Eating our words: Apple's Mac mini to rock on

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  • Reply 101 of 289
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Squirrel_Monkey View Post


    I say stick a Blu-Ray SuperDrive in that sucker.



    Let's not put the laser before the horse. We don't even have BD in Mac Pros or BR authorizing software yet.
  • Reply 102 of 289
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Let's not put the laser before the horse. We don't even have BD in Mac Pros or BR authorizing software yet.



    Absolutely.



    The Mac Pro and MacBook Pro should get Blu-ray drives first. I doubt the mini or even the iMac will get one any time soon. The price of the drives needs to drop pretty precipitously before that'll ever happen. Although, I never bought a DVD until one came in my first G3 PowerBook.



    I'd like a Blu-ray drive in my Mac for archiving. I'd stick with a dedicated media playing unit for my living room: Better video, better audio (multi-channel if you're into it) and upsampling from standard DVDs.
  • Reply 103 of 289
    alfiejralfiejr Posts: 1,524member
    the Mini is and will continue to be essentially a re-packaged MacBook (absent screen and keyboard obviously), with updates following 6 to 9 months after the corresponding MacBook updates. the advantage of this is plain: the engineering needed is limited to simply fitting already-proven parts and systems inside the small box, and those parts can all be purchased in mid-manufacturing run at a lower price than when first used in the laptops. hence Apple makes a very good profit margin on each Mini.



    and we all get a very good computer, but never state of the art or extra bells and whistles. so this time we will get the faster iBook 2.1/2.4 GHz processor chip, a better graphic chip, "n" wireless (which will really help with TimeMachine), and the usual increase in hard drive capacity. maybe Firewire 800, maybe not.



    that's all to be expected. and they'll still charge way too much to add more RAM.
  • Reply 104 of 289
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Alfiejr View Post


    the Mini is and will continue to be essentially a re-packaged iBook (absent screen and keyboard obviously), with updates following 6 to 9 months after the corresponding iBook updates. the advantage of this is plain: the engineering needed is limited to simply fitting already-proven parts and systems inside the small box, and those parts can all be purchased in mid-manufacturing run at a lower price than when first used in the laptops. hence Apple makes a very good profit margin on each Mini.



    and we all get a very good computer, but never state of the art or extra bells and whistles. so this time we will get the faster iBook 2.1/2.4 GHz processor chip, a better graphic chip, "n" wireless (which will really help with TimeMachine), and the usual increase in hard drive capacity. maybe Firewire 800, maybe not.



    that's all to be expected. and they'll still charge way too much to add more RAM.



    You make solid points. But you may to update iBook to MacBook.
  • Reply 105 of 289
    alfiejralfiejr Posts: 1,524member
    yes, thanks, my senior moment. MacBook!
  • Reply 106 of 289
    sequitursequitur Posts: 1,910member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kirasaw View Post


    They need to make a Mini that can handle dual Monitors. I would gladly upgrade from my Blue & White that has a G4 upgrade to a Mini if I could use both monitors. I don't need a Mac Pro and already have 2 22" monitors so an iMac is not what I need either. Why can't they add a second monitor port ? I'd paid an extra hundred for that option.



    If you really would pay an extra hundred, this may be your answer:



    Kensington Dual Monitor Adaptor: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080115/20080115006095.html?.v=1



    “Macs are known for their ease of use and stunning user interface experience,” said Dennis Crespo, executive vice president of marketing and business development for DisplayLink. “By adding an additional monitor via a high-performance and simple USB-to-VGA display connection, the Mac experience can be fully realized.”



    Mac users can also utilize the recently announced Kensington Dual Monitor Adapter to add up to four additional displays to their computer over a single USB 2.0 connection. This allows users to create a powerful desktop “command center” that provides immersive access to digital multimedia content at work or home. The adapter is unique in that it has both VGA and DVI connectors and can be used interchangeably with either type of display. This makes it ideal for traveling users who need to connect to a wide range of displays, or for organizations that want connectivity flexibility.



    Availability and Pricing



    The Dual Monitor Adapter will be available April 1, 2008. http://us.kensington.com/html/14499.html



    The Kensington Dual Monitor Adapter will be $99 in the US and in Europe.
  • Reply 107 of 289
    tx65tx65 Posts: 31member
    Very good news to hear.



