Whats you speculation on what the updated mac mini spec would be?

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  • Reply 41 of 101
    murkmurk Posts: 935member
    If the Mini becomes a set top box, I'm guessing it will have a much cheaper processor than anyone is expecting, but it will use a DaVinci DSP coprocessor for the heavy work of encoding, etc.. Think cheaper than Viiv.
  • Reply 42 of 101
    fishafisha Posts: 126member
    Well i hope it doesn't become just a set top box. If it did, then there would be a real gap in the market of apple's hardware ( the gap being a cheap desktop unit to work with an external monitor )





    No every one will want the iMac ( including me ) and to jump to a PowerMac is just too big an outlay to begin with.
  • Reply 43 of 101
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    The set top box will have to be a seperate and distinct line. "mini" doesn't have the same pizzaz that's needed to market in the home entertainment market. That'll let them price both line accordingly. mini for the budget market and iHome, or whatever, to the home entertainment market.



    This would allow for a less crippled box:



    - the "iHome" to make use of the larger 3.5" drives, maybe even have room for 2.

    - the use of larger enclosure to better fit with current components.

    - more interior space for cooling and power supply (lets face it, we jam our home ent. components tightly).

    - tray operated optical drive to handle small DVD/CD shapes.

    - more connection options in the back of the box that the mini doesn't need or would require a dongle for. Optical audio, component video, S-video, HDMI, etc.
  • Reply 44 of 101
    shanmugamshanmugam Posts: 1,200member
    Quote:

    According to the teardown, other major elements contributing to the iMac's BOM cost include a 17-inch wide-format LCD panel made by LG.Philips, DiamondMax 10/6L160M0HDD 160Gbyte SATA hard disk drive from Maxtor Corp, Radeon X1600 graphics processor ($30) from ATI Technologies and Double-Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM ($30 per 256MB) from Samsung Electronics.



    from iSuppli



    if radeon X1600 is only $20,surely we will see some graphic card in all the models of Mac Mini
  • Reply 45 of 101
    shanmugamshanmugam Posts: 1,200member
    1.6 Ghz Core Solo

    40 GB SATA 7200 RPM

    ComboDrive

    64 MB ATI X?00 ATI Card

    $499



    1.6 Ghz Core Solo

    40 GB SATA 7200 RPM

    SuperDrive

    64 MB ATI X?00 ATI Card

    $599



    1.6Ghz Core Duo

    80 GB SATA 5400 or 7200 RPM

    Super Drive

    128 MB X?00 ATI Card

    Modem

    $699



    Looking at the cost of Core Duo from iSuppli, it is hard to believe the low end models include Core Duo, only possiblity the $699 may have Core Duo 1.67 Ghz unless APPLE getting a huge discount, Since 1.67Ghz may be used in many systems

    _____________________________________________

    Standard for all mac mini

    512MB DDR2 667Mhz

    Airport Extreme, Bluetooth, 10/100/1000 LAN

    Two USB 2.0, One FireWire

    Front Row with Apple Remote

    iLife 06

    Tiger OS X
  • Reply 46 of 101
    nofeernofeer Posts: 2,427member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Outsider

    The set top box will have to be a seperate and distinct line. "mini" doesn't have the same pizzaz that's needed to market in the home entertainment market. That'll let them price both line accordingly. mini for the budget market and iHome, or whatever, to the home entertainment market.



    This would allow for a less crippled box:



    - the "iHome" to make use of the larger 3.5" drives, maybe even have room for 2.

    - the use of larger enclosure to better fit with current components.

    - more interior space for cooling and power supply (lets face it, we jam our home ent. components tightly).

    - tray operated optical drive to handle small DVD/CD shapes.

    - more connection options in the back of the box that the mini doesn't need or would require a dongle for. Optical audio, component video, S-video, HDMI, etc.




