Apple will slip in a 2050 rpm vintage laptop drive and incorporate interlaced RAM support. You think interlaced RAM is an old idea? Not for a SINGLE RAM MODULE!
Apple can do an updated MacMini anytime it wants. There's no engineering costs to bumping processor speeds or upgrading discrete components like drives and RAM.
More specifically, I see no technical barriers to prevent Apple from currently shipping a 1.67 Ghz Mac Mini with a 5400 rpm 80 GB HD, Gb ethernnet, and an 8x Superdrive.
What stops the Maxed Mini is marketing. Each upgrade costs a little bit more and has the potential to eat into margins. The trick is to know what the consumer wants and how much they're willing to pay for it. With the Mini still selling like hot-cakes, Apple's probably comfortable they've found the right formula. When sales drop, the upgrade is a snap away.
One place to watch is Amazon's Top Seller list. If the MacMini is approached or eclipsed by a non-Apple product, I'd expect an immediate upgrade.
Apple can do an updated MacMini anytime it wants. There's no engineering costs to bumping processor speeds or upgrading discrete components like drives and RAM.
More specifically, I see no technical barriers to prevent Apple from currently shipping a 1.67 Ghz Mac Mini with a 5400 rpm 80 GB HD, Gb ethernnet, and an 8x Superdrive.
What stops the Maxed Mini is marketing. Each upgrade costs a little bit more and has the potential to eat into margins. The trick is to know what the consumer wants and how much they're willing to pay for it. With the Mini still selling like hot-cakes, Apple's probably comfortable they've found the right formula. When sales drop, the upgrade is a snap away.
Agreed. There is no reason that Apple can't release a serious upgrade to the Mini right now ... other than the issue of cost/demand.
Demand for the Mini is still pretty strong, the margins are good, and as long as people are buying the current model like crazy there's no point in changing something that already works.
Just look at the eMac. Apple had to up the eMac because schools and parents wanted a low-priced all-in-one solution but with the Mini being so low-cost schools had to wonder which was the better buy.
If you look on the other forums you'll find more than a few Mac shoppers who are debating whether to purchase a Mini or a new eMac ... some of whom are buying the new eMac rather than a Mini. When enough people stop buying the Mini Apple will drop in a new/faster processor, faster/larger HD (the two biggest reasons some people think the Mini is underpowered), and "probably" more graphics/video horepower, more RAM to start, and a faster Superdrive.
In typical "multiple announcements at the same time" Apple style, you can expect the new/faster Minis around the same time as Apple releases a new software update and/or iPod update.
Well, on the one hand they really need to update the Mac mini and iBooks to be core compatible. On the other hand I see they have already updated them with Tiger so maybe they don't care.
Just a guess but I think (or at least hope) we will see...
1.33 and 1.5 GHz G4
256MB and 512MB RAM
Radeon 9600 w/ 64MB RAM
8x DL Superdrive
... I wish they would hurry up and update them though.
My only concern is Apple being able to keep the base cost at $499, while upgrading to an ATI 9600 video card as standard.
Recently I purchase a new Sony 19" LCD instead of a mini because I felt there were too many components in the mini that screamed upgrade. The CPU is fine. Having a required base of 512mb and either a 5200 (low end) or 9600 (high end) seems like a must. Maybe by Christmas 2005.
I don't know outside of a realistic upgrade (64 MB GPU) and my unrealistic ones (additional FireWire port, 2 GB recognition) I think its right where it should be. Hope at least a 64 MB GPU is in there sometime. Don't care which kind but video performance declines swiftly with larger displays.
i think its unrealistic for them to up the mac mini too much in the next few months. they don't want to upgrade their lowest-end system up past its "higher-end" systems. by that i mean they probably won't upgrade the processor, since the eMac only has a 1.42. if they do upgrade anything, it'll be the graphics card and hard drive, MAYBE ram on the better model, but thats pretty much it. otherwise, i think its pretty much set for the next few months, unfortunately...