    As much as I buy X-Serves and 17 inch Macbook Pro's for business use, My mac mini still gets a workout being connected to a 50 inch Sony Plasma and paired up with a wireless keyboard and mouse. I don't even bother with the 20 inch LCD any more and transferred that to use in a server rack when doing onsite work.



    The Mini serves as the household jukebox connected to the stereo and is the dominant internet surfing and personal email machine. I even use the MINI to remotely log in to the X-serves. Since my Sony Plasma has DVI port, HDMI is not a problem, but I would like the improved ability to rent and play movies through I-tunes (they just dont look very good on the Plasma coming out of the old Mini)



    Hopefully, the new version of the Mini will have a more robust graphics card with both DVI and HDMI ports. 4 GB of RAM and a 250 GB drive since I tend to have a lot of programs open at one time and have to resort to having an external drive since I kept pegging out the 80 GB on board drive and 2 GB of RAM.
  • Reply 108 of 289
    kirasawkirasaw Posts: 11member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sequitur View Post


    If you really would pay an extra hundred, this may be your answer:



    Kensington Dual Monitor Adaptor: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080115/20080115006095.html?.v=1



    Thanks for the tip I will look into it But I would still like to see dual monitor support in a Mini. I think if Apple where to make a Maxi Mini that would be a big seller. The Mac desktop line is a lot like what Steve Jobs said about Adobe Flash - there is a product in the middle missing. That product is a consumer desktop less than a Mac Pro but better than a Mini.
  • Reply 109 of 289
    kirasawkirasaw Posts: 11member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    You're missing the whole point to the Mini. It's a basic, simple machine designed for home, entry level business and educational users.



    I understand that what I need is something better than a Mini but less than a Mac Pro
  • Reply 110 of 289
    kolchakkolchak Posts: 1,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacRonin View Post


    Wrong.



    You can't stack anything on top of it because of the pressure it would place on the optical drive. There are air vents located both on the back panel (output) and running along the bottom edge (input) of the entire enclosure. There are zero air vents on the top of the mini.



    My mistake. I'm thinking of the old Cube. But the fact remains that all of my other points are valid. Are you just going to sit here and nitpick, or do you really dispute that using larger desktop components could lower the price of the mini compared with using notebook components, and probably increase performance in the process? Imagine the possibilities if Apple would just relent and install a Socket T on the motherboard instead of using Penryn or Nehalem. Ambitious users would then theoretically be able to install a Kentsfield, although there would be serious obstacles in the mini's power supply and cooling system. Do you have any reasons why a vertical mini wouldn't work? Are you saying that 4 USB ports are enough for most people as Apple seems to think, or that maybe it's better to ruin the "simple lines" of the mini system by adding in an external USB hub than just adding more ports to the mini? Are you saying that relatively expensive Firewire 800 enclosures are preferable to widely available and inexpensive eSATA enclosures? Or that most mini owners would even need Firewire 800 for any reason?
  • Reply 111 of 289
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I don't dispute the pressure affecting the optical drive, but the lack of air vents on top doesn't exclude it from dispersing heat. We know that heat rises and that the surface does disperse heat.



    Swing and a miss?



    The top is plastic, which happens to be an insulator, not a conductor?



    Back to the bench with you!
  • Reply 112 of 289
    frank777frank777 Posts: 5,839member
    The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to believe that a next-gen Mini will omit the optical entirely.



    Of course, it's too early to do that, but that hasn't stopped Jobs before.



    Rather than guess whether consumers want combos, superdrives or BR drives, I think Jobs will opt to separate the optical from the machine and provide the OS on a stick.



    The lack of an optical drive at the top will dissipate rising heat much faster, reduce weight and Apple's component costs and push the Mini into a lower cost bracket. It also further entrenches the market for software and entertainment downloads.



    Of course, this will infuriate and inconvenience a whole lot of people and be the single biggest talking point on the net for months.



