Apple Releases New Mac Mini

[technocoy]

man...

I don't usually get the lower end models, but even I, a true mac evangelist, am starting to question Apple's commitment to their customers and there market growth. The iPod is amazing, and yes, RIGHT NOW it is helping to grow market share and that is a wonderful thing, but these "updates" are truly worrisome. A product goes six months since update and it gets wireless built in and a.... wait... wasn't that it? Apple, I love my iPod. I have two and my wife has three. I have converted so many friends and co-workers i've lost count, but the iPod can not be a detriment to your computer focus... Please, let's get back to innovating the personal computer as well. Now that being said...

G5 powerbooks next week! and video iPod!!!!!

and yes, i know the intel macs are coming, and i know the mac minis are cool, but this is getting a bit rediculous.

technocoy

 

[alexf]

And Apple dares to call this an "update"?

This is even more disappointing than the refreshed iBooks!

 

[thejadedmonkey]

It's all about the profits. Apple makes something likes 20% profit on all of it's computers, and 80% of software- keep that in mind. Also, when they raise proces, people complain. keep that in mind too. By making 3 choices, instead of two as apple likes to do (emac, ibook) they have gotten people to see $500, $600, and $700 macs.

During the next update, they will probably drop the $500 mini. Why? Because they can make a higher profit by charging $600. that's $100 more, and noone can complain about a price increase- and for what? for AE/BT, CPU, and HD. that's used to be a $120 upgrade. the CPU is the same price, When you buy in bulk, that's probably $50 more for apple to spend, meaning apple will get an extra $50 out of us. They will also spend less making less BTO options(cheeper!) and their $500 mini, which are "cheep" in the macworld, won't be around anymore for people to buy who are replacing their begie G3's and only update once every 7 years. and mac will get a little more profit.

In other news, this was no update at all, just a ram increase. there's no reason it should be considered an update...Dell, Gateway, Compaq, HP, Toshiba, they dont call a ram boost a new computer!

 

[B_Gates]

Un-stinking believable. I have been waiting for a couple of months for this updated & was expecting a faster processor, more vram, faster HD & we get a stinking RAM update only. I won't buy one, I'll by a windows pc instead.

 

[alexf]

I don't usually get the lower end models, but even I, a true mac evangelist, am starting to question Apple's commitment to their customers and there market growth. The iPod is amazing, and yes, RIGHT NOW it is helping to grow market share and that is a wonderful thing, but these "updates" are truly worrisome. A product goes six months since update and it gets wireless built in and a.... wait... wasn't that it? Apple, I love my iPod. I have two and my wife has three. I have converted so many friends and co-workers i've lost count, but the iPod can not be a detriment to your computer focus... Please, let's get back to innovating the personal computer as well. Now that being said...

technocoy

Yes, the G4 chip hit a ceiling a long time ago, and Apple is putting a huge amount of energy into the iPod, as this as been its cash cow for awhile now.

For those of us who could care less about the iPod (though I have nothing against the nice little gadget) Apple sure is looking more disappointing every day.

 

[robbieduncan]

Well I ordered the new top flight Mini to run as a PVR/DVD player etc in my living room. I'm happy. It's exactly what I would have ordered yesterday but appears to cost less.

I hope that all you people who are upset are not ordering so it gets shipped faster than Apple's estimated 8 days.

 

[zen.state]

any of you that complain are very selfish. let me say this really slow..
THE... MINI... IS... APPLES.. ENTRY... LEVEL.. SYSTEM..

you cannot expect all the things you all do and still think its going to stay the same price. get over it and stop being greedy!@#

 

[SiliconAddict]

Apple is saying a lot or at least opening up a lot of questions with this very minor update to the ibook and mini.

- Should we expect any significant G4 or G5 HW updates before Intel machines arrive? IMHO - No. Whatever we get between now and Intel will be very minor.
- Apple must be expending all of their significant HW resources on Intel
- I expect Intel machines at Macworld SF - Apple cannot afford to continue with minor updates and expect to keep HW sales at a decent level.

Hmmm well I'm going to play devils advocate here. They may have done this refresh simply for back to schoolers. The season is coming up soon. The real update could be in Sept in Paris. Realistically you are probably right but I'm just saying the possibility is there.

 

[Quixcube]

For those who say, "what do you expect with Intel coming?", I say consider this: the Mini, when introduced, matched (or beat) the eMac in specs - esp. RAM, processor, GPU. On paper (if not physically), they were the same machine; if you want a CRT and speakers, get an eMac, if not, Mini. Thus, having upgraded the eMac to an ATI 9600/64MB standard in May, it stands to reason the Mini would continue to match it. If nothing else, Tiger/Core Image requiring a higher-end graphics card would support this.

