Maybe the mystery board was just for another Firewire port
I don't actually know what I'm talking about, but are those connectors really necessary for that? The Firewire controller and one external port are there anyway, so isn't it possible to reuse the existing connectors to provide one more port? I'm not very clear, it seems.
Besides, how much would cost a second FW 400 port? Several cents, I guess. If you are right, I wonder what was the purpose.
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OR maybe firewire 800
Doesn't it require a different controller? Anyway, IIRC, they are electrically incompatible.
But imagine that you can order your Mac mini with this iPod port (like you can do with a SuperDrive). That's not all the Mac mini that have the port only some of them.
Now imagine that a future iPod get a Bluetooth 2.0 connection and that your Mac mini handle also BT 2.0. You've also got your wireless keyboard and mouse.
Then you can imagine that you can take your Mac mini to another part of the home: the living room. You unplug your power supply and your monitor and move you Mac mini to your living room.
You boot you Mini in screenless mode and use your iPod as a remote to control some AV functionnality of your Mac.
But I know, Apple is more about keeping the computer in the office and move AV content through airport to the living room...
This decent remote can take the shape of a kind of iPod without a hard drive but with an Airport card inside...
yes but apple need to make it! that's the problem. Although the iPod team are working on a new device which isn't classified as an iPod. What I think Apple should work on is iTunes, which should let you have so many songs on your iPod and then less on your computer to save hard drive space - but allow you to transfer between.
BTW, a couple of other points. The connector itself doesn't necessarily point to this. It could easily have been a connector used in testing of the hardware that was removed (I'm thinking like the mezzanine slot on the first generation iMacs, which was removed later, but the circuit board still had the spot where it was hooked up).
Second, saying it was removed at the last minute sounds like it was removed Jan. 5th or something. At some point they have to finalize the motherboard AND case, and send off the specs for manufacture. This isn't something you just rip out at 8:52am before the keynote. Even if they took it out 3 months before they went final, unless there was a reason to, they wouldn't waste the money/time redoing the boards and computer to remove it from the final design (as they'd need to retest the thing and all).
Third, a little insight by the finder would be nice. Rather than just saying "A lot of space, by mini standards", how about an estimate, like "Hey, there's this big gap in here, 2.5" by 3" by 1" thick, big enough to shove in an iPod half way, if you know what I mean".
Finally, not that I like doing this, but there are several syntactical errors in the post (quiet, build-in).
Last minute is relative not literal. DUH
Not to mention manufacturing plastics one sends a variety of specs to determine which is best or prefered and to perfect the process. I'm sure minis were started mass production sometime late december. Again last minute is relative.
Also as for the missing connector that somethign that could relatviely easy to remove from an assembly line process.
For insight on how much space there is why don't u look at the plethora of nude mac mini pictures online.
You should learn to infer and slowing down to comprehend would help as well.
just think about it. the mini is so simple. think of the white box top and the gray apple logo, and then a big gap with a connector thingy sticking out. that would look kinda ugly I imagine? And I would think most people who want to get a mini wouldnt really have an ipod? they are kind of expensive? and the mini is really cheap.. well.. as far as how powerful of a computer it is. So that would defeat the pupose because it would be usless unless they have an ipod. but it would still look ugly and thats my point!
just think about it. the mini is so simple. think of the white box top and the gray apple logo, and then a big gap with a connector thingy sticking out. that would look kinda ugly I imagine? And I would think most people who want to get a mini wouldnt really have an ipod? they are kind of expensive? and the mini is really cheap.. well.. as far as how powerful of a computer it is. So that would defeat the pupose because it would be usless unless they have an ipod. but it would still look ugly and thats my point!
it's relying on the 'halo' effect. In theory these are iPod users or potential Mac buyers waiting for the price to drop. I wouldn't want a dock built in, ugly! I don't even have the dock conected to the computer. Mine's connected to the power, i only plug into my computer occassionally. Otherwise everytime you turn your computer on/start up the iPod stops playing and syncs!
Comments
[edit] OR maybe firewire 800
Originally posted by Bart Smastard
Maybe the mystery board was just for another Firewire port
I don't actually know what I'm talking about, but are those connectors really necessary for that? The Firewire controller and one external port are there anyway, so isn't it possible to reuse the existing connectors to provide one more port? I'm not very clear, it seems.
