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Much Smaller Mac Mini Coming?

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Looprumors claims that they have heard that both the iMac and Mac mini are coming soon. They uniquely report, however, that the Mac mini will see a "dramatic change" in form factor, with a design that is "less than half the size" of the current design.

Both the Mac Mini and iMac are expected to incorporate the latest Penryn processors from Intel.

Article Link
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2008/03/27/much-smaller-mac-mini-coming/
I somehow doubt Apple will drop prices. I might just have to pick one up if it is more in line with the other models in Apple's lineup. The mini has been lagging for too long now.
 
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I wonder if less than half the size means thinner like the AppleTV or less than half the size in all dimensions.
 
kornyboy said:
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I wonder if less than half the size means thinner like the AppleTV or less than half the size in all dimensions.
Click to expand...

It would have to be half the height because of the optical drive.... unless the drop the optical drive that is.....

The mini could easily be a quarter the present height, especially if they used the MacBook Air's chip.... but than would make it a slower machine than it is now..... Hmmmmm
 
dlastmango said:
The size is small enough... drop the price please!
Click to expand...

Hey, all that nice white plastic is expensive you know! There's gotta be at least $195 worth of plastic covering it right now... make it half the size and there should be substantial cost savings passed along to the consumer! :D:D:D:D

(Great user name by the way! Captain Tony FTW!)
 
Unless they drop the optical drive, I'd of thought the mini could only really get thinner?
 
I doubt it would be as small as half in all directions - that would make it a quarter of the 2D area of the existing Mini - about the size of a coffee cup coaster! :eek:

That would, naturally ezxclude a DVD drive for starters.
 
I am more concerned of improved performance over getting smaller

It is already small enough as a desktop, it would be a big upgrade if apply can pack in a real graphic card, and more memory slots.
 
Why?!?

Oh. Right. Because the Mac mini has been criticized in almost all the reviews for taking up way too much space.

You reach a certain point where there there really is no need to continue to minimize form factors. Maybe that's all you can do once you've perfected a design.

Jobs: We need to update the mini's look.
Ive: I can't. I've distilled the mini down to the epitome of minimalist perfection.
Jobs: Think about sunflowers.
Ive: Done that.
Jobs: Drink coasters?
Ive: (points to mini)
Jobs: Okay then, make it smaller.
Ive: I'm kinda "smaller'd out" (points at MacBook Air)
Jobs: We need to update the mini's look.
Ive: (sighs) Alright. I'll make it smaller. (shuffles off)
 
no no no! Stop it, apple! The mini is a *desktop,* get it? Miniaturizing the Air is one thing because there's a real need for the smallest possible laptop. But there's absolutely no reason to make a desktop any smaller than the mini, especially when doing so is going to a) raise prices, or b) reduce power (even further).

The current form factor is great. All the mini needs is some penryn chips and a $100 price drop (and some low-end dedicated graphics, as long as I'm hallucinating :rolleyes:).
 
one of two things i think:

1. No optical drive so a dedicated graphics card can be added with additional external superdrive as an option....

or

2. appletv-like enclosure with a bluray/superdrive built in....

Thoughts?
 
I bet it's going to be the same form-factor as the MacBook Air (but taller), with the optical drive optional (but with USB ports compatible with the MacBook Air drive), to keep its cost even lower (and allow for a smaller size).

If the computer is targeted at switchers, then they should be able to use the optical drive of their Windows PC (same thing as the MacBook Air), and for only 99$ more you can get a double-layer DVD burner to put on top of it.

Let's just hope it will at least get the same X3100 as the MacBook. A maximum of 4GB would be nice (though a minimum of 2GB max is a must). If space is cramped it could even have 2GB soldered on the motherboard like the MacBook Air. I'm betting it will use a 1.8" drive, too. Apple is planning for the future, and the future is SSD. Why not change the form-factor right now?

One thing I would like is an eSATA port, but in reality I'm just hoping they keep FireWire 400 on it (at least for mini-DV owners, for iMovie).

On the other hand, I'd much rather have a more powerful Mac mini, same form-factor as the :apple:TV and Time Capsule (taller, I wouldn't mind), with a 3.5" drive in it, memory slots (4GB max), decent GPU with dedicated RAM, FireWire 800. :D
 
Apple making the Mac Mini smaller is the only thing that makes any sense regarding that machine. Apple doesn't usually abandon something like this unless they were either getting rid of it from the product lineup completely, or working on a major change of some sort.

The best one was the "Why isn't Apple upgrading their computers?" Then BAM!!.....out comes the Intel announcement and SJ talking about the secret x86 version of Mac OS X that they've been working on since day 1.
 
How bout' a sub-notebook- an eeePC killer for $500? Sware to god I'm going to buy one of those things and put XP on it.
 
probs gonna take out the optical drive, chuck in the underpowered MBA's processor and make it tiny.

pathetic, i want power, with a real GPU. easily sacrifice some space for power. double the size for all i care
 
Size is obviously the last thing that needs to change on the mac mini.

Unlike portable devices designed to be used on the go like the ipod or iphone, the size difference between a mac mini and a mac nano is completely pointless. If anything, the mac mini should become the mac mid. It should increase it's size by like an inch in each dimension so it can accommodate much-cheaper-per-gig full size hard drives and add room for a few more ports like analog video in and out.
 
I've got a bad feeling about this.
Please Apple, do not make a desktop version of the MacBook Air :rolleyes:
 
The mini doesn't need to get any smaller, it needs to get more powerful.

4GB Ram, Wireless-N, Perhaps a 3.5" HD (heat may be a factor), either x3100 or a dedicated (soldered on) GPU. Keeping FireWire would be beneficial as well.
 
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