You would think so, but there are never any guarantees. The mini is all about "price point." If Apple could have made it more attractive and kept the price where they wanted to (read: maintained profit margin,) then they probably would have. Sorry, but no dice this time.

For those who say, "the Mini is for switchers, they just want something little to do their email," I say, not hardly. I'm looking to make my first big Mac purchase in 7 years (the beige G3 lasted this long!); and above all else, I'd love to reclaim all my desk space (and don't like the iMac design). That's where the eMac falls down, but the Mini shines. If they put a pro-line system into a Mini package for 2 grand, I'd buy it. I just think the size factor is logically where computers are (should be) going.

No, it is true. For the vast majority of people who would consider a machine like the mini, "they just want something little to do their email." They aren't in a forum complaining because they don't have complaints. You aren't the target audience of the mini. Apple tried making a very powerful very small computer once before (G4 Cube) and look where that got them. There is still no market for what you are asking for.

I was looking forward to a tricked-out Mini with a 20" Cinema display - and probably would have bought an Intel one and run them side by side. Instead, I have to continue to sacrifice my desk and get an eMac; and Apple probably loses an extra $300-400 on this sale alone. The VRAM's the killer: I want to play some games (as I'm sure many switchers do!), and I need to know this OS - let alone the next build - is fully supported.

Mac games.... right.... If you want to try any Mac games, the least you can do is to buy a Powermac. Anything that doesn't run well on a mini now is never going to run well on a mini, no matter how much they tweak the thing. They would have to tweak it right into a Powermac class of machine to make it comparable to the average PC for most games. I am not trying to be sarcastic. If you want to spend ~$500 for a gaming machine, you will be better served by another platform (console, PC.)

This "new" Mini is the model Apple should have sold from the start. Unfortunately, I can't wait another 6 months for them to catch up with the curve. Not that I think we'll see another update before Intel, though; this really is a "back-to school"-timed event, and even with Macworld in January, the transition will by then be too close to warrant a major revision.

I think you are 100% correct.

Really though, did Apple do something wrong? They just didn't do what you wanted, but what you wanted doesn't make sense for them.

 

[lickily]

Apple cannot afford to continue with minor updates and expect to keep HW sales at a decent level.

Oh, its probably the other way around. Apple has a habit with incremental upgrades of getting away with as little as possible (the notable exception being the last imac revision). They pretty much said during their last financial conference call that they weren't sure how the 'switch' was going to effect sales and that they were keeping a close eye on things. Recent reports, like this (http://www.it-analysis.com/article.php?articleid=12822&SESSID=e9c339db0ab3c98267125624fbe191f1) and this (http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/6367/) indicate that the majority of the installed base either aren't postponing purchases because of the upcoming transition or that the ipod 'halo' effect of 'newbie' mac users is swamping out any plunge in core user sales (my choice). Since R&D costs increase with the degree of change in any update, Apple will continue scraping by the with the bare minimum, because the market data shows that they CAN. If sales number had plunged dramatically the last few months, we might have seen something more exciting today IMO. Anyway, on the business end its all about upgrade cycles. They hook in all the switchers with this OLD mini and pack all the whizbang features into the 1st-gen Intel mini so that the new converts are drooling to fork over for a new machine. Thats two sales for Apple in two years!

 

[msb221]

WOULD YOU BUY CRAP?

Apple need to sit down and think to themselfs. If i would'nt buy it, then nobody else will.

The new ibook hype has caused dissapointment, and even if i hadnt read the hype, id still be dissapointed.

GRAPHICS
4xagp 32MB Video Graphics!!! COME ON.. This is one area of the mac im f****** pissed off with, and ive sent various complaints to apple. In yesterdays world it was out of date. my 700mhz g4 imac was feeling the burden of 32megs. Now were in the future and what is 32megs today? its like 32kb. Why should my games performace and graphics settings be reduced purely because i dont have £2000 to spend on a custon G5. I could buy a 5yr old pc with 256mb graphics i bet.

DISK SPACE
40gb. Pure S***. Ok the processors are lagging, i understand why, but thats no excuse for limiting other parts of a computer. How can the ibook be your life to go, when u can barely fit a movie on it.
It still spins at 4200rpm, why is this a problem you ask? Well its like yoga, when you have a few apps open like Limewire your disk is working overtime and its like a BIG Stretch when you play a movie or run a spotlight search.

