am i missing something about the Mac Mini?

It says "optional" in the service manual as well - but every one they sell has it. My guess? They were originally going to make it an option, then changed their minds not that long ago.

 

There may be or may be soon an education model without a modem. I believe apple did this (or still does this) with the eMac and iMac. The Mac Mini's modem is on a card is not integrated into the motherboard so it can be removed.

 

All EDU models have a modem. It would be nice though if Apple released an EDU model with no modem and optical drive for only $399.

 

If they were to make it $299 or $350, I doubt many schools would even think not to use them. That would put them in league with Dell (the current big educational computer maker).

 

I remember when the Mac mini was first put up on the Apple Store site, you had the option of no modem. There wasn't a cost savings, but the option was there for some reason.

 

You can still leave the modem out of a G5 PowerMac and save a whopping AU $44. I dropped the modem out of my 1.6GHz G5 when I first ordered it, as it was right at the limits of my budget and every cent saved counted. With the Mac mini though, even AU $44 is a reasonable 5.5% discount off the normal retail price, or to put it another way, is the equivalent of getting a free keyboard or mouse if you put the savings into that.

Ahh well...the modem module doesn't appear to be optional on either the eMac or the iMac, nor any of the notebook models. I guess it's not too surprising that it can't be dropped on the mini either.

 

Just a typo, or a matter that was later changed. Every Mac has a modem. Hello iLife.

 

except for some EDU models as said above...

 

Some EDU models without a modem, what is Apple smoking?

An internet connection is very important in this day and age. I know that some EDU models do not have a combo optical drive, that is expected not this.

 

I think most schools have LANs with high speed connections to the internet, so there's no reason to have a modem in computers used by them. Also, it's an optional deal. If an EDU customer needs a Mac with a modem, it's not like Apple won't sell them one.

 

Or AirPort.

I forgot all about that little detail. I need some sleep now.

 

As stated above, the PM G5 allows you to drop the modem on a BTO, which is what I did. The last thing I want to do these days is live with a dial-up connection.

 

Though you never know when you might need one. Every place does not have a broadband connection, though they do have a phone line.

The cost of a dial up modem cost ~5-15 USD depending.

 

I believe the EDU versions without modem and so forth are intended for EDU institutions, i.e. not students. In fact I think that you have to find a different version of the EDU store (one for institutions) to even access those options.

 

This is correct; if I log into my University's instutitional Apple Store (not the one for students), there is an option to remove the modem, although it doesn't save you any money and it DOES default to being included (although I expect 99.9% of the Minis bought by Universities will never use the modem).

Wonder why removing it is even an option. Maybe one less thing to break or have some student try to jam an ethernet cable into.