    I was thinking along the same line. if you took a tivo 80gb+dvd burner added "sling-box_ BT, airport and conectivity and streaming ability from your apple/ windows wireless network...as you said. (hey at bestbuy sony has a box that costs$999) people wonder why apple doesn't buy tivo with all their cash--i think the halo affect with apple can clear this. but like you say what is necessary, maybe a memory card reader built in. it has to be simple and intuitive, flexible and easy to get content to and FROM this box. that way you can view in the living room or anyplace you have a wireless contection.
  • Reply 47 of 101
    smalmsmalm Posts: 677member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by shanmugam

    putting Celeron in Mac Mini a BIG STEP backward...



    Does anyone know the specs of a Yonah Celeron?

    It could be a 1.6GHz dual core with 1MB L2 ( = 30% reduction in die size) on a FSB533.

    Really not a step back from a 1.5GHz G4
  • Reply 48 of 101
    shanmugamshanmugam Posts: 1,200member
    Celeron may be ... but atleast for transistion they may not do that, look at iMac it is great machine with great features...



    with intel one thing sure you can not hide the latest processors and chipsets... APPLE will update their product line every 4 to 6 months. Already iMac following this trend



    i guess it depends on the release date of mac mini, it will be updated 4 to 6 months late from MacBook Pro lines, then we may see Yonah in MacMini as well as in MacBook when Pro goes to next generation Merom processor.
  • Reply 49 of 101
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DCQ

    I posted some stuff on this when Temp Insanity was up. My specs were a bit overblown, but I think Apple could release a three tier version of the mini.



    Mac mini remains a simple entry level machine. 1.67 Core solo. Weak graphics (but not integrated). $499.



    My idea was to build a new model called the Mac mini HomeBase [(TM) ]. Like I said, I think my earlier ideas for specs were overblown (2.0Ghz Core Duo, video in, plus a larger form factor for up to 2GB ram and 3.5" drives for $599) But I think they could pull off a 1.83 Core Duo for $699. I also speculated that Apple would build on the iPod brand by releasing a model with a built in iPod dock for $50 more: the iPod HomeBase (not Mac mini HomeBase).



    The only real drawback to this mini as media center concept is that media centers use huge amounts of HDD space. But Apple uses the exact wrong HDD for that. I still don't understand why Apple uses a 2.5" HD in the mini. This is supposed to be a low-cost machine. If that's true, why force the machine to take the higher cost, slower, and lower capacity HDs that portables use? No one has been able to explain this to me satisfactorily. If they go with the larger HD, they may have to change/enlarge the form factor slightly. So what? If they do that, it might even create enough space for a second Ram slot. That's not a bad thing. It's a great thing! Apple could up the top Ram spec to 2GB and offer 160GB HDDs for the same price as the 40GB drives used today. Moreover, uses could BTO them to 500GB (more $ for Apple).



    Can someone explain?



    The real sticking point for a media center is the software. Front Row is fine for what it is, but Apple needs to get Videos out of iTunes and create a separate app that can be an importer/organizer/exporter for videos. The DB is more complicated (movie, TV Show, music video, home video, movie trailer, etc...; movie title, TV show name, season, episode number, air date, etc...; and if you want to get really complicated (but really useful), directed by, starring, producer, writer, etc...). It should play DV, mpeg-2 (inc .vob files), MP4s, DVDs (inc Video TS folders), VCDs, and (when they come out) HD-DVDs and BRDs and whatever files you can get from the MMC system. It should have playlists that can be sent to iDVD (or whatever its new name will be after BluRay and HD-DVD go prime time) and to iPods, and it should interact seamlessly with other iLife apps. If we got really deep into fantasyland, we could imagine it also being able to stream videos to your AirPort Express AV.



    When this happens, whether or not Apple calls it a home media center, we'll have one. (More specifically, I'll have one. )




    You have covered several bases here, so to speak. Sounds great. And the idea about the usefulness of the software having writer/director/etc search is clever.

    How much would these various components you have here add up to for Apple's cost, and then margin? That is figuring a 512 MB RAM standard mini home centre yes? What would be the price of your projected possible 2GB RAM, 500GB HD mini home base be?



