Briefly: Intel Mac mini in production; iBooks due at later date

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
At a special media event to be held on its campus next week, Apple Computer will unveil a new line of low-cost Intel-based Mac mini desktop computers but will not debut its next-generation iBook consumer notebooks, AppleInsider has learned.



According to reports from a variety of sources, Apple this week released the Intel Mac mini design to its manufacturing partners in the Far East, which are currently ramping production of the compact computers in an effort to build an initial inventory stockpile.



Based on this information, it would appear that there will be at least some availability of the systems immediately following their announcement next Tuesday.



One the other hand, Apple's Intel-based iBooks are not expected to make an appearance at the event -- they remain on target for an introduction at a later date this Spring.



The Feb. 28th Apple event is also expected to deliver some "fun products," the company teased in an invitation sent to analyst and members of the media last week.



One such product is believed to be the iPod Boombox, a radical new approach to traditional Boombox systems that will reportedly retail in excess of $300.



The device is believed to be just one of several iPod companion products that have been under development by the company's iPod division.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 135
    I guess I am not too upset over this. Assuming they are announced on April 1st shipping end of April, I suspect you will see a 1.67 core duo in them since the price will have dropped 18-40% on the chip according to Intel. The MacBook Pro's will also get a speedbump(one processor faster in Intel's multiple clockspeed attack) on the day the iBooks are announced, since the 2.33ghz Yonah Core Duo will be out by then.



    That is good news for anyone looking to buy an iBook.



    If they did this, the Macbook pro would still be about 30% faster at max usage then the iBook.



    30% speed seems like a big enough difference, no?
  • Reply 2 of 135
    A big differentiating fact will also be the graphic card. While the MacBook Pro includes a high end graphic card, the iBook (or its replacement) as well as the new Mac mini will ship with Intel integrated graphics.
  • Reply 3 of 135
    Quote:

    Originally posted by tensdanny38

    I guess I am not too upset over this. Assuming they are announced on April 1st shipping end of April, I suspect you will see a 1.67 core duo in them since the price will have dropped 18-40% on the chip according to Intel. The MacBook Pro's will also get a speedbump(one processor faster in Intel's multiple clockspeed attack) on the day the iBooks are announced, since the 2.33ghz Yonah Core Duo will be out by then.



    That is good news for anyone looking to buy an iBook.



    If they did this, the Macbook pro would still be about 30% faster at max usage then the iBook.



    30% speed seems like a big enough difference, no?




    Considering Apple is still not coming anywhere to meeting demand on Mac Book Pro. I somehow doubt they'll speed bump in 1 month. Still, I think indeed the iBook will get a 1.67 Duo once it is announced.





    What do you guys think about the Mac Mini intel? I think it is too inexpensive to have a Yonah processor. I think it will have a Celeron or maybe a Yonah Solo IF they get a very special price on them.



    The boombox must really be something special or they wouldn't bother. I wonder what its catch features could be?
  • Reply 4 of 135
    wingswings Posts: 261member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Robin Hood

    A big differentiating fact will also be the graphic card. While the MacBook Pro includes a high end graphic card, the iBook (or its replacement) as well as the new Mac mini will ship with Intel integrated graphics.



    Apple will never have Intel Integrated Graphics in anything they sell.
  • Reply 5 of 135
    ryanhryanh Posts: 116member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Robin Hood

    A big differentiating fact will also be the graphic card. While the MacBook Pro includes a high end graphic card, the iBook (or its replacement) as well as the new Mac mini will ship with Intel integrated graphics.



    No. Apple will not use integrated graphics. Maybe in the minis, but I'm still guessing they won't. There will definitely be a seperate GPU in the iBook/MacBook.



    Apple prides themselves on a robust yet intuitive GUI utilizing Expose as well as Dashboard. Not to mention real-time video resizing which utilizes Core Image. While newer integrated GPU's could handle this, it is not ideal. Apple wants to show that the switch to Intel is bringing new life into Apple products that are incredibly long in the tooth. Using integrated graphics is even a step back from the current 9200's in some ways.



    The new consumer level portables and the minis could easily use an ATI 9600 or even an X300. Integrated graphics are doubtful, in my mind.
  • Reply 6 of 135
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Wings

    Apple will never have Intel Integrated Graphics in anything they sell.



    Why not, if it works and is cheap?



    BEFORE YOU BASH: Think low end laptop, 1024.768, would you rather have an antiquated chip like the radion 9000 or an intel integrated chip that is at least as fast or maybe faster at a cost savings?





    $999 for an iBook with 9200 or $949 for the same thing with intel integrated? I can tell you what most would buy...
  • Reply 7 of 135
    Macbook Pro's are going to upgrade to the x1800 in April or soon after. They wanted to have it in there all along!!





    iBooks will the the x1300. Guaranteed!
  • Reply 8 of 135
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Whatever they use, it had better be Core* compatible! I want my dashboard ripples damnit
  • Reply 9 of 135
    ryanhryanh Posts: 116member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by tensdanny38

    Macbook Pro's are going to upgrade to the x1800 in April or soon after. They wanted to have it in there all along!!





    iBooks will the the x1300. Guaranteed!




