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Engadget rips 2011 mini

Engadget spent the whole review obsessing over how it dropped the SuperDrive. Give me a break... If it's that big of a deal, select one of the many external drives on the market.

The review made no mention of the quad-core i7 server model or the AMD discrete graphics in the high-end model. Not slimming down the case? They offer a HD+SSD combo option now, it uses the space vacated by the SuperDrive. Three headline features totally omitted.
 
If you are shocked that Apple dropped the optical drive, you haven't been paying attention for the last 2 years or so.
 
And for those who are arguing that this is different from the floppy drive scare of old, because there's no physical alternative to optical media...let me introduce you to the brave not-new world of USB sticks and SD cards, both of which the 2011 mini can handle with no extra hardware, and both of which store far more data than a DVD.
 
They brought up the USB 3.0. So far, I haven't encountered a mainstream USB 3.0 port. :rolleyes:
 
Tulpa said:
And for those who are arguing that this is different from the floppy drive scare of old, because there's no physical alternative to optical media...let me introduce you to the brave not-new world of USB sticks and SD cards, both of which the 2011 mini can handle with no extra hardware, and both of which store far more data than a DVD.
Click to expand...

Let me introduce you to the DVD. You can purchase movies and computer software on it. USB sticks and SD cards not that I know of.
 
dwarnecke11 said:
Engadget spent the whole review obsessing over how it dropped the SuperDrive. Give me a break... If it's that big of a deal, select one of the many external drives on the market.

The review made no mention of the quad-core i7 server model or the AMD discrete graphics in the high-end model. Not slimming down the case? They offer a HD+SSD combo option now, it uses the space vacated by the SuperDrive. Three headline features totally omitted.
Click to expand...
So it's fast, like any normal modern computer. a 6630m in the high end model isn't exactly something to brag about. That's what my laptop has. And the reviewer did mention that the stock model comes with a slow hard drive. To make the machine "snappier" you need to upgrade the HDD to an SSD. Then there's the problem where you've sunk $600 into a dual SSD configuration, but you can't then upgrade the computer farther (sans RAM). The decission was made so that Apple doesn't have to design a 2nd case for the server version. The reviewer's point was that the 2011 mini doesn't exactly fit into any person's workflow without adding stuff to it. An external DVD drive if you're making it a HTPC, more ram if you're going to use it for day to day purposes, an extra hard drive, if it's your main PC...
adder7712 said:
They brought up the USB 3.0. So far, I haven't encountered a mainstream USB 3.0 port. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

As of April, AMD's chipset has USB 3.0 built in. My laptop, as well as my sisters (both intel), both have USB 3.0. Mine was $700, my sister's was $500.
 
nadaclue said:
Let me introduce you to the DVD. You can purchase movies and computer software on it. USB sticks and SD cards not that I know of.
Click to expand...

The point was that that the lack of an optical drive hardly makes physical data transfer impossible or even difficult, as the conspiracy theorists are claiming (OMG IT'S A PLOT TO MAKE US STORE ALL OUR DATA ON ICLOUD!!!). There are certain purposes for which one might need a DVD drive -- though many customers really don't need it -- but that's why God invented cheap external drives.
 
nadaclue said:
Let me introduce you to the DVD. You can purchase movies and computer software on it. USB sticks and SD cards not that I know of.
Click to expand...
Let me introduce a music collection of over a 1400 CD's with many that are not available online. How often has iTunes changed their format? DRM? I bought books online and had to use some Adobe activation. Did not read them for two years and when I then wanted to read them again I couldn't. Buy again? No way!

By the way - if you have ever had a very nasty virus that infected both the production and backup machine as well as the backup HDD then you realize that anything on magnetic media is feeble. I prefer to archive on CD/DVD (not DVD-RW).
 
MJL said:
Let me introduce a music collection of over a 1400 CD's with many that are not available online. How often has iTunes changed their format? DRM? I bought books online and had to use some Adobe activation. Did not read them for two years and when I then wanted to read them again I couldn't. Buy again? No way!