Besides, how much would cost a second FW 400 port? Several cents, I guess. If you are right, I wonder what was the purpose.
OR maybe firewire 800
Doesn't it require a different controller? Anyway, IIRC, they are electrically incompatible.
Now imagine that a future iPod get a Bluetooth 2.0 connection and that your Mac mini handle also BT 2.0. You've also got your wireless keyboard and mouse.
Then you can imagine that you can take your Mac mini to another part of the home: the living room. You unplug your power supply and your monitor and move you Mac mini to your living room.
You boot you Mini in screenless mode and use your iPod as a remote to control some AV functionnality of your Mac.
But I know, Apple is more about keeping the computer in the office and move AV content through airport to the living room...
Originally posted by FrenchMac
But I know, Apple is more about keeping the computer in the office and move AV content through airport to the living room...
Which is easier and cooler, we just need a decent remote.
Originally posted by FrenchMac
This decent remote can take the shape of a kind of iPod without a hard drive but with an Airport card inside...
yes but apple need to make it! that's the problem. Although the iPod team are working on a new device which isn't classified as an iPod. What I think Apple should work on is iTunes, which should let you have so many songs on your iPod and then less on your computer to save hard drive space - but allow you to transfer between.
Originally posted by Louzer
BTW, a couple of other points. The connector itself doesn't necessarily point to this. It could easily have been a connector used in testing of the hardware that was removed (I'm thinking like the mezzanine slot on the first generation iMacs, which was removed later, but the circuit board still had the spot where it was hooked up).
Second, saying it was removed at the last minute sounds like it was removed Jan. 5th or something. At some point they have to finalize the motherboard AND case, and send off the specs for manufacture. This isn't something you just rip out at 8:52am before the keynote. Even if they took it out 3 months before they went final, unless there was a reason to, they wouldn't waste the money/time redoing the boards and computer to remove it from the final design (as they'd need to retest the thing and all).
Third, a little insight by the finder would be nice. Rather than just saying "A lot of space, by mini standards", how about an estimate, like "Hey, there's this big gap in here, 2.5" by 3" by 1" thick, big enough to shove in an iPod half way, if you know what I mean".
Finally, not that I like doing this, but there are several syntactical errors in the post (quiet, build-in).
Last minute is relative not literal. DUH
Not to mention manufacturing plastics one sends a variety of specs to determine which is best or prefered and to perfect the process. I'm sure minis were started mass production sometime late december. Again last minute is relative.
Also as for the missing connector that somethign that could relatviely easy to remove from an assembly line process.
For insight on how much space there is why don't u look at the plethora of nude mac mini pictures online.
You should learn to infer and slowing down to comprehend would help as well.
I remember there was a external SCSI drive manufacturer who build drives that could be stacked with cables.
Was it APS? I still have half a dozen of DDS, Jazz and HDDs!
The Firewire controller and one external port are there anyway, so isn't it possible to reuse the existing connectors to provide one more port?
Single port bandwidth is only 400 Mbps. Connect iSight and 200 Mbps are gone immediately.
I booted up from external Firewire hard drive and after daisy-chaining iSight to it hard drive performance dropped twice
Second port gives additional independent 400 Mbps which in "the year of HD" will not get wasted!
Originally posted by Ferali
just think about it. the mini is so simple. think of the white box top and the gray apple logo, and then a big gap with a connector thingy sticking out. that would look kinda ugly I imagine? And I would think most people who want to get a mini wouldnt really have an ipod? they are kind of expensive? and the mini is really cheap.. well.. as far as how powerful of a computer it is. So that would defeat the pupose because it would be usless unless they have an ipod. but it would still look ugly and thats my point!
it's relying on the 'halo' effect. In theory these are iPod users or potential Mac buyers waiting for the price to drop. I wouldn't want a dock built in, ugly! I don't even have the dock conected to the computer. Mine's connected to the power, i only plug into my computer occassionally. Otherwise everytime you turn your computer on/start up the iPod stops playing and syncs!