    April? Way too soon. Try maybe WWDC.



    But I agree about the low end stuff. Economically, an integrated chipset doesn't save much money over buying a large allotment of mid-range GPUs from ATI or Nvidia. It does save some, but not a lot. I do believe that Apple entered into a relatively good purchasing agreement with ATI a while ago, but I'm not sure of the details of it or if it still exists.



    The one area where I can see an integrated GPU being worthwhile is battery life. If Apple wants to create just a small, road warrior [sub-?] notebook with ~8 hour battery life, an integrated chipset would probably be the way to go.
  • Reply 10 of 135
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ryanh

    ...with ~8 hour battery life, an integrated chipset would probably be the way to go.



    8 hour battery life?!?!? Using a bewolf cluster of batteries aye?
  • Reply 11 of 135
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by tensdanny38

    The MacBook Pro's will also get a speedbump(one processor faster in Intel's multiple clockspeed attack) on the day the iBooks are announced, since the 2.33ghz Yonah Core Duo will be out by then.



    That seems highly improbable. That would mean:

    1. MacBook Pro announcement. A few weeks later...

    2. MacBook Pro speedbump before shipping. A few weeks later...

    3. MacBook Pro shipping. A few weeks later...

    4. Another MacBook Pro speed bump.
  • Reply 12 of 135
    zengazenga Posts: 267member
  • Reply 13 of 135
    ryanhryanh Posts: 116member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by a_greer

    8 hour battery life?!?!? Using a bewolf cluster of batteries aye?



    Ye of little faith. It is definitely possible using a low power processor like the Centrino and a small, low power screen [think 10-13"]. I said a road-warrior like notebook. Sony already has something similar to this out that gets around 6.5-7 hours battery life under real world use. It's very possible. I don't think Apple will do this [at least not yet], but it is definitely possible using current technology
  • Reply 14 of 135
    It is easy to discount Intel integrated graphics, especially because in the past they sucked. Really really badly. The newest chipsets from Intel are, however, quite impressive. Some advantages include, but are not limited to:



    1. Low power draw, means long battery life

    2. Inexpensive, means more competitive with Dell (yes, that is important!)

    3. Takes advantage of "free" Intel R&D, again lower cost and more competitive with other brands

    4. Actually very powerful. Intel's latest integrated graphics chipsets are quite fast, and would more than suffice for entry level hardware.



    Now if you want to use Motion, or play Doom 3, integrated graphics will not be for you. But to be honest, if you are going to do that, you're not going to buy a $999 ~ laptop or $499 ~ desktop.
  • Reply 15 of 135
    Remember that Apple's Intel "devkit" had Intel integrated graphics, and judging by reports, it was pretty spiffy.



    Checked Dell.com lately? Most of their computers feature integrated graphics, even quite expensive laptops in the $1500+ range.
  • Reply 16 of 135
    Quote:

    Originally posted by a_greer

    Why not, if it works and is cheap?



    BEFORE YOU BASH: Think low end laptop, 1024.768, would you rather have an antiquated chip like the radion 9000 or an intel integrated chip that is at least as fast or maybe faster at a cost savings?





    $999 for an iBook with 9200 or $949 for the same thing with intel integrated? I can tell you what most would buy...




    Quartz Extreme and 2D Extreme will be standard moving forward.



    They will need their own dedicate GPU.
  • Reply 17 of 135
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ryanh

    Ye of little faith. It is definitely possible using a low power processor like the Centrino



    Centrino is not a chip, but a combination of a single core or dual core penium M (now called core solo and core duo respectivly) with a select Intel main boards and Intel 102.11g/b(and sometimes a) chips.



    Centrino is a checklist of features, not a single chip or proc family
  • Reply 18 of 135
    okay, i'm probably going to get massively pelted for this, but i really don't care about the mini that much (unless, of course, it's the pie-in-the-sky "tivo killer") -- i've been limping along with my friend's ancient 12" ibook for over a month now bc my 14" ibook bit the dust, and i cancelled my macbookpro order when i heard that the macbook would be released soon. i am an ibook gal, after all.



    bring on the macbooks already, wouldya? ;-) pretty please?
  • Reply 19 of 135
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    I wonder if this "boombox" is going to be JVC-like or more high end Bang & Olufsen.

    Here's hoping for the latter with built in wireless and wall mountable.
  • Reply 20 of 135
    gargar Posts: 1,201member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by satchmo

    I wonder if this "boombox" is going to be JVC-like or more high end Bang & Olufsen.

    Here's hoping for the latter with built in wireless and wall mountable.




    I hope not. Too much form over function.



    btw According to my audio/video-hardware pusher, high-end and Bang & Olufsen aren't the same.

    Although he is a B&O dealer he said the quality is mediocore at best, these days.



    I prefer something iPod-like.
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