Feb 28th Products: Intel Mac mini and iPod Hi-Fi?

[technicolor]

Here's hoping to good specs for the Intel Mac mini... And the same form factor (6.5 x 6.5", don't mind any added height). I got two miniStack already (previous and new model).

Please, let the high-end model have a Core Duo, a mobile X1600 with 128MB, two RAM slots and a 3.5" drive.

Why in the world would a mini have a core duo?

 

[Xenious]

No one seems to have touched on this yet. If the Mac Mini has DVR it darn well better have a cable card slot or an IR blaster controller. This lack of these is why all of the current Mac TV solutions suck. Obviously I want more than 100 analog cable channels or I wouldn't pay for 400+ channels a month on digital. My Windows XP MCE box (though lacking in HD so far) has been able to control my digitial cable box from day 1. Without HD it will have trouble geting in my front room because why diverge from a DVR/HD/Digital cable box all in one that I already have (although the interface is crap) for something that will give me less video quality.

The boom box rumors sound very cool (though I was hoping for a full screen touch screen 80+gig ipod cause my 30gig is maxxed). If it turns out to be just another boombox to plug an ipod in I will cry.

 

[technicolor]

Please Apple:

- Front Row 2.0 with Hardware decoding/encoding of HD H.264
- Huge 500GB SATA drive
- Gb ethernet for fast transfers
- DVD+RW DL drive
- Core Duo 1.83Ghz for realtime H.264 playback of HD material
- Same price as the PPC mini


= First 'proper' media centre for connection to HD screens

= $$$

Whatever dude no mac mini needs a dual core 1.83ghz chip....im sure that would piss off a lot new mac book pro owners as well... heck no

 

[aswitcher]

Why in the world would a mini have a core duo?

Crunching H264 is pretty processor intensive. Running multiple video chats is also. I think the mini is going to get a single core to avoid canablzing the iMac line, but if they do I will be hesitant to buy one because I want something that will cope with HDTV in H264...

 

[technicolor]

yeah i can't help but keep thinking that to really have a "media center" of any kind it's gonna need some substantial (and fast) storage, some pretty serious video hardware, and decent amount of processing power. all these things are exactly what the mini is NOT. i can't see Apple beefing up the mini enough to support all this stuff and still keep it affordable by mini standards. media center maybe, but i don't think it will be called the "mini".

BINGO!

 

[technicolor]

Crunching H264 is pretty processor intensive. Running multiple video chats is also. I think the mini is going to get a single core to avoid canablzing the iMac line, but if they do I will be hesitant to buy one because I want something that will cope with HDTV in H264...

Well I know that, but that just doesnt seem like the mini model that is why I am asking why. I agree with you it will most likely be a single core chip.

 

[VeganBryan]

hmm, imagine the clearance prices of the G4 minis when these come out, especially combined with a student discount. think it'd be worth it to buy one of them?

 

[autrefois]

why would apple be making their own if it already exists?

They will not be happy until they have enough money to own the world!

I personally don't think there's a real need for an Apple speaker system, but I assume the idea would be that they can make it better (quality, design, and/or ease of use) than the competition. Consumers would likely be willing to pay as much or more than they pay for third-party speakers if they knew Apple made it.

 

[FireArse]

Crunching H264 is pretty processor intensive. Running multiple video chats is also. I think the mini is going to get a single core to avoid canablzing the iMac line, but if they do I will be hesitant to buy one because I want something that will cope with HDTV in H264...

At the end of the day - if this thing is going to be media friendly, H.264 will be on everybody's lips.

Thinking about it again, Apple could make two lines:

- Single Core desktop (replacement for PPC version)
- Dual Core Media version for H.264 and the bells and whistles

Apple may want to go in two directions roughly the same product line, headless Mac AND the new Media PVR based machine. Hopefully, they'll do it, and charge some sort of premium for customers to do it.

Hell, if this doesn't work - I wanna see if a 1.42GHz G4 (or possibly overclocked to 1.5GHz ) can play 1080p in MPEG2 - if yes, then il encode films that way and play off the network - sod H.264, too much to liscence and too computationally expensive. Id rather spend the money on a second hand mini 1.42GHz G4 and another 500GB HDD for my PowerMac.

 

[MacMosher]

You could buy a Macbook Pro and paint it white...

now what would be the point of that , I can't afford a MBP and don't need all the power contained within it

 

[osustudent]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but:

Why would Apple release a product that would directly compete with sales of TV Shows in the iTunes store?

