Intel Mac mini at MacWorld San Francisco in January?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif

Forbes reports on comments by Benjamin A. Reitzes of UBS Investment Research.

The analyst expects "more video content and digital entertainment offerings at Macworld in January".

Also hinted at is the possibility of an early release of the Intel-based Macs, which have officially been expected to be shipping "before June 2006". According to "checks", Apple may be able to ship the Intel Macs earlier than that timeframe, with the possibility of an Intel Mac mini released in January.

[miloblithe]

That would indeed be early. I'd hope the developers would be ready.

[bennyek]

Holy Crap. Apple is really on the ball with this one. So much for the apple delay we are all used to. I would expect maybe a powermac intel to come out first, but oh well I won't copmplain!
Then again! Maybe Mac minis should be first. I would buy one.

[Chaszmyr]

This sounds kind of dangerous... But I suppose it doesn't matter when it's released, I think the very first Intel Mac is going to have poor software support no matter what. Is there anyone with an intel developer box that can tell me I'm wrong?

[Chaszmyr]

Originally Posted by bennyek

Holy Crap. Apple is really on the ball with this one. So much for the apple delay we are all used to.

Wait for them to actually come out before you say that too emphatically

Originally Posted by bennyek

I would expect maybe a powermac intel to come out first, but oh well I won't copmplain!

Why? The new PowerMac G5 Quad is more than competitive with its x86 counterparts, and people who buy PowerMacs generally have hefty software that they need, and it wouldn't be wise to release an Intel PowerMac before all of those developers have their software ready.

[denial]

At Mac Mini prices I'll happily buy one, if only to be a "guinea pig".

[JDOG_]

Mac Mini seems like a good candidate to be one of the first boxes. I mean, its better than starting with a Powermac since in all reality, the next-gen intel chips won't be ready en mass until closer to the middle of the year. I can easily see them popping a dual-core chip in there with a nice little graphics card and finally giving it a decent speed bump.

We can dream

[miketcool]

Thats my Apple, always going big by starting small.

[lunchbox]

As cool as that would be, it will be a while before I, personally, will upgrade to an Intel mac. The power increases will certainly be interesting, but I'm not convinced that all my old software will run on these new machines... I assume that the developers will offer upgrades to the intel versions, but I bet these will not be free.

Besides, why just the mac mini? If Apple's going to change something as major as their architecture, wouldn't it make more sense to release an entire lineup all at once? I realize that they'll have to start somewhere, but the mac mini's just a small portion of their market.

[vouder17]

I think the sooner that apple goes Intel the better. Apple will no doubt first start with consumer computers like the iBook and the Mac Mini, as the owners of these computers dont rely heavily on optimized software such as Photoshop for Intel etc. So instead apple will have the first Intel Mac out and any software that needs to be run by those people is already Intel i.e. iPhoto, iTunes etc, and for the rest there is Rosetta.
I am seriously in the market for a new laptop but i dont want to buy the current G4 because i just believe that if i wait till Jan/Feb i will most probably get better bang for my buck.

My 2 Cents

[mac-er]

Originally Posted by miloblithe

That would indeed be early. I'd hope the developers would be ready.

I don't understand why they cannot go ahead and do the transition instead of dragging it out. They've already confirmed that OS X will work on Intel. They've confirmed that all the software out right now will run on Intel with Rosetta.

Who cares if the developers are ready?

[kwajo.com]

i think it makes sense to start with the mini. think about it, most people using the mini are going to be using iLife and those sort of bundled apps, which of course will be Intel ready right at the shipping date. it's a lot harder to introduce a pro machine early and expect all the business critical apps that professionals use to be ready bug-free right off the bat

[Fabio_gsilva]

Again, I think it's important to hold on our horses, because only in much later this year, or in the begining of january maybe we could se if this buzz about earlier intel macs is true...

I'm not a pessimistic, and I'm all for Apple to release new astonishing computers as soon as it's possible, but if SJ said that the first intel mac would be released about june next year, this is something we should consider. Things use to come later than everybody expects...

For now, like good boys that we sure are, let's calmly wait...

[denial]

I'm calm but in an excited sort of way

[hyperpasta]

A second-generation all-new Intel Mac mini with Front Row (slighty different design) at MWFS would generate a lot of hype. Maybe even with a 30-day Test Drive plan (cough). Maybe even an ad campaign! It would be a huge swithcer magnet.