    Wouldn't the software for the Blue Ray and the HD-DVD have to come along after these things are finalised?
  • Reply 50 of 101
    tubgirltubgirl Posts: 177member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by smalM

    Does anyone know the specs of a Yonah Celeron?

    It could be a 1.6GHz dual core with 1MB L2 ( = 30% reduction in die size) on a FSB533.

    Really not a step back from a 1.5GHz G4




    even the dothan celeron-m isnt all that bad.
  • Reply 51 of 101
    dcqdcq Posts: 349member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by NordicMan

    You have covered several bases here, so to speak. Sounds great. And the idea about the usefulness of the software having writer/director/etc search is clever.

    How much would these various components you have here add up to for Apple's cost, and then margin? That is figuring a 512 MB RAM standard mini home centre yes? What would be the price of your projected possible 2GB RAM, 500GB HD mini home base be?



    Wouldn't the software for the Blue Ray and the HD-DVD have to come along after these things are finalised?




    About my preference for a slightly larger mini fitting a 3.5" drive and a 2nd ram slot, I'm not sure that would add any cost at all. Apple just pays the same for each 3.5 drive that it currently pays for each 2.5 drive--the upshot is that they would be doubling the storage capacity for no increased cost. And "adding" a 2nd ram slot may be a dubious wording, since it is possible that Apple is paying more to configure such a small mobo with only 1 slot. But there may be a few pennies spent on this and on the inch or so of extra plastic used to make the case. Even the costs associated with a larger computer could be minimized if they kept the packaging the same size (allowing them to containerize the same number in shipment, which would then moot any increased shipping cost).



    The 2GB Ram would just be the new upper limit, instead of 1GB; Apple would still only offer 512MB base. This would also increase the value to the consumer since we wouldn't have to chuck a perfectly good 512 stick when we upgrade the memory ourselves. An internal 500MB HDD would also just be a BTO option that we would pay for as desired.



    About MMC, I'm not sure if there's a spec for it that will ever be finalized. I believe that MMC is just a legal statement that companies have to provide some legal way for consumers to rip the video and audio. I am under the impression that each company can do it in whatever way they decide (including charging extra). I'm not sure though. But in either case, I'm assuming that there will be a relatively standardized way to do this, even if some choose to go their own way. My lament is that Apple could have set the stage for this by releasing a "Film Vault" or "Backlot" (or whatever an iTunes for videos would be called). As a board member of the BDA, I'm sure Apple will have all the inside poop.



    As for handling the actual video files, Apple can already do that with QT, and other programs can as well.



    And BTW, does anyone know why you have to pay extra for an mpeg-2 playback plug-in for QT Pro, when free programs can play mpeg-2 files, including .vob files? (And is it just playback, or can you edit, cut, etc those files just like any other?)...Boggling.



    -DDCQ
  • Reply 52 of 101
    I hope I'm wrong but looking at the way things are priced. Here's my speculation for the base model:



    1.6Ghz Celeron M (core solo-based) 1MB L2 533Mhz FSB

    512MB DDR2 1 DIMM

    40GB SATA

    64MB ATI X300 graphics (128MB BTO)

    Combo Drive

    Apple Remote w/ Front Row

    Airport/Bluetooth built-in

    and....

    for the love of everything sacred, easier access to the DIMM slot.

    $499



    but then again I'm tardxcore
  • Reply 53 of 101
    Such a beautiful little Mac should really have the option for more power than it does now. Good for switching, but I wish that it could be built into a more powerful little half cube.
  • Reply 54 of 101
    tubgirltubgirl Posts: 177member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by NordicMan

    Such a beautiful little Mac should really have the option for more power than it does now. Good for switching, but I wish that it could be built into a more powerful little half cube.



    yes, it's silly of apple to compromise over price and useful features in their main 'swither model'.
  • Reply 55 of 101
    itsmeitsme Posts: 15member
    intel core duo 1.66 (T2300),

    slightly bigger (just a few millimeters in both directions) - cause of 3.5" drives,

    1 RAM Slot,

    ATI X1300 PCIe

    Superdrive



    no Single Core in any mac model. Point.
  • Reply 56 of 101
    Something like what you just said here, itsme. It will need to start out with lower power than the iMac and (power)Mac Book, and perhaps top out at their beginning level, to fit in to the place Apple has had for it, pricewise. Less graphics power than the iMac, too. It should have the option of getting a bigger HD in it, as you make reference to, with the 3.5 HD size. It would be a switcher's machine, or a second Mac for a family, or a small office Mac. This would enable those needing it to get a bigger display, like that 23" HP, and yet conserve desktop space.



