Mac Mini Updated (All Core Duo)

[MacRumors]

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

Apple has updated the Mac Mini to include all Core Duo models. Other than the processor upgrade, there does not appear to be any differences between the previous Mac Mini and today's release. The Mac Mini is available in two offerings:

1.66 GHz Mac Mini
60 GB 5400-rpm SATA Hard Drive
Combo Drive

1.83 GHz Mac Mini
80 GB 5400-rpm SATA Hard Drive
Superdrive

Both models feature:
-2MB Shared L2 Cache
-512 MB 667 MHz DDR2 RAM standard (up to 2 GB supported)
-GMA 950 Integrated graphics
-1 Firewire 400, 4 USB 2.0
-Optical Digital/Analog Audio In/Out
-Gigabit ethernet
-Airport Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR standard

Of note, the Mac Mini still uses Core Duo (Yonah), not the more advanced Core 2 Duo "Merom" chip found in today's iMac announcements.

[ImNoSuperMan]

Still cant see any sign of MBPs.*weeps*

Maybe next tuesday...

[hyperpasta]

Poop. And I was hoping for a $100 price drop.

I see why Apple came out with a 24-inch iMac the same day... we can't complain!

[4np]

Hmm... the Mini still has no Core 2 Duo? That does not sound too promising for MacBook (Pro) updates... unless Apple only wants to use the Core 2 Duo for the high end laptops (MacBook Pro) of course... Or are they waiting untill Leopard has been released?

[AvSRoCkCO1067]

Originally Posted by 4np

Hmm... the Mini still has no Core 2 Duo? That does not sound too promising for MacBook (Pro) updates... unless Apple only wants to use the Core 2 Duo for the high end laptops (MacBook Pro) of course... Or are they waiting untill Leopard has been released?

Core Duo prices will decrease soon (October or so), so Apple will probably have a price decrease then. Additionally, it may wait to put merom in its Macbook lineup, and instead have a price decrease there too...

[miles01110]

Originally Posted by 4np

Hmm... the Mini still has no Core 2 Duo? That does not sound too promising for MacBook (Pro) updates... unless Apple only wants to use the Core 2 Duo for the high end laptops (MacBook Pro) of course... Or are they waiting untill Leopard has been released?

I didn't think they would put the Core 2 Duo in the mini before the MBP.

[Zadillo]

Originally Posted by 4np

Hmm... the Mini still has no Core 2 Duo? That does not sound too promising for MacBook (Pro) updates... unless Apple only wants to use the Core 2 Duo for the high end laptops (MacBook Pro) of course... Or are they waiting untill Leopard has been released?

I wouldn't say that the lack of Core 2 Duo in the Mac mini would say much about what Apple will do with the MBP. I could agree that it makes it slightly plausible that the MB might stick to the regular Core Duo though.

[milo]

Originally Posted by 4np

Hmm... the Mini still has no Core 2 Duo? That does not sound too promising for MacBook (Pro) updates... unless Apple only wants to use the Core 2 Duo for the high end laptops (MacBook Pro) of course... Or are they waiting untill Leopard has been released?

We'll see it soon in the macbook pro, I'd guess the MB will be later on.

So are all the yonah naysayers ready for a big plate of crow?

[ImNoSuperMan]

Originally Posted by 4np

Hmm... the Mini still has no Core 2 Duo? That does not sound too promising for MacBook (Pro) updates... unless Apple only wants to use the Core 2 Duo for the high end laptops (MacBook Pro) of course... Or are they waiting untill Leopard has been released?

Yup that seems like bad news for anyone hoping C2D MacBooks this september. But I doubt there was anyone realistically expecting Merom MB this soon. But I do hope they pump out Merom MBP on 12 Sept. May be a completely new and cool design for the MBP is waiting for as next tuesday.

[KevanDual2.5]

Maybe i am alone on this one....

I think the 24" iMac G5 is the beginning of the end of the G5 iMac. We all watched as the outstanding G4 iMac grew from a 15" to a 17" and finally to 20". While the stunning design remained the same, the 20" just didn't look as good as the 2 previous models. The proportions were wrong and it looked top-heavy.

I am sitting in front of an original 23" Apple Display (plastic rather than aluminium). The new iMac cannot be much smaller than it. I firmly believe that the 24" will be, and should be, as big as it gets. I just hope that heat doesn't become a problem with the Core 2 Duo chips else the G5 iMac may have to evolve into a new enclosure.

Anyone else have thoughts similar?

[MacVault]

Originally Posted by KevanDual2.5

Maybe i am alone on this one....

I think the 24" iMac G5 is the beginning of the end of the G5 iMac. We all watched as the outstanding G4 iMac grew from a 15" to a 17" and finally to 20". While the stunning design remained the same, the 20" just didn't look as good as the 2 previous models. The proportions were wrong and it looked top-heavy.

I am sitting in front of an original 23" Apple Display (plastic rather than aluminium). The new iMac cannot be much smaller than it. I firmly believe that the 24" will be, and should be, as big as it gets. I just hope that heat doesn't become a problem with the Core 2 Duo chips else the G5 iMac may have to evolve into a new enclosure.

Anyone else have thoughts similar?

What do you mean by "G5"??? PowerPC is long gone from Macs.

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by KevanDual2.5

Maybe i am alone on this one....

I think the 24" iMac G5 is the beginning of the end of the G5 iMac.

You are alone on this one - the end of the G5 iMac has already happened, in fact it happened a long time ago when Apple introduced the first Intel iMacs. Hate to break it to ya, but G5 iMacs haven't been around for a long time, nor does a 24" G5 iMac even exist.