By the way - if you have ever had a very nasty virus that infected both the production and backup machine as well as the backup HDD then you realize that anything on magnetic media is feeble. I prefer to archive on CD/DVD (not DVD-RW).
Click to expand...

Great, then get an external drive...but don't assume that everyone has the special concerns you do. Most people don't have 1400 CD collections (you realize that would fit on a modest-sized external HDD if you converted it to MP3 with no DRM or anything, right?) and aren't downloading superviruses.
 
The mac mini is a very popular media server. It sits under the TV and serves up movies, TV and Music. Anyone thinking of using it as a media server will want to play DVD's, as well as RIP DVD's and CD's.

I am sorry but it is just not convenient to add an external DVD in this configuration. I know that Steve Jobs says he will not support Blu Ray but personally I would have preferred to see an upgrade to a Blu ray drive than dropping the drive completely.
 
Tulpa said:
Great, then get an external drive...but don't assume that everyone has the special concerns you do. Most people don't have 1400 CD collections (you realize that would fit on a modest-sized external HDD if you converted it to MP3 with no DRM or anything, right?) and aren't downloading superviruses.
Click to expand...

Guess what you need an optical drive to rip those 1400 cd's to mp3.
 
nebo1ss said:
Guess what you need an optical drive to rip those 1400 cd's to mp3.
Click to expand...

My point was that this is an unusual situation...most people with large collections have already converted their music to MP3 at this point in time. I could see packing the original CDs up in (lots of) boxes and putting them in the attic as a backup, but cluttering up your living space? I can't fathom that.

And in reply to your previous post, modern external DVD drives are tiny. The 2011 mini + external DVD on top would still have a lower profile than the 2009 mini for instance.
 
I'm not too bothered by the lack of optical drive although making the mini 1/4 inch thicker and sticking one in there would not have killed them or made the mini any less sleek, no my big gripe is the operating system. Lion is bug ridden, sure that will get worked out in time but I like snow leopard, I like the features like front row and expose, things that apple took out. That fact I can't put snow on the new mini kind of hurts it. I bought the server version the next day but it is just sitting here waiting for Lion to be fixed. Not cool.
 
thejadedmonkey said:
So it's fast, like any normal modern computer. a 6630m in the high end model isn't exactly something to brag about. That's what my laptop has. And the reviewer did mention that the stock model comes with a slow hard drive. To make the machine "snappier" you need to upgrade the HDD to an SSD. Then there's the problem where you've sunk $600 into a dual SSD configuration, but you can't then upgrade the computer farther (sans RAM). The decission was made so that Apple doesn't have to design a 2nd case for the server version. The reviewer's point was that the 2011 mini doesn't exactly fit into any person's workflow without adding stuff to it. An external DVD drive if you're making it a HTPC, more ram if you're going to use it for day to day purposes, an extra hard drive, if it's your main PC...


As of April, AMD's chipset has USB 3.0 built in. My laptop, as well as my sisters (both intel), both have USB 3.0. Mine was $700, my sister's was $500.
Click to expand...
Sorry I meant mainstream devices (e.g HDDs) that use USB 3.0.
 
adder7712 said:
Sorry I meant mainstream devices (e.g HDDs) that use USB 3.0.
Click to expand...

While I'm not a supporter of USB 3.0 on the Mac, i must admit - you live under a rock. Go to your local best buy, there are a lot of usb 3.0 hard drives.

I think tb is a better technology and in willing to wait for more hardware, but even I can admit that even USB 3.0 has a lot more peripherals than tb ATM.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Tulpa said:
And for those who are arguing that this is different from the floppy drive scare of old, because there's no physical alternative to optical media...let me introduce you to the brave not-new world of USB sticks and SD cards, both of which the 2011 mini can handle with no extra hardware, and both of which store far more data than a DVD.
Click to expand...

Umm last time I checked they don't sell CDs or DVDs on USB sticks. This is a really bad point. :eek:
 
There goes the theory that engadget gives everything 8/10....

BTW the only fail I can really see in the Mini is no front SD slot besides that I think it's a very solid little machine.
 