    The more powerful Mac Mini, priced higher, will overlap with the introductory iMac, esp. since the iMac has a display. So I suppose this idea I have will produce some conflict, and thusly someone will shoot at it, or at the idea. But, it would give a choice. I suppose this idea is kind of like the old Mac Cube, which was not as expandable as the PowerMac, but it was a stylish choice one could make. Well, this is a place to poke ideas around and imagine, anyway.
  • Reply 57 of 101
    No single Core

    Graphics 128-256MB BTO on PCIe

    External SATA port
  • Reply 58 of 101
    I really don't see the mini become a media center (except for the addition of front row). A computer and a media center is two different things for several reasons: One is operated through keyboard, mouse and a display, the other is operated through a remote and a TV. The computer is primarily used in an office or kids room, while the media center is used in the living room. If the mini got DVR capabilities it would be two things in one - a computer and a set top box - and wouldn't really be optimized for any of those things.

    I think apple should release a seperate media center, but let it wirelessly hook up to any mac to access the music, photos and videos, which may be present. Allow the media center to record TV (and handle the video compression by a dedicated processor) and either store it on a internal hard drive or store it on the mac. The media center should include a superdrive (for burning recorded content and watching dvds) and support airtunes.
  • Reply 59 of 101
    I think that possible Mac mini specs need to be viewed more with a negative eye rather than positive eye. Why? Because Apple are going to make more profit selling you an iMac than they will by selling you a Mac mini.



    Apple currently market the mini as a machine to tempt Windows users over to the mac platform and possibly as a secondary home machine. I don't see that changing at present. The two new intel Macs are not that different from the models they replace, so Apple are not repositioning their models.



    The rumours of the mini becoming the media centre is was designed to be, I think are untrue. I think a media based mac is more likely to look like a piece of AV equipment and be expected to live in that environment. Its likely to just have a Front Row style interface and lose the traditional OS/X interface. The intel based Mac mini is likely therefore to just be a simple upgrade to the current model.



    Apple are not going to make the mini too tempting, because that will stop people buying the iMac. And the iMac is 2.5 times the price of the 1.25ghz mini. I think the intel mini is not going to be too different from the current spec. If the iMac spec is as it is today when the intel mini is introduced, I would expect the only differences to be the CPU and the GPU. Might it get optical audio in/out and line in? Who knows?

    On the CPU front, I don't think Apple would use an Intel CPU/architecture that pre-dated its move to the intel platform. Not too many people are going to want to buy old technology. I'd expect the 1.25ghz model to get a 1.5ghz Core Solo, the 1.42ghz version could then get a 1.5ghz Core Duo (I think it's available), or possibly a 1.67ghz Core Solo. But the Duo option would be much better. On the GPU front I'd expect an ATI X1300 with 64MB RAM. Still a good spec for a cheap, almost throw away machine!
  • Reply 60 of 101
    nofeernofeer Posts: 2,427member
    The mini is THE BEST LOOKING computer box on the market. to the above post--



    good point, i can understand a "new line" for the media hub and keep the market focus of the mini as it has been, low cost transition unit...but have optional upgrades we/ all need to keep the $$$$ coming to apple so they can grow. apple needs more products for a growing apple "halo"



    what i would like to know is what is the magic "market share" number for a growing developer list to take on the cost of supporting the mac os???? 8% 10% 12%?? i wish visioneer did so i can get their great software and a sheet fed scanner (i used it before years ago with os 8 or 9, and it was sooo quick and easy to deal with receipts, papers etc.)
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