As for this new incarnation of the Intel iMac though, it totally depends on Apple's strategy. If they want to leave it as a desktop computer, yeah, it probably doesn't make sense to get much bigger. However, if they want to eventually incorporate a TV tuner and make it even more media-centric, and have it evolve into something else, then this may just be the beginning, not the end.

[deputy_doofy]

Originally Posted by KevanDual2.5

Maybe i am alone on this one....

I think the 24" iMac G5 is the beginning of the end of the G5 iMac. We all watched as the outstanding G4 iMac grew from a 15" to a 17" and finally to 20". While the stunning design remained the same, the 20" just didn't look as good as the 2 previous models. The proportions were wrong and it looked top-heavy.

I am sitting in front of an original 23" Apple Display (plastic rather than aluminium). The new iMac cannot be much smaller than it. I firmly believe that the 24" will be, and should be, as big as it gets. I just hope that heat doesn't become a problem with the Core 2 Duo chips else the G5 iMac may have to evolve into a new enclosure.

Anyone else have thoughts similar?

I don't know whether you're right or wrong about a possible design change in the near future, but your terminology is wrong.
The G5 iMac is not a model. The G5 is a CPU. The iMac has not been a "G5" (or, to be more correct, has not had a G5) since January.
It's just "iMac." A G5 with a Core 2 Duo chip is like spouting off how you have a great "Intel Pentium Athlon machine made by AMD." People will see right through the ignorance.

[milo]

I'm mixed to disappointed on this one.

The solo to duo upgrade on the low end is nice, but I would rather have seen a price drop.

On the high end, that's barely an upgrade at all. Before, the high end model was way more appealing, after the upgrade the high end model is really unappealing compared with the macbook and the iMac.

[trstno1]

4 week delay if you want the 160GB drive. Maybe I'll buy my own, but it's only $200 from Apple.

Any thoughts - why no Merom?

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by trstno1

Any thoughts - why no Merom?

Apple probably wants to keep the costs of the Mini down, and until prices drop in October on the Core 2 Duos, we likely won't see them in the Mini. Plus, going from Core Solo to Core Duo is a decent enough upgrade for now. Lasty, Apple probably would not update the Mini to Core 2 Duo before the MacBooks/MacBook Pros.

[Senbei]

Originally Posted by trstno1

Any thoughts - why no Merom?

Apple seems to be stratifying their desktop lines based on processors.

Mini - Core Duo (Yonah) 1.66-1.83GHz
iMac - Core 2 Duo (Merom) 1.83GHz-2.33GHz
Mac Pro - Quad Xeon (Woodcrest) 2.00GHz-3.00GHz

All of this leaves room for Core 2 Duo E6600 (2.4GHz) and E6700 (2.67GHz) to eventually appear in a suitable form factor some time in the future.

[Linito]

Originally Posted by hyperpasta

Poop. And I was hoping for a $100 price drop.
me 2

I see why Apple came out with a 24-inch iMac the same day... we can't complain!

yes we can! let me show you_:
were's my macbook core 2 duo
were's the new ipod/iphone
no new apple displays? apple what are you doing!?!
how about a new macbook pro?
how about a new newton!
were is my sub 500$ macmini?
no new cases ? bah!

its this easy

[brepublican]

Originally Posted by Linito

yes we can! let me show you_:
were's my macbook core 2 duo
were's the new ipod/iphone
no new apple displays? apple what are you doing!?!
how about a new macbook pro?
how about a new newton!
were is my sub 500$ macmini?
no new cases ? bah!

its this easy

I dont think its that simple. This makes the mini wayyy more appealing to alot of people. Its a close call if you're deciding to get a mini or an iMac.

And aren't there more new announcements next week on the 12th? I dread to think of what new killer products/updates they are reserving that for!

[ethernet76]

Originally Posted by brepublican

And aren't there more new announcements next week on the 12th? I dread to think of what new killer products/updates they are reserving that for!

Yeah I can't wait for an updated iPod Hi-fi.

[ryanx27]

Originally Posted by Linito

were's my macbook core 2 duo

2007

Originally Posted by Linito

how about a new macbook pro?

"new" as in C2D & GPU upgrade: October

"new" as in significant form factor change: 2007

[Passante]

Originally Posted by hyperpasta

Poop. And I was hoping for a $100 price drop.

I see why Apple came out with a 24-inch iMac the same day... we can't complain!

Did I miss something or did the top end mini model go from $799 to $599. Ok. it has a smaller drive and no superdrive. BUt who uses DVDs anymore?

[CyberB0b]

Originally Posted by Passante

BUt who uses DVDs anymore?

Only people who watch movies.

[Leesure]

Originally Posted by CyberB0b

Only people who watch movies.

Combo drive still playes movies.

[Multimedia]

Originally Posted by Passante

Did I miss something or did the top end mini model go from $799 to $599. Ok. it has a smaller drive and no superdrive. BUt who uses DVDs anymore?

I do. That's how I archive all my HDTV and SDTV recordings. I burn Disk Images with Toast then rip those images to mp4 files with Handbrake to take what starts out as a 6GB HD master and winds up a 351MB mp4 file that looks almost as good as the original - just a little softer is all. So I can get 12 one hour prime time HDTV shows on one 4.38GB DVD or two on a 702.8MB CD.

For me this is the future of TV show recording and storage. I've got it down to a science that is as good as is possible with today's technology to get something that is very big to be very small and still deliver a decent viewing-listening experience on a HD Screen while remaining iPod compatible at the same time.

Only drawback is computing power. Even the 3GHz Mac Pro is too slow to do this in rapid time. So it takes a more time than the programs lengths to do right now that should in future take only a few minutes each. I'm hoping that amount of power will be with us by 2008 or 2009. It's a fundamental challenge that needs to get solved before what I am doing can have mass appeal. It's almost tlike a full itme job - no it is a full time job. Except I'm not getting paid to do it.