On the other hand, it would make the iBook and Powerbook look kind of weak. My guess is a Mac mini with Front Row and a Powerbook with iSight, both with Intel. The iBook will come later without the iSight and with Mac mini clock speeds/graphics.

[hyperpasta]

Originally Posted by Fabio_gsilva

Again, I think it's important to hold on our horses, because only in much later this year, or in the begining of january maybe we could se if this buzz about earlier intel macs is true...

I'm not a pessimistic, and I'm all for Apple to release new astonishing computers as soon as it's possible, but if SJ said that the first intel mac would be released about june next year, this is something we should consider. Things use to come later than everybody expects...

For now, like good boys that we sure are, let's calmly wait...

He said BY June 2006.

[GetSome681]

Originally Posted by lunchbox

but I'm not convinced that all my old software will run on these new machines... I assume that the developers will offer upgrades to the intel versions, but I bet these will not be free.

With Rosetta all of your old software will run just fine. I basically see no downside to starting with the mini as it gives an impetus to developers to get going and most mini buyers aren't power users and probably won't even notice the slight slowdown while using Rosetta.

[johnnyjibbs]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Mac mini was the first to go Intel as it is the lowest power Mac (excluding eMac for education users). That said, it's a mighty small space to put a hot P4 or Celeron into - must be a Pentium M processor or something if it's using an existing one.

[Photorun]

Considering Apple's MO is to "release" something and then actually, you know, HAVE the items available to ship two to three months later (COUGH G5 PowerMac, 17" PowerBook, others, COUGH) I'd say this is feasable. Actually it may be a good idea because then developers would have easily affordable machines in the wild not to mention, as above poster denial said, guinea pigs would be out there before some of the higher end products would hit the shelves.

If Rosetta is cracked up to what it should be, honestly, the conversion to the unassuming user wouldn't be all that noticeable, especially in the Mini. Most all of Apple's stuff has been ported already and we've read old PPC stuff running from 30% to 80% the speed on current models. If this Intel processor stuff is what it's cracked up to be for the jump, and if you're using something not that processor intensive (i.e. just about most anything excepting games) most people wouldn't notice. I doubt gamers buy Mac Mini's anyways.

Sooo the more you add all that up, if this is all true, I think it's friggin' brilliant! I hope they can get good supplies from Intel. But again, "announcing" and having for Apple has quite often been two different things.

[steve_hill4]

Mac Minis will come with Pentium M inside, (hopefully no sticker outside though, or it gets pealed off), but if the PB gets their iSight and other rumoured upgrades in Januray too, I can't wait. Need to get that wireless network set up in time for January, one way or another though.

[MacSA]

Theres a massive gap performance wise between the mini and the iMac now... the mini needs a big performance boost, maybe going intel will provide that.

[JoeG4]

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=263394

What speed increase?

Fun test, interesting notes:

Dell 1.4GHz Pentium M: 2:53
Mac Mini 1.25GHz: 2:23
IBM 1.6GHz Pentium M: 2:14
1.5GHz PB: 2:04
Dual 800 G4: 2:03 (That's a 4 year old machine)

iMac G5 2GHz: 1:46


Dualcore Pentium D 3.2GHz: 56s
Dualcore G5 2.3GHz: 42s
Dual 2.7GHz G5: 37s

[dangil]

the processor doesn't mind.... apple should upgrade de GPU of ALL macs..... x600, 9200, 6600... Go 5200, 9700 ... that's just a bad joke......

the iMac G5 should have at least a x800... the mini, at least a x600... the power macs at least a 6600 GT.... the powerbooks, at least a go 6600....

[Peace]

From what I've read on Dev Kit related sites the transition is going quit well.There are many apps that have been ported to the OSX86 without using rosetta.
I even read somewhere that Firefox runs faster through rosetta on the X86 than it does natively on the PPC.

Mac Mini and iBook using the X86 in January is not without merit.

[Lord Blackadder]

Originally Posted by johnnyjibbs

I wouldn't be surprised if the Mac mini was the first to go Intel as it is the lowest power Mac (excluding eMac for education users). That said, it's a mighty small space to put a hot P4 or Celeron into - must be a Pentium M processor or something if it's using an existing one.

I'd bet the farm that the Intel Mac Mini will use a mobile chip (and hopefully Apple will never use a Celeron in anything)

It could go Intel first - it certainly would be the simplest machine to redesign.