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Mac Nano anyone?

Spanky Deluxe

Spanky Deluxe

macrumors demi-god
Original poster
Mar 17, 2005
5,282
1,745
London, UK
The Mac Mini and the iPod Mini were very much matched in style, design and form-factor. The Mini was even supposed to have an iPod docking station built into the top of it until it was taken out at the last minute (possibly due to the realisation that the iPod Nano would be mechanically possible a few months down the line).
Now I wonder if the Mac Mini will be continued. You can get Intel P-M based notebooks into pretty incredibly tight spaces even without Apple's expertise. Maybe the next 'Mini'-like computer part will be a Mac Nano which will be white (or maybe black) and will be approximately half the height of the current Mini. Maybe they'll even use the smaller hard drives currently found in the iPod Photo and previous 4G iPods. By killing off the iPod Mini they've started the process of killing of the 'Mini' name and brand. People will start to associate the word 'Mini' as old hat and that could spread to the Mac Mini, dropping sales. Add in the factor that the Mini hasn't had a proper update since it was released (increasing RAM while increasing prices does not count as an update) then it seems clear that the Mini is waiting to be replaced with an Intel model. Maybe this will be the birth of the Mac Nano.

After all the iPod Mini was seen as an amazing audio product squeezed into a tiny form factor and that there was no way you could get 4gb into a smaller size. Then the iPod Nano came along. The Mac Mini came out and again it was seen as an amazing computer for its size and that you could not squeeze the same power system or a more powerful system into any smaller space until.... Apple do it again.


Phil
 
DarkNetworks

DarkNetworks

macrumors 68000
Apr 12, 2005
1,527
0
Spanky Deluxe said:
The Mac Mini and the iPod Mini were very much matched in style, design and form-factor. The Mini was even supposed to have an iPod docking station built into the top of it until it was taken out at the last minute (possibly due to the realisation that the iPod Nano would be mechanically possible a few months down the line).
Now I wonder if the Mac Mini will be continued. You can get Intel P-M based notebooks into pretty incredibly tight spaces even without Apple's expertise. Maybe the next 'Mini'-like computer part will be a Mac Nano which will be white (or maybe black) and will be approximately half the height of the current Mini. Maybe they'll even use the smaller hard drives currently found in the iPod Photo and previous 4G iPods. By killing off the iPod Mini they've started the process of killing of the 'Mini' name and brand. People will start to associate the word 'Mini' as old hat and that could spread to the Mac Mini, dropping sales. Add in the factor that the Mini hasn't had a proper update since it was released (increasing RAM while increasing prices does not count as an update) then it seems clear that the Mini is waiting to be replaced with an Intel model. Maybe this will be the birth of the Mac Nano.

After all the iPod Mini was seen as an amazing audio product squeezed into a tiny form factor and that there was no way you could get 4gb into a smaller size. Then the iPod Nano came along. The Mac Mini came out and again it was seen as an amazing computer for its size and that you could not squeeze the same power system or a more powerful system into any smaller space until.... Apple do it again.


Phil
Click to expand...

Not to say anything but i doubt Apple will use the "Mac Nano"
thats like soo lame...
 
Verto

Verto

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2005
582
0
Denton, TX
I think it's an interesting idea. However, the Mac Mini already suffers performance-wise, from the components used to make it's slim design possible.

It would be a great move, but only if they can increase the HD RPM, etc while doing it.
 
T

texlaw04

macrumors newbie
Sep 15, 2005
20
0
Verto said:
I think it's an interesting idea. However, the Mac Mini already suffers performance-wise, from the components used to make it's slim design possible.

It would be a great move, but only if they can increase the HD RPM, etc while doing it.
Click to expand...

I just replaced my Toshiba Portege 4005's broken HDD with a Hitachi Travelstar E7K60. It's very good, indeed. The Mini simply has a 4200 rpm 2.5" HDD. Thus, I'd like to try cracking open my Mini and replacing the drive with another Travelstar, the only concern being the extra heat generated by the "hotter" HDD. I expect Apple to roll out a 5400 rpm version around Xmas and a 7200 rpm version shortly thereafter if cooling capacity permits. (Perhaps a synthetic diamond heatsink?) Hitachi now has some company in the 2.5" 7200 rpm range, and Hitachi itself now offers a 100gb E7k100.

Having said that, the Mini excels as a convenient, utilitarian piece of hardware. We just can't expect the lineup to stand still. I think that we'll see Apple continue with non-PowerMac headless machines to appeal to people like me who think a dual 3 (or 4) ghz PowerMac for several thousand $$$ is a waste of money or who don't want to be stuck with the Apple monitor on the iMac/eMac and, especially, who don't want to run Windowsh. Plus, the size really does make a big difference for me -- one almost can't believe it's a computer, and it's virtually noise-free.

That makes me think...I bought my slim, light magnesium-cased Toshiba nearly 4 years ago and I've gotten countless happy hours out of it. It may not be very fast by modern standards, but it does the job every time and the form factor still keeps me happy.