PROCESSOR
The G4 is outdated, we all know that. We all know why. end of story. Dont buy it for any boost in speed as it will be lost with the next OS upgrade. The ibook at present is a disposeable computer and its barely gonna keep its speed after a year.

GOOD POINTS.
Disk shake thingy.
Built in wireless + bluetooth.

 

[mzd]

Q about HDD

Ok, so it does not mention the speed of the hdd anywhere on the site, but if you click on the "more info" link when you configure in the store you get this:

With hard drive capacities offered for Mac mini, you can easily make sure that you have enough storage capacity. Hard drives for Mac mini are offered in 40GB and 80GB capacities.* All Mac mini models include standard Ultra ATA hard drives. ATA hard drives (also known as IDE drives) combine low cost with excellent performance.

This leads me to believe it is not a 2.5" laptop drive. And the more info for the iBook specifically says it is a 4200 RPM drive. Thoughts?

 

[Yvan256]

Uh, six months of waiting for an extra 256MB of memory? You really are the definition of an Apple-apologist if you think this is a good update. How is the Mac mini going to lure PC users to switch? It's not. They were already complaining it was outdated. They didn't update the GPU which is the one thing that truely needed to be updated. It still has the same 4x Superdrive without DL support which even the eMac has. The only things they changed were things the buyer could change on their own already. Actually, they left out the modem even though (despite what people think) most people still have dial-up.

I never said it was a "good update". In fact it's not updates at all, it's simply BTO options now standard on some models (the new 599$US model is a steal, feature-for-feature, compared to last week).

And the Mac mini was already enough to make me switch (along with my brother), so these "new specs" only make it cheaper to get more features than before.

I do agree, it would've been nice to see the Radeon 9550/32MB on the Mac mini too (in fact, that's the only thing I was hoping for).

As for DL burners, let's face it: the media is over-priced, and with Blue-Ray just around the corner, nobody wants to invest in DL gear. Unless you're into copying movies, DL is just useless since a regular 4.7GB DVD is enough for 2 hours of video (don't tell me you have home movies longer than 2 hours).

As for the modem, it's still included in the base model.

Lets face it, the Mac mini is done. This is just enough to get rid of the extra stock that's been piling up. Obviously it has been a poor seller for Apple and will be dropped. I doubt there will ever be an Intel based model.

The Mac mini is a very strong seller and Apple would be insane to drop it. Have you seen the numbers? Apple sold about 43% more computers at the beginning of this year (compared to last year), and it sure wasn't PowerMacs or PowerBooks...

 

[cheapnis]

The mac mini processor (both 1.25 & 1.42) can be run at 1.5/1.55/1.66 without modification i.e the same processor, so the mini CAN be made faster but Apple choose not to do so.

If you have a monitor, you have two choices mini or powermac - look at the performance/price difference. Now that there is no single G5 what about a high end mini (properly high and not what apple thinks is high).

I agree with this suggestion in principle but is it practically possible?

If the processor is clocked higher aren't there cooling issues inside such a small case? That's why we're waiting on Intel surely?

Even more than processor speed I'd like to see a high end Mini with firewire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet - which opens up all kinds of networking possibilities when sheer processing power is not the "bottlenecking" issue.

But again I have no idea if these CAN even be squeezed inside such a small case? Are they physically bgger? Much hotter?

 

[SiliconAddict]

any of you that complain are very selfish. let me say this really slow..
THE... MINI... IS... APPLES.. ENTRY... LEVEL.. SYSTEM..

you cannot expect all the things you all do and still think its going to stay the same price. get over it and stop being greedy!@#

Even entry-level systems should not impact performance in such a way that it deteriorates the "experience". Try dropping a Mini on a 23" LCD with 1900 x 1200 res and see how well it performes.
If this wasn't the case why not put a 500Mhz PPC and a 5GB hard drive in the thing? The items requested are hardly top tier hardware. Its minor hardware updates to bring it up to the base level it should be. Apple milked the crap out of the Mini. When you consider bulk purchases there isn't $500 worth of hardware there. Adding a bit more ram, a slightly better GPU, and a faster hard drive isn't going to impact the price that badly and would doubtlessly increase sales. God knows a handful of my friend want a Mini but they are geeks who see the specs and choke. The mini isn’t crap but it could use some polishing around the edges.

 

[1984]

You think this has to do with Intel? Think again!

