


    Marvin,

    are you listening in on this Mini discussion.



    I'm always listening.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sequitur


    I understand you have a Mini. Do you have any complaints with it? What are your thoughts on it? Any problems peculiar to the Mini? Pros and cons?



    I have numerous complaints with it but I knew about most of them before I bought it.



    - It uses a slot drive and these are noisier than tray loading drives and don't support non-standard CDs. Admittedly non-standard CDs are rare but they come with certain devices with drivers on them and it can be impossible to find alternative download locations. For size factor, I don't mind so much but I use an external tray loader when watching DVDs. A slot drive on an iMac isn't as noisy.



    - it has clips instead of screws so it's not great for installing your own Ram and everything is packed in tight. An iMac is very easy to open up and install things.



    - the 2.5" drive can be sluggish, I know 7200 rpm drives are noisier but they're not that noisy and for a 50% difference in performance, I'd have liked the option.



    - sound quality is very poor - in fact it's the worst Mac I've ever used for sound. I have to use headphones all the time. Again, for size i didn't expect much quality-wise but some volume would've been nice. By contrast the iMacs sound really good with the built-in speakers.



    - GMA graphics. They are ok for most things but Apple shouldn't have even considered using them given what they charge for computers and for the hardware that is available today. There is such a huge difference between it and the X1600.



    - slower CPUs than all the other Macs. They are still fast but there's no reason whatsoever for not upgrading the mini as the chips cost the same, have higher clocks and run cooler.



    But no matter how hard Apple have tried to make me dislike the idea of a cheap headless Mac, it's actually my favourite Mac. The one reason i will never like the iMac is the built-in display. I don't want to be subjected to Apple's extortionate repair charges ever and a grainy screen. My external DVD burner will cost me £20 to replace and I will get a drive that does far more than a 'super'-drive. My display is better quality that an iMacs and it will cost me £30 to replace (it's a CRT).



    I have considered the iMac before though but just the 17" one and if I didn't think it was so damn ugly I might have been persuaded to get one with the X1600. If they do redesign it and offer one with an x1600 or better at a low enough price, I would be tempted. But if they don't offer one cheap enough (under £700) then there's no way I would even think about it.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sequitur


    Something interesting about the iMac is that PC Magazine and other PC publications have lauded the iMac for its ELEGANCE. I wonder if they know how a lot of vet MacUsers feel about AIO's.



    As soon as I saw it, I hated it. I thought it was a big step back from the beautiful G4 lamp iMac. Technical design is ok but Sony designed one that looks aesthetically nicer to me.
  • Reply 24 of 47
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    - slower CPUs than all the other Macs. They are still fast but there's no reason whatsoever for not upgrading the mini as the chips cost the same, have higher clocks and run cooler.



    Enjoyed your reply and found it insightful. However, are you sure that the core duos are still the same price as a similarly clocked core 2 chip? I know when initially released that this was the case but now that core 2 is established in the market aren't the core duos now cheaper?
  • Reply 25 of 47
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,605member
    I have 3 mini's that I use. My wife's G4, my G4 in my garage, and my CD at work. I like the mini's because they are cheap and I can get a new computer every 12 - 18 months for the same or less money I would have had in an iMac for 24 - 36 months. I like staying somewhat current.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sequitur View Post


    Marvin,

    are you listening in on this Mini discussion. I understand you have a Mini. Do you have any complaints with it? What are your thoughts on it? Any problems peculiar to the Mini? Pros and cons?

    If Apple doesn't come up with a replacement for it, I will buy a Mini. I'm sure that someone (MacMall maybe) will be selling them even if they're discontinued. I refuse to buy an AIO and a MacPro is overkill.



    Something interesting about the iMac is that PC Magazine and other PC publications have lauded the iMac for its ELEGANCE. I wonder if they know how a lot of vet MacUsers feel about AIO's.