Call me crazy, I guess...
 
maya

maya

macrumors 68040
Oct 7, 2004
3,225
0
somewhere between here and there.
True enough the Mac Mini took its looks from the iPod Mini, and the iMac G5 took its looks from the iPod. So its quite possible that Apple will redesign the Mac Mini after the iPod Nano and also change the name to Mac Nano.

Apple always leaves hints and clues to upcoming computers, either on the look, form or technical factor.

I would not be surprised if your predictions do come true. :)


As far as heat issues go, the Intel chips are mainly used for mobile usage and have a faster HDD will compensate for the lack of heat. ;) :)

Now if someone can render a Mac Nano with the top looking like the iPod Nano in white or black plastic and the sides being anodized aluminum, would be interesting. :)
 
im_to_hyper

im_to_hyper

macrumors 65816
Aug 25, 2004
1,366
375
Pasadena, California, USA
maya said:
Now if someone can render a Mac Nano with the top looking like the iPod Nano in white or black plastic and the sides being anodized aluminum, would be interesting. :)
Click to expand...

Now that would be worth seeing! :D

Anyway, I think if there was a "Mac nano" using the iPod hard drives as you mentioned, Spanky there may be some performance issues. I think the max RPM of those is only 3400 which is a far cry from the mini's already sluggish 4200. Now, if a faster, tiny hard drive could be created... That would be something interesting.
 
chucknorris

chucknorris

macrumors 6502a
Jun 28, 2005
559
0
Moscow, ID (No Kremlin here!)
There was an article in MacWorld about this.

I think as technologies like smaller, low-power, low-heat processors, and flash memory come into their own, Apple will be the first to see their full potential.

Imagining these two things deployed in the current Mini case allows room for the inclusion of all sorts of other stuff.
 
homerjward

homerjward

macrumors 68030
May 11, 2004
2,745
0
fig tree
DarkNetworks said:
Yeah i know that, but this case is different...its tooo lame...
Click to expand...
exactly. mac mini made sense independent of the ipod mini because it was...well, a mini version of a mac. but to call it the mac nano just sounds...retarded--it makes no sense to call a computer "nano" unless it uses nanotechnology of some sort. if i were thermaltake i wouldn't come out with a new case and call it the "phase-change" unless it used phase change cooling...plus mac nano just sounds dumb. sorry for the rant...
 
DarkNetworks

DarkNetworks

macrumors 68000
Apr 12, 2005
1,527
0
homerjward said:
it makes no sense to call a computer "nano" unless it uses nanotechnology of some sort.
Click to expand...

even it uses nanotechnology of some sort it'll never be called a mac nano...the question here is not what, why, how, when or will...its never...
 
chucknorris

chucknorris

macrumors 6502a
Jun 28, 2005
559
0
Moscow, ID (No Kremlin here!)
DarkNetworks said:
even it uses nanotechnology of some sort it'll never be called a mac nano...the question here is not what, why, how, when or will...its never...
Click to expand...

This is one of the more ridiculous forum arguments I've seen thus far.

It's your own subjective view that Apple should never name a Mac "Nano," but you certainly don't have any evidence that Apple never will.

Beyond that, there's nothing to discuss.

Maybe Apple will name a computer Nano, maybe it won't. Maybe Apple will call the Intel it puts in the next gen of PowerMacs "G6," maybe it won't.

Rousing discussion, eh?
 
DarkNetworks

DarkNetworks

macrumors 68000
Apr 12, 2005
1,527
0
chucknorris said:
This is one of the more ridiculous forum arguments I've seen thus far.

It's your own subjective view that Apple should never name a Mac "Nano," but you certainly don't have any evidence that Apple never will.

Beyond that, there's nothing to discuss.

Maybe Apple will name a computer Nano, maybe it won't. Maybe Apple will call the Intel it puts in the next gen of PowerMacs "G6," maybe it won't.

Rousing discussion, eh?
Click to expand...

Not to say anything but they just won't (there's no maybe)....

"Maybe Apple will call the Intel it puts in the next gen of PowerMacs "G6," maybe it won't."Maybe this there's a case of maybe...

In life, there're sometimes there're things that you just know....Well, i certainly don't have evidence whatsoever, but we shall see...
 
wordmunger

wordmunger

macrumors 603
Sep 3, 2003
5,124
3
North Carolina
Is there really anyone who seriously thinks the mac mini should be made smaller? I'd say any benefits from miniaturization should be used to make it more powerful, not smaller. After you attach all the cords and set up your keyboard, monitor, etc., it's not really that small anyway.

One huge drawback of the mac mini is the 2.5 inch HD, which makes expanding to larger than 100 GB impossible. If you could make everything else smaller and fit a standard 3.5 inch HD in there, that would make the Mini a much more impressive machine. And a second DIMM slot would be nice, too. I wonder how many people would be willing to accept, say, a half-inch taller mini if the benefit was a bigger HD and more space for memory.
 
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