it's the cheap way to start, using the monitors and keyboards they already have. that how businesses think, you know. keeping costs to the minimum. they don't start with more costly iMacs (except maybe for the boss).
Exactly! One of my clients (a telecom company) just switched all their desktops to Macs. Although the boss got a 24" iMac, everyone else had a Mac Mini swapped in and attached to their existing keyboard, mouse, monitor, and speakers.
So, although the Mac Mini may not appeal to serious Mac-heads, I never believed that Apple would discontinue it, as it allows businesses and schools to switch and still stay within their budget.
I would love to replace my current PC with a mini, but I need a dvd burner and don't see why I have to pay £100 extra for this, ditch the combo drive please More storage would be nice but with 500 GB 2.5 drives one the way I can always drop one in later.
I had a Mac Mini and loved it. Gave it to my mom, and currently I'm using a MacBook, and I have a separate PC for games. But I'd happily ditch the PC and go with an all-Mac household again if:
1) Apple put a slot in the Mini for a discrete GPU expansion card
2) Apple allowed use of a standard 3.5" desktop 7200 rpm hard drive internally
The discrete mobile GPU would allow gamers (such as World of Warcraft players) to play their games at a good framerate. The current integrated 3100 graphics, like the 950 and 900 graphics before them, are really mediocre for games like WoW (i.e., borderline unplayable in some parts of the game).
Both of these changes would require increasing the case size a bit, but not dramatically so. It would be like a half-height Apple Cube, but without the pricey plexiglass enclosure!
Apple really should shoot for a $499 mini. There is a ton of growth on the low-end that Apple has simply been handing over to the PC world. Time to take it back.
I agree. With all the chips that Intel have available it would seem possible for Apple to come up with a system to hit that price.
The mini!? Damn that thing. When oh when oh WHEN will Apple give us a true mid-range tower? Just a headless Mac with a little room to grow. Apple is so stupid for not doing this. I swear if they keep pushing high-margin all-in-ones instead of selling low-margin towers I'm going to quit liking them!
If the posted specs are real, my only question is will the new GPU be able to drive a Full-HD (1920x1080) HDTV?
For me, a Mac mini is a much better choice than TV. I'd be much more likely to use Netflix than iTunes for downloading movies. I don't use iPhoto or iTunes, except to load my iPod with a small selection of music from my collection. It would work real well next to the Blu-ray drive I intend to get within the next few months, too!
Since I've already got an Apple Wireless Keyboard and a wireless mouse, a full-tilt Mac with FireWire for connecting an external drive would be fantastic. I could dump all my photos and more on it.
Yeah, FireWire 800 would be a great addition... just swap a USB port for it ... but it ain't a-gonna happen.
1) Apple put a slot in the Mini for a discrete GPU expansion card
2) Apple allowed use of a standard 3.5" desktop 7200 rpm hard drive internally
Both of these changes would require increasing the case size a bit, but not dramatically so. It would be like a half-height Apple Cube, but without the pricey plexiglass enclosure!
Apple, are you listening?
The most sensible change would be to put a 3.5" drive in the mini. Whenever this idea is repeated, the first thing that comes to my mind is the image of Jobs introducing the mini. The look on his face says "Can you believe this is the whole computer?"
This is great news. For the budget conscious who already have a monitor from an older computer and switching to a Mac. Companies and schools. Glad Apple recognizes the need for the mini.
Spec this sucker out and Apple could fork the options in two directions:
1. The above mentioned "sofa" Mac, as Apple TV's big brother -- and with -- here's an idea for y'all, the ability to receive wi-fi input from iPod Touches and iPhones, using their game-friendly accelerometers as Wii-like game controllers, because, as Wii proved, you don't need the latest, greatest fastest graphics to sell a lot of units and games, and as Apple has demonstrated, iPhones can operate kinesthetically-controlled games.....
...and a great, as suggested above, home server. And as, now an affordable entry point, for general home use, especially with better innards.
2. The "maxi-mini" beefed up with the few features it now lacks to have appeal as a general purpose business machine that won't break small and medium businesses budgets, will fit nearly any office, and by not being hooked to a built-in monitor, will fit into the CPU-replacement cycle (which are shorter than monitor replacement cycles) of larger businesses which are already being infiltrated by iPhones, MBA's and other Mac notebooks.