  • Reply 26 of 47
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    The mini will not die... oh, uh.... confirmed. (purrrr)
  • Reply 27 of 47
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    So pretty much any display that costs over $50.



    - sound quality is very poor - in fact it's the worst Mac I've ever used for sound. I have to use headphones all the time. Again, for size i didn't expect much quality-wise but some volume would've been nice. By contrast the iMacs sound really good with the built-in speakers.



    - GMA graphics. They are ok for most things but Apple shouldn't have even considered using them given what they charge for computers and for the hardware that is available today. There is such a huge difference between it and the X1600.



    -



    for video a low end Hyper Memory or a turbo cache card is better. next up is a card with 128 or more of it's own ram.



    for sound is apple useing low end on board sound chips?

    will there be sound blaster xfi drivers for mac?
  • Reply 28 of 47
    idaveidave Posts: 1,283member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aplnub View Post


    I like the mini's because they are cheap and I can get a new computer every 12 - 18 months for the same or less money I would have had in an iMac for 24 - 36 months. I like staying somewhat current.



    Unfortunately, these days it's hard to stay current with a mini.



    My credit card is ready, Apple. Throw me a bone.
  • Reply 29 of 47
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by backtomac View Post


    Enjoyed your reply and found it insightful. However, are you sure that the core duos are still the same price as a similarly clocked core 2 chip? I know when initially released that this was the case but now that core 2 is established in the market aren't the core duos now cheaper?



    Nope, still the same. Their price list is here on the bottom right:



    http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix....&p=irol-IRHome



    Compare mobile Core Duo and Core 2 Duo prices for May '07. The prices are the same for the same clock speed and one important thing to note is that the 1.83GHz model costs the same as the 1.66 Core Duo (we know Apple use the T2300 and not the 2300E because it supports VT-X) so the price difference between the two Mac Minis shouldn't be as large as it is.



    Core 2 Duo:

    T7700 (4M L2 cache 2.40 GHz 800 MHz FSB 65nm) $530 -

    T7500 (4M L2 cache 2.20 GHz 800 MHz FSB 65nm) $316 -

    T7300 (4M L2 cache 2.00 GHz 800 MHz FSB 65nm) $241 -

    T7100 (2M L2 cache 1.80 GHz 800 MHz FSB 65nm) $209 -

    T7600 (4M L2 cache 2.33 GHz 667 MHz FSB 65nm) $637 $637 -

    T7400 (4M L2 cache 2.16 GHz 667 MHz FSB 65nm) $423 $423 -

    T7200 (4M L2 cache 2.00 GHz 667 MHz FSB 65nm) $294 $294 -

    T5600 (2M L2 cache 1.83 GHz 667 MHz FSB 65nm) $241 $241 -

    T5500 (2M L2 cache 1.66 GHz 667 MHz FSB 65nm) $209 $209 -




    Core Duo:

    T2700 (2M L2 cache 2.33 GHz 667 MHz FSB 65nm)2 $637 $637 -

    T2600 (2M L2 cache 2.16 GHz 667 MHz FSB 65nm)2 $423 $423 -

    T2500 (2M L2 cache 2.00 GHz 667 MHz FSB 65nm)2 $294 $294 -

    T2400 (2M L2 cache 1.83 GHz 667 MHz FSB 65nm)2 $241 $241 -

    T2300 (2M L2 cache 1.66 GHz 667 MHz FSB 65nm)2 $241 $241 -

    T2300E (2M L2 cache 1.66 GHz 667 MHz FSB 65nm) $209 $209 -




    The two prices for each are April '07 and May '07.



    The Mini should be at 1.83GHz and 2GHz Core 2 Duo by now.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aplnub


    like the mini's because they are cheap and I can get a new computer every 12 - 18 months for the same or less money I would have had in an iMac for 24 - 36 months.