For all those thinking the Mac mini did not get a real update because of the impending switch to Intel, how then do you explain the iBook getting a real update? The iBook is moving to Intel too yet it got a new GPU, faster Superdrive and 100GB hard drive option.

 

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

I, for one, am very excited about this. I would be buying a Mac now, but I am getting married at the end of August, so I need to make sure we have enough $$$ to afford the wedding. I am holding of until Septemebr. But once we get back, I am ordering the $699 Mac Mini. It's EXACTLY what need for my fiancees budding photography side buisness and my general computeing uses. I also wanted Airport card so I broadcast iYunes music to a stereo that will eb in our family room. This si a great upgrade and very affordable. It's not an iMac or PM, but it is great for what it is. Good luck getting something like this from Dell for this price. It aint gonna happen.

 

[1984]

The Mac mini is a very strong seller and Apple would be insane to drop it. Have you seen the numbers? Apple sold about 43% more computers at the beginning of this year (compared to last year), and it sure wasn't PowerMacs or PowerBooks...

But that's just it... It's obviously not a strong seller if Apple has sooooooo much extra stock on hand that they need to skip updating the logic board and simply add on options in order to move current inventory out.

 

[Gordy]

Apple gives you an extra 256MB for free in the base model and you people still complain.

They've increased the price in the uk so its not free.

The GPU/VRAM can't be fixed if Apple has a huge stock of motherboards in stock. Same goes for the HDs.

If thats the case its their stock control thats at fault. They can put better gfx and hard disc in these mini's they've just choosen not to. To even call these mini's new take the piss.

 

[Hattig]

Whilst I've just ordered a 12" iBook (nice and portable, 1024x768 is fine on a 12" display, with EyeTV DTT for portable Freeview) this new Mac Mini is a poor upgrade in my opinion. I'll wait for the next upgrade, probably the Intel based Mac Mini unless Apple do a specification jump in January beforehand.

 

[aidanpendragon]

To the "Mini...is...entry...level" comment - again, it matched the eMac on introduction. Now it's lagging badly. Don't think it's "greedy" to want those specs without all the space.

To the "wait for September" comment - there's no way. Apple is not known for doing two major revs. in a month's span. Besides, this is the time you'd want to fire up back-to-school sales with a new model...and in the first post-Intel announcement quarter, when everyone will be watching the numbers, to boot.

I've been watching all the rumor boards every day for a month and a half, fluttering along with everyone else with each burble in shipping times. No more - my heart can't take it, and I'd rather get a new Mac than just read about one.

And after all that tea-leaves reading, I'm very confident this is "it" until at least January, and probably not then. Promised myself I'd wait & see the Mini update before I bought. It's here, it sucked, I'm going eMac.

Three other points:

- For all the dissing of ThinkSecret here & on other boards, they nailed this one. From now on, I'll rely on hard info like that (from there or other sites) rather than "some French guy reported his Mini's been delayed, so let's all get in a froth" (in fairness to MacRumors, they treated that exactly as it was - Page 2 & questionable).

- A good way to divine updates, perhaps: what are journalists/reviewers saying? The overwhelming complaint about the Mini was "more RAM standard." Nothing about VRAM, however deserved, and only a burble on HDD speeds. Guess what Apple delivered?

- My earlier question wasn't clear enough: how are Mini sales? Good? Bad? Curious as to what you've heard.

 

[Swissfondue]

... Apple milked the crap out of the Mini. When you consider bulk purchases there isn't $500 worth of hardware there.

Don't forget the bundled software you are taking for granted: Mini comes loaded with Tiger, iLife and Appleworks etc.

 

[Yvan256]

But that's just it... It's obviously not a strong seller if Apple has sooooooo much extra stock on hand that they need to skip updating the logic board and simply add on options in order to move current inventory out.

The "no hardware update" being an overstock of motheboard is only a possible explanation.

Apple could also have decided NOT to change the motherboard (no extra design costs) and simply continue with something that's already selling well.

Yes, I wish there was a new Mac mini with a Radeon 9550/32MB. But there's not.

 

[Trowaman]

They couldn't do much with out raising the price for the mini, but 512 Standard on low, and 512 RAM and APX/BT on middle is cool.

the $699 only adds a superdrive, which is a bit high IMO but more disappointing is it's a 4x. The big word though is value. Last week if I wanted to order the current $699 model, it would have to be custom and it cost at least $100 more. I have some friends who will probably pick the high one up at the Woodlands, TX grand opening Saturday.

 

[Katya]

Guess that means I can save up some more and get a nice display along with it.

Not all bad.

My thoughts exactly.