 

[0098386]

would a TiVo application use EyeTV? Just that I'd be all for that

 

[barstard]

Maybe

Could this new device be something like the Sonos Digital Music System?

If that thing was compatible with the iTMS I would have bought one a long time ago.

Yeah. This could be possible, but if you wanted NICE quality speakers, it could get VERY expensive REALLY fast. I'm not talking Studio monitor quality, but mid/top end HI-Fi speakers still aren't cheap, because they all have to be active, which also means using lots of power points.

Although, if anyone could do it right, then Apple could, but I seriously doubt they will do this.

barstard.

 

[weareinfinite]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but:

Why would Apple release a product that would directly compete with sales of TV Shows in the iTunes store?

Maybe they'll just charge you $1.99 every time you record a TV show

Seriously, though, that's a pretty darn good point.

 

[MacSA]

All these features people are wanting or expecting in the new Mini would probably push its price up comparable to that of the iMac. I'd just like to see a nice cheap entry level Intel Mac - just what the Mini is designed to be.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but:

Why would Apple release a product that would directly compete with sales of TV Shows in the iTunes store?

It won't compete. First, iTunes will have the episode ready to download the next day if you forget to record it or you lose power. Second, the product won't be with 100% of the Apple customer base and all those Windows users. It will be a select few that will actually own one if you look at the entire market. Third, if Apple used that to bait a huge percentage of Windows users then they wouldn't mind have this compete with the low profitable iTunes sales.

 

[berkleeboy210]

My Prediction

There will be a new iPod. the 5th Gen will remain as the consumer model but this will be like the prosumer version of the iPod just like the PowerBook iBook concept.


Are there 100gb Drives available in Mass Quanities for these players yet? If so here's what I think will be the specs and pricing

iPod 5th Gen

40GB Model $299
60GB Model $399



iPod HiFi

80GB $499
100gb $599

I know Archos currently makes a media player w/ a 100gb drive so they must be out there in the market.

As for accesories: There will be some new device for streaming the music, now whether it's associated with the iPod or your Mac is the question. I'd love a Squeezebox type device, with Built in Speakers (I don't think the squeezebox has that) that will wirelessly connect you your Mac and display the music on the screen, and also stream internet radio stations as well.

Priced @ 300

I'd love to see a TiVo type mac mini, with direct to iPod copying. we'll see about that one though.

But think my iPod predictions could come true

 

[Templetalker]

That there wily idea gyrating bout' a larger device tablet rumors codenamed "boombox."

How do you say i-Pod Hi-Fi?

Little bit larger than your usual i-Pod, can't take it in your pocket like a boombox, and it's chalked to the brim with potential, full screen viewing, i-pod functionality and maybe a lil' more?

Hmmm...

 

[mozmac]

If Apple does decide to release a "TiVo Killer" box, they have a great way to appeal to current TiVo owners. With TiVo you pay around $15 a month, depending on what you have. That's $180 a year. They could tell TiVo owners to theoretically subtract $180 from the cost of the new Mac Media Center. That'd be worth it, especially with a student discount. We have a Comcast DVR right now in our apartment, and spend $10/month for it.

Can't wait for Tuesday.

 

[Lancetx]

My prediction for the new Mac minis...

Core Solo processors, same Front Row software with Remote as the iMac & MacBook Pro (with no DVR capabilities), no built-in iPod dock, Radeon X1300 graphics with 64MB VRAM, 8x DL SuperDrive in the top of the line model, and same price points ($499-699 US) as the current models. To expect much more (at those prices) is undoubtedly wishful thinking.

 

[berkleeboy210]

My prediction for the new Mac minis...

Core Solo processors, same Front Row software with Remote as the iMac & MacBook Pro (with no DVR capabilities), no built-in iPod dock, Radeon X1300 graphics with 64MB VRAM, 8x DL SuperDrive in the top of the line model, and same price points ($499-699 US) as the current models. To expect much more (at those prices) is undoubtedly wishful thinking.

I think they'll have a highend $799 model with a 1.66 core duo just my 2 cents

 

[paz117]

If it turns out to be just another boombox to plug an ipod in I will cry.

Yea, I'm with you on that one.
It's pretty sad if all this is acutally about an actual iPod boombox.

 

[mozmac]

All of you who are wondering about an Apple DVR competing with iTunes, think about this:

Apple has repeatedly stated that the iTunes Music Store is not incredibly profitable. They don't run it to