The eMac really isn't higher up than the Mac mini though. They like to show the Mac mini off with the 20" Cinema Display as an ideal all-Apple system which is more expensive. Don't let the entry price fool you. The eMac has better specs since the update but I think Apple feels the Mac mini is a step up from the eMac and will boost processor speeds a bit. Not much though. 1.33 and 1.5 GHz is not much more when you think about it. The Mac mini is also being marketed towards PC switchers so they know this is important. This really isn't an issue with the eMac.
I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if apple waited until August '05 to upgrade, as it would hit the back to school season. I imagine that apple will really stress the mac mini for dorm rooms, apartments, etc.
I bet we see a huge marketing ploy by apple to hype the 'new mini' at the beginning of August, and even then I sincerely doubt more then 64mb video, 512mb ram, and a laughable CPU upgrade.
I know I will be waiting to sweep up a clearanced 1st gen. mini at that time.
I've just been thinking about how the Mac mini might be upgraded in the next few months. Minor updates, to be sure, like:
1.42 and 1.67 GHz G4
512MB RAM
80GB or 160GB HD
What if they threw in a decoder chip for MPEG-2/4 AVC? It'd then be one heck of a fine HD H.264 player hooked up to your TV as part of a movie download service.
Even if it meant an increase in the base model price to $599, I think the inclusion of a modified 64MB 9600 would instantly make the mini a viable all around computing solution (which would include gaming).
If they are going to upgrade the mini's graphic card anyway, why not upgrade it with something that will take advantage of Tiger's visual candy as well as play current computer games?
People aren't buying the Mac mini for games. That is what eMachines are for.
MACS ARE NOT FOR GAMES.
Macs are for whatever anyone wants to use them for. If you want to know what the near future of the mini is, just take a look at what Tiger likes to have to purr. Look at what Apple is currently using in its updated products like the eMac.
Tiger makes very good use of modern graphics chips that have sufficient VRAM. Right now, the mini uses a Radeon 9200/32MB. Insufficient. A Radeon 9600/64MB would be much better.
If Apple's going to upgrade the mini, it should be done something like this:
People aren't buying the Mac mini for games. That is what eMachines are for.
MACS ARE NOT FOR GAMES.
Gaming may not be Apple's main focus, but it is definitly an option. The old eMacs came with Tony Hawk: Pro Skater.
One thing I'm looking for in the Mini is an up, like many, to the VRAM. Not only for gaming, but DVDs and Movies. Trying to watch the D Day scene in Saving Private Ryan wasnt the best experience on a friend's Mini.
I'm 16. By the time I get the Money to get a new system, (looking at the new eMac or a Mini) I'm sure they would both have gotten more upgrades. So comparing them right now isnt helping me too much. But reading these posts and getting a general idea of what people think the upgrades will be is helping. And is pushing me towards the eMac.
I can understand a lot of mac users not being "gamers" but saying the platform that gave birth to the Marathon/Halo franchise isn't a platform for gaming seems a bit short sited for me.
The only reason people aren't buying the mini for gaming is because of the video card included with the system.
Bump the CPU up to a 1.5 (which should be available by Xmas) and I'm ready to pay $799 for that system. The only thing I would change would be the hard disk.
Right now I see a 60GB 7200RPM Hitachi drive as the high end drive of the future. I would take a faster internal drive over a larger internal drive.
What an arrogant attitude. And, like others, I think you are wrong. Rolo said it just right: "Macs are for whatever anyone wants to use them for"...
Now, had you said "Macs are not for hardcore gamers" or "Macs are not game machines" that would have been more correct. But there are going to be a lot of casual gamers who would like to buy a mac mini and if Apple puts a 9600/64MB card in the mini it would actually make a pretty decent machine for the casual gamer, capable of playing pretty much all current game titles out for the mac (not that many, I know, but for the casual gamer there are plenty to choose from)
I don't play many games myself, I don't think I even qualify as "casual" gamer (more like "rare" gamer - even though I do plan to order Doom3 for my new Power Mac when it arrives ) but if the mac platform is going to matter in the home market it still needs games. Period.