Not quite the xMac many still clamor for, but another stimulus to eventually release one -- I've often felt business demand is the key to such a product, and with its "new, transformational mobile computing platform" (multi-touch equipped iDevices), embrace of ActiveSync, etc., Apple is paying more and new attention to business customers..... ...and with snowballing market share, business, likewise is paying more attention to Apple.
I do believe you're right on the money. Particularly in business, but it doesn't need to be max'ed out, the smaller the better for business. Think terminals and servers.
I considered a Mini for a while but then found a deal on a used iMac and picked that up instead. But no matter how "cool" the Mac is, I can't seem to get away from my AMD PC. It's gotten to the point where I do all my Torrenting, movie watching via HDMI to TV, movie file converting, even iTunes, I simply do it more efficiently on my PC.
So to put it clearly, after giving a Mac a try, I'm simply not that impressed.
The Mac mini would do well positioned as a Super Apple TV. In conjunction with EyeTV, wireless input, and digitally-connected TV and audio output, it's pretty cool. I call it the Sofa Mac. It should get a version of Front Row that does everything Apple TV Take Two does plus DVD playback that accesses more features of the DVD Player app (such as video zoom) and offers more seamless integration with EyeTV, or better yet a built-in TV tuner.
I'd like to see a similar future for AppleTV/MacMinis.
ie: the MacMini CAN act as a high end AppleTV if desired.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffharris
If the posted specs are real, my only question is will the new GPU be able to drive a Full-HD (1920x1080) HDTV?
Good question. Anyone else know?
Also, it'd be good for the new MacMini to have HDMI. This then allows for copy protection and thus HD iTunes rentals - AND as a "high end AppleTV" the HDMI provides the digital audio to your TV/Amp. No extra ports required (I know, 3.5mm jack does optical too).
ps. I'd also go further and say I want a super low-end Mac with an okay graphics card and very little internal processing power to act as a remote Mac terminal to another Mac in the house. Basically the AppleTV running Remote Desktop parallel to another user on the remote machine). Then I could very cheaply have a virtual second Mac.
The smartest thing they could do would be to dump the form factor and make the damn thing big enough to use desktop parts, specifically a 3.5 hard drive and a desktop optical drive. But they haven't ever been smart with this model.
At the very least, up the ram. And dual monitor support would be huge.
I have a mini and I like it, but I have to admit I'd rather see apple just dump the model in favor of a larger (and better...and probably cheaper as well) unit.
Comments
Can you imagine a mini with a super thin "mini" display (a la the MB Air)? That would be a cool lookin' combo.
I don't understand, could you elaborate?
it's the cheap way to start, using the monitors and keyboards they already have. that how businesses think, you know. keeping costs to the minimum. they don't start with more costly iMacs (except maybe for the boss).
Exactly! One of my clients (a telecom company) just switched all their desktops to Macs. Although the boss got a 24" iMac, everyone else had a Mac Mini swapped in and attached to their existing keyboard, mouse, monitor, and speakers.
So, although the Mac Mini may not appeal to serious Mac-heads, I never believed that Apple would discontinue it, as it allows businesses and schools to switch and still stay within their budget.
I don't understand, could you elaborate?
A small and super-thin monitor that would be sold as a companion piece for the mini. A... "thinny" monitor.
I do think that DVI will be replaced with DisplayPort on all their future systems.
DisplayPort will come with the Montevina Platform.
1) Apple put a slot in the Mini for a discrete GPU expansion card
2) Apple allowed use of a standard 3.5" desktop 7200 rpm hard drive internally
The discrete mobile GPU would allow gamers (such as World of Warcraft players) to play their games at a good framerate. The current integrated 3100 graphics, like the 950 and 900 graphics before them, are really mediocre for games like WoW (i.e., borderline unplayable in some parts of the game).
Both of these changes would require increasing the case size a bit, but not dramatically so. It would be like a half-height Apple Cube, but without the pricey plexiglass enclosure!
Apple, are you listening?
Apple really should shoot for a $499 mini. There is a ton of growth on the low-end that Apple has simply been handing over to the PC world. Time to take it back.
I agree. With all the chips that Intel have available it would seem possible for Apple to come up with a system to hit that price.
For me, a Mac mini is a much better choice than TV. I'd be much more likely to use Netflix than iTunes for downloading movies. I don't use iPhoto or iTunes, except to load my iPod with a small selection of music from my collection. It would work real well next to the Blu-ray drive I intend to get within the next few months, too!