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I have to agree with him. THe low-end mini is not a good buy considering you still have to spend money. Also, getting rid of the SuperDrive on a desktop/media-centric computer was a boneheaded move. I know why they did it (lock into iTunes) but it is still ridonkulous and it means i would never come near a Mini again.

dwarnecke11 said:
Engadget spent the whole review obsessing over how it dropped the SuperDrive. Give me a break... If it's that big of a deal, select one of the many external drives on the market.
Click to expand...

Only Apple's grossly overpriced external SuperDrive works.
 
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MJL said:
Let me introduce a music collection of over a 1400 CD's with many that are not available online. How often has iTunes changed their format? DRM? I bought books online and had to use some Adobe activation. Did not read them for two years and when I then wanted to read them again I couldn't. Buy again? No way!

By the way - if you have ever had a very nasty virus that infected both the production and backup machine as well as the backup HDD then you realize that anything on magnetic media is feeble. I prefer to archive on CD/DVD (not DVD-RW).
Click to expand...

When you rip your own CDs you choose what format/quality to use MP3, AAC etc and they will be DRM free so that problem doesn't exist. I guess that Apple has upgraded their DRM over time but I have NOT heared that songs bought earlier shouldn't be playable? iTunes songs should be DRM free but watermarked today also.
...but other sellers of DRMed material has discontinued their services and left the customers in the dark :(

I would never archive anything on writeable DVD or CD, none of those formats has any reability as an archiving media, the only thing you can make sure of are that you will loose data!
I trust TimeMachine and replication of important data to another computer and that is good enough for me atleast.
Being hit by a virus/trojan on OSX that would wipe all data is highly unlikely atm!

I riped My collection of allmost 1000 CDs, it was a bitch but now it is done and I can relax :)
 
I think the issue is not that reviewers (and engadget is only one) are hung up with the lack of the optical drive but rather most consumers expect and need an optical drive.

Similar pain was felt with the loss of the floppy disk, but the biggest difference now is that CDs/DVDs are still heavily used by regular consumers. I buy education games for my kids. Most if not what I choose is not in the MAS, without an optical drive, its kind of hard to install it.

Yeah I could buy an external drive, but seriously it starts making a mini less attractive. Buy a keyboard, mouse, optical drive monitor.

Then there's the decision for a 5400 rpm drive. I mean they're quickly disappearing from store shelves as most people expect 7200rpm (or SSDs). Its not like apple is saving a huge amount of $$ by going with the slower drive. I think its more to differentiate the speed between the mini and imac.
 
thejadedmonkey said:
I don't understand how the mini could get more than 6/10 stars. I mean... how could it do better?

Industrial design. 1 star that most PC boxes lack.
OS X AND Windows. 1 star that PC boxes lack.

Now, lets compare it to a PC box.
Less upgradable. Minus a star.
Overpriced for what's in it. Minus a star.
Underspec'd for a 2011 computer. Minus another star.
No ODD. Minus a star.
Not easily upgradable. Minus a star.

Assuming a computer starts with a 10/10 at baseline, a 6/10 sounds pretty solid to me. How many people are going to buy a Mac Mini because they can't fit a $300 slim mini-tower (your typical PC from Best Buy) on their desk. How many people aren't going to buy a mini because it doesn't play blu-ray or can't run their games.

No, it's an overpriced, over-spec'd machine that's not good for much besides number crunching... if you can even install Office on it.
Click to expand...

You're entitled to your opinion, but it seems you have it in for the mini from the start. You have the mini getting 2 plusses and 5 minuses. That would be a 7/10 if you start at 10/10. Also, you've dinged the mini for "Less Upgradeable" and "Not Easily Upgradeable" ... aren't they the same thing? In addition, "Overpriced" and "Underspec'd" are the same thing in my mind.

So to me, if I re-do the math, the mini should get a 9/10.

Hey, like I said before, you're entitled to your opinion. I personally don't think the mini is worth the money either, but some folks value the design of the mini more than others. The lack of the ODD is disturbing to me, but I see Apple's direction here.

If you look at hardware specs alone, Macs will rarely ever be the value play. But Macs aren't just about hardware ... it's about the overall package.

One last thing, what's with the Office comment? Macs can install Office just fine.
 
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