I don't know why people make such a fuss about games on personal computers. It's usually cheaper to buy any of the major games consoles than a decent video card for a PC and the quality of games written for consoles are more often than not better than PC games.
Comments
Originally posted by Blob
Anybody thinks a updated mac mini might be announced?
Yes.
When? I don't know.
Apple will slip in a 2050 rpm vintage laptop drive and incorporate interlaced RAM support. You think interlaced RAM is an old idea? Not for a SINGLE RAM MODULE!
1.33 and 1.5 GHz G4
256MB and 512MB RAM
Radeon 9600 w/ 64MB RAM
8x DL Superdrive
... I wish they would hurry up and update them though.
More specifically, I see no technical barriers to prevent Apple from currently shipping a 1.67 Ghz Mac Mini with a 5400 rpm 80 GB HD, Gb ethernnet, and an 8x Superdrive.
What stops the Maxed Mini is marketing. Each upgrade costs a little bit more and has the potential to eat into margins. The trick is to know what the consumer wants and how much they're willing to pay for it. With the Mini still selling like hot-cakes, Apple's probably comfortable they've found the right formula. When sales drop, the upgrade is a snap away.
One place to watch is Amazon's Top Seller list. If the MacMini is approached or eclipsed by a non-Apple product, I'd expect an immediate upgrade.
Apple can do an updated MacMini anytime it wants. There's no engineering costs to bumping processor speeds or upgrading discrete components like drives and RAM.
More specifically, I see no technical barriers to prevent Apple from currently shipping a 1.67 Ghz Mac Mini with a 5400 rpm 80 GB HD, Gb ethernnet, and an 8x Superdrive.
What stops the Maxed Mini is marketing. Each upgrade costs a little bit more and has the potential to eat into margins. The trick is to know what the consumer wants and how much they're willing to pay for it. With the Mini still selling like hot-cakes, Apple's probably comfortable they've found the right formula. When sales drop, the upgrade is a snap away.
Agreed. There is no reason that Apple can't release a serious upgrade to the Mini right now ... other than the issue of cost/demand.
Demand for the Mini is still pretty strong, the margins are good, and as long as people are buying the current model like crazy there's no point in changing something that already works.
Just look at the eMac. Apple had to up the eMac because schools and parents wanted a low-priced all-in-one solution but with the Mini being so low-cost schools had to wonder which was the better buy.
If you look on the other forums you'll find more than a few Mac shoppers who are debating whether to purchase a Mini or a new eMac ... some of whom are buying the new eMac rather than a Mini. When enough people stop buying the Mini Apple will drop in a new/faster processor, faster/larger HD (the two biggest reasons some people think the Mini is underpowered), and "probably" more graphics/video horepower, more RAM to start, and a faster Superdrive.
In typical "multiple announcements at the same time" Apple style, you can expect the new/faster Minis around the same time as Apple releases a new software update and/or iPod update.
Originally posted by 1984
Just a guess but I think (or at least hope) we will see...
1.33 and 1.5 GHz G4
256MB and 512MB RAM
Radeon 9600 w/ 64MB RAM
8x DL Superdrive
... I wish they would hurry up and update them though.
My only concern is Apple being able to keep the base cost at $499, while upgrading to an ATI 9600 video card as standard.
Recently I purchase a new Sony 19" LCD instead of a mini because I felt there were too many components in the mini that screamed upgrade. The CPU is fine. Having a required base of 512mb and either a 5200 (low end) or 9600 (high end) seems like a must. Maybe by Christmas 2005.
I bet we see a huge marketing ploy by apple to hype the 'new mini' at the beginning of August, and even then I sincerely doubt more then 64mb video, 512mb ram, and a laughable CPU upgrade.
I know I will be waiting to sweep up a clearanced 1st gen. mini at that time.
1.42 and 1.67 GHz G4
512MB RAM
80GB or 160GB HD
What if they threw in a decoder chip for MPEG-2/4 AVC? It'd then be one heck of a fine HD H.264 player hooked up to your TV as part of a movie download service.