    I think that's what will make the idea appeal to Jobs the most.
  • Reply 113 of 289
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kolchak View Post


    My mistake. I'm thinking of the old Cube. But the fact remains that all of my other points are valid. Are you just going to sit here and nitpick, or blah blah blah



    I didn't question anything but your 'vents on top' comment?
  • Reply 114 of 289
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Frank777 View Post


    The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to believe that a next-gen Mini will omit the optical entirely.



    I don't think so, personally -- if for nothing else, because it would REQUIRE the inclusion of an external drive. The MacBook Air got away with it because of the software that lets you use your desktop's optical drive. But the reality is that software is still largely distributed on optical media, and some form of optical drive is required.
  • Reply 115 of 289
    I recently purchased a new Mac Mini. It's not my first, I also have a PowerBook and a G5.



    I really like the Mac Mini, it's small and works very well. I do wish the highend model had a better graphics card so I could play EVE-Online.



    That's the only change I would ask for.



    I can always hook up external hard drives via firewire, so a bigger hard drive is not going to do much for me. Although a FW800 would be nice.
  • Reply 116 of 289
    kolchakkolchak Posts: 1,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacRonin View Post


    I didn't question anything but your 'vents on top' comment?



    The problem is I never wrote anything about "vents on top." I just wrote that the mini could use the top surface for cooling, which doesn't necessarily require vents. I know the mini has no vents on top because I have a heavily upgraded one sitting on my desk, complete with T7200, 4GB RAM (although only 3GB are recognized) and a 7200rpm internal drive, . Of course, on further thought, the cooling fan works just fine since the top of the mini is cool even though I've had both cores pegged at 100% for the past ten hours.



    You might want to do something about your haughty tone if you don't want to be seen as attacking an entire post. Just putting "Wrong" all by itself in a paragraph is the height of arrogance. Your blanket statement that plastic is an insulator is much the same. Plastic is not as good a thermal conductor as metal, but to just write that without taking into account the thickness and composition of the top panel would make any engineer cringe. Hold a plastic bottle full of hot water then tell me flat out that it's a insulator. We're not talking expanded polystyrene here.
  • Reply 117 of 289
    kolchakkolchak Posts: 1,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Alfiejr View Post


    the Mini is and will continue to be essentially a re-packaged MacBook (absent screen and keyboard obviously), with updates following 6 to 9 months after the corresponding MacBook updates. the advantage of this is plain: the engineering needed is limited to simply fitting already-proven parts and systems inside the small box, and those parts can all be purchased in mid-manufacturing run at a lower price than when first used in the laptops. hence Apple makes a very good profit margin on each Mini.



    That would make sense if Apple was still using custom parts. The problem is that Apple is now using the same, standard components that everybody else uses. It takes no more engineering to use a desktop CPU than a mobile CPU. Same for DIMMs as opposed to SO-DIMMs and 3.5" drives vs. 2.5". It's more likely that they continue to use those parts simply because Steve dictates small and quiet (low heat with a small fan) are marketing attractions. But many people other than Steve believe that the attraction of small size has lost its novelty in the years since the mini was introduced, and a better price/performance ratio would be a much better attraction for potential switchers. An awful lot of people still buy into the "Macs are overpriced" argument and it's tough to convince them otherwise when a $400 Dell desktop (which comes with an LCD, keyboard and mouse) has better specs than a $600 mini.
  • Reply 118 of 289
    hudson1hudson1 Posts: 800member
    My recollection from the mini first came out was people could and did stack minis. The real issue (again, if I recall correctly) was that they need to be exposed on the top for good wireless reception and transmission.
  • Reply 119 of 289
    At this rate the Mac Mini is going to cost 1700.



    You love to dream of a mini with capabilities no other Mac has.



    I guess it no longer will be an entry level Mac if they were to add all of that.



    Too funny.
  • Reply 120 of 289
    kolchakkolchak Posts: 1,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by EagerDragon View Post


    At this rate the Mac Mini is going to cost 1700.



    You love to dream of a mini with capabilities no other Mac has.



    I guess it no longer will be an entry level Mac if they were to add all of that.



    Too funny.



    All of what? If you're going to mock somebody, it's a good idea to quote them so people have some idea of what you're talking about.
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