Since I've already got an Apple Wireless Keyboard and a wireless mouse, a full-tilt Mac with FireWire for connecting an external drive would be fantastic. I could dump all my photos and more on it.
Yeah, FireWire 800 would be a great addition... just swap a USB port for it ... but it ain't a-gonna happen.
A small and super-thin monitor that would be sold as a companion piece for the mini. A... "thinny" monitor.
Here's a nice thinny that was just announced. Looks pretty good, except that it doesn't seem to support a VESA mount.
http://www.benq.com/products/LCD/?pr...&page=features
if:
1) Apple put a slot in the Mini for a discrete GPU expansion card
2) Apple allowed use of a standard 3.5" desktop 7200 rpm hard drive internally
Both of these changes would require increasing the case size a bit, but not dramatically so. It would be like a half-height Apple Cube, but without the pricey plexiglass enclosure!
Apple, are you listening?
The most sensible change would be to put a 3.5" drive in the mini. Whenever this idea is repeated, the first thing that comes to my mind is the image of Jobs introducing the mini. The look on his face says "Can you believe this is the whole computer?"
Jobs + mini
A computer the width and depth of a TC would have been just as well received by everyone-- except Jobs.
Spec this sucker out and Apple could fork the options in two directions:
1. The above mentioned "sofa" Mac, as Apple TV's big brother -- and with -- here's an idea for y'all, the ability to receive wi-fi input from iPod Touches and iPhones, using their game-friendly accelerometers as Wii-like game controllers, because, as Wii proved, you don't need the latest, greatest fastest graphics to sell a lot of units and games, and as Apple has demonstrated, iPhones can operate kinesthetically-controlled games.....
...and a great, as suggested above, home server. And as, now an affordable entry point, for general home use, especially with better innards.
2. The "maxi-mini" beefed up with the few features it now lacks to have appeal as a general purpose business machine that won't break small and medium businesses budgets, will fit nearly any office, and by not being hooked to a built-in monitor, will fit into the CPU-replacement cycle (which are shorter than monitor replacement cycles) of larger businesses which are already being infiltrated by iPhones, MBA's and other Mac notebooks.
Not quite the xMac many still clamor for, but another stimulus to eventually release one -- I've often felt business demand is the key to such a product, and with its "new, transformational mobile computing platform" (multi-touch equipped iDevices), embrace of ActiveSync, etc., Apple is paying more and new attention to business customers..... ...and with snowballing market share, business, likewise is paying more attention to Apple.
I do believe you're right on the money. Particularly in business, but it doesn't need to be max'ed out, the smaller the better for business. Think terminals and servers.
So to put it clearly, after giving a Mac a try, I'm simply not that impressed.
The Mac mini would do well positioned as a Super Apple TV. In conjunction with EyeTV, wireless input, and digitally-connected TV and audio output, it's pretty cool. I call it the Sofa Mac. It should get a version of Front Row that does everything Apple TV Take Two does plus DVD playback that accesses more features of the DVD Player app (such as video zoom) and offers more seamless integration with EyeTV, or better yet a built-in TV tuner.
I'd like to see a similar future for AppleTV/MacMinis.
ie: the MacMini CAN act as a high end AppleTV if desired.
If the posted specs are real, my only question is will the new GPU be able to drive a Full-HD (1920x1080) HDTV?
Good question. Anyone else know?
Also, it'd be good for the new MacMini to have HDMI. This then allows for copy protection and thus HD iTunes rentals - AND as a "high end AppleTV" the HDMI provides the digital audio to your TV/Amp. No extra ports required (I know, 3.5mm jack does optical too).
ps. I'd also go further and say I want a super low-end Mac with an okay graphics card and very little internal processing power to act as a remote Mac terminal to another Mac in the house. Basically the AppleTV running Remote Desktop parallel to another user on the remote machine). Then I could very cheaply have a virtual second Mac.
At the very least, up the ram. And dual monitor support would be huge.
I have a mini and I like it, but I have to admit I'd rather see apple just dump the model in favor of a larger (and better...and probably cheaper as well) unit.
I had a Mac Mini and loved it. Gave it to my mom, and currently I'm using a MacBook...
HAHAHAHA- I did the EXACT same thing...