If they are going to upgrade the mini's graphic card anyway, why not upgrade it with something that will take advantage of Tiger's visual candy as well as play current computer games?
MACS ARE NOT FOR GAMES.
Originally posted by Aquatic
People aren't buying the Mac mini for games. That is what eMachines are for.
MACS ARE NOT FOR GAMES.
Macs are for whatever anyone wants to use them for. If you want to know what the near future of the mini is, just take a look at what Tiger likes to have to purr. Look at what Apple is currently using in its updated products like the eMac.
Tiger makes very good use of modern graphics chips that have sufficient VRAM. Right now, the mini uses a Radeon 9200/32MB. Insufficient. A Radeon 9600/64MB would be much better.
If Apple's going to upgrade the mini, it should be done something like this:
$499
1.42GHz PowerPC G4
256MB DDR333 SDRAM
80GB Ultra ATA drive
Combo drive
ATI Radeon 9600
64MB video memory
$599
1.42GHz PowerPC G4
512MB DDR333 SDRAM
160GB Ultra ATA drive
Combo drive, (8x SuperDrive (double-layer), BTO option)
ATI Radeon 9600
64MB video memory
Throw in a Broadcom real time decoding chip for video and you have one heck of a great set top box for downloaded HDTV content.
I wonder what Apple will do with that Alphamosaic VC02 chip. Sure would be cool in a fancy new iPod out in time for the holidays.
SiliconValleyWatcher
Originally posted by Aquatic
People aren't buying the Mac mini for games. That is what eMachines are for.
MACS ARE NOT FOR GAMES.
Gaming may not be Apple's main focus, but it is definitly an option. The old eMacs came with Tony Hawk: Pro Skater.
One thing I'm looking for in the Mini is an up, like many, to the VRAM. Not only for gaming, but DVDs and Movies. Trying to watch the D Day scene in Saving Private Ryan wasnt the best experience on a friend's Mini.
I'm 16. By the time I get the Money to get a new system, (looking at the new eMac or a Mini) I'm sure they would both have gotten more upgrades. So comparing them right now isnt helping me too much. But reading these posts and getting a general idea of what people think the upgrades will be is helping. And is pushing me towards the eMac.
Originally posted by Aquatic
People aren't buying the Mac mini for games. That is what eMachines are for.
MACS ARE NOT FOR GAMES.
That's a pretty bold (and incorrect) statement.
Guess they should fire the guy/team working on this page then.
http://www.apple.com/games/
I can understand a lot of mac users not being "gamers" but saying the platform that gave birth to the Marathon/Halo franchise isn't a platform for gaming seems a bit short sited for me.
The only reason people aren't buying the mini for gaming is because of the video card included with the system.
Originally posted by Rolo
$599
1.42GHz PowerPC G4
512MB DDR333 SDRAM
160GB Ultra ATA drive
Combo drive, (8x SuperDrive (double-layer), BTO option)
ATI Radeon 9600
64MB video memory
Bump the CPU up to a 1.5 (which should be available by Xmas) and I'm ready to pay $799 for that system. The only thing I would change would be the hard disk.
Right now I see a 60GB 7200RPM Hitachi drive as the high end drive of the future. I would take a faster internal drive over a larger internal drive.
Originally posted by Aquatic
MACS ARE NOT FOR GAMES.
What an arrogant attitude. And, like others, I think you are wrong. Rolo said it just right: "Macs are for whatever anyone wants to use them for"...
Now, had you said "Macs are not for hardcore gamers" or "Macs are not game machines" that would have been more correct. But there are going to be a lot of casual gamers who would like to buy a mac mini and if Apple puts a 9600/64MB card in the mini it would actually make a pretty decent machine for the casual gamer, capable of playing pretty much all current game titles out for the mac (not that many, I know, but for the casual gamer there are plenty to choose from)
I don't play many games myself, I don't think I even qualify as "casual" gamer (more like "rare" gamer - even though I do plan to order Doom3 for my new Power Mac when it arrives