    That's what I do too and I think it's something Apple may be overlooking when crippling them. iMac owners tend to want a machine to last 3 years or so but I am content to spend £400 a year or so to get the newest model Mini.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Joe_the_dragon


    for sound is apple useing low end on board sound chips?



    It looks like it. Intel High Definition Sound is what it says in the System profiler. The sound output through even a cheap set of speakers with a subwoofer is great so I don't understand why they made the built-in speaker so quiet.
  • Reply 30 of 47
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Well I stand corrected. Yes the mini should have core 2 parts. Thers is no excuse.
  • Reply 31 of 47
    rickagrickag Posts: 1,626member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by snoopy View Post


    If it has, say, three slots and two HDD slots, it might be close to the much discussed Mac mini tower, except for shape. However, it could become a Mac Mini replacement only if there is a low-end model: economy motherboard, no PCI-e connectors, on-board graphics, and a single HDD bay and optical drive bay.







    I really don't expect Apple to produce what most people perceive an xMac to be. My statement was half in jest, but half serious based on Apple's track record in the past few years.
  • Reply 32 of 47
    snoopysnoopy Posts: 1,901member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rickag View Post




    I really don't expect Apple to produce what most people perceive an xMac to be. My statement was half in jest, but half serious based on Apple's track record in the past few years.






    Since laptop updates have been announced, first the MacBook and now the more dramatically upgraded MacBook Pro, that leaves desktops. Maybe Steve Jobs literally meant "massive investment in desktops. You'll love it." I'd like to see that, and hope it means more than new iMacs. I think a Mac Mini replacement is coming, and possibly a Mini Tower will be worked into the quilt-work.



  • Reply 33 of 47
    slewisslewis Posts: 2,081member
    Null.
  • Reply 34 of 47
    idaveidave Posts: 1,283member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Slewis View Post


    Here's a random thought that will likely never see the light of day:



    A new iMac where the entire computer can be separated from the screen, so the computer is basically an attachment for the monitor, and when you remove it you can use it as a separate monitor.



    Not a bad idea, if you could make your purchase with or without said display.
  • Reply 35 of 47
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,605member
    I would expect IF Apple kills the Mini, they will replace it with something halfway inbetween an iMac and AppleTV. They need the target audience the Mini brings them. You can't just throw away the low end of the price scale. Even Steve knows that. That is why he will probably blow our minds, do something like a cube, or just do nothing and business as usual with the Mini.



    I would at least hope it gets a C2D original now that the MBP's have the C2D SR.
  • Reply 36 of 47
    idaveidave Posts: 1,283member
    I don't believe I've seen AI's rumor seconded by any other sites. Will Steve Jobs say one word about the mini at WWDC? I doubt it. Since both MacBook lines have been updated, it's now time to see something happen with the mini. Either kill it or update it! The suspense is killing me.
  • Reply 37 of 47
    hujibhujib Posts: 117member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BenRoethig View Post


    Hopefully a new machine with a 3.5" hard drive (and a keyboard/mouse set)



    MacPak
  • Reply 38 of 47
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BenRoethig View Post


    Hopefully a new machine with a 3.5" hard drive (and a keyboard/mouse set) to make it competitive with entry level windows machines. However, I fear the Mini and 17" will just be gone and the cheapest Mac "desktop" will be a $1299 20" iMac.



    Apple would be stupid to do that however. Having no entry level machine will significantly hamper Apple's push to prove they're not 'overpriced".
  • Reply 39 of 47
    benroethigbenroethig Posts: 2,782member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by athletics68 View Post


    Apple would be stupid to do that however. Having no entry level machine will significantly hamper Apple's push to prove they're not 'overpriced".





    Apple will do what fits with with its own computer philosophy. We are also talking about a company here that has raised prices on almost every computer in its line.
  • Reply 40 of 47
    iveive Posts: 23member
    There wil be no replacement.



    MacOS X will be sold for PC's as you would say.

    Remember allmost all the products have the word "mac" in it.

    This will make the difference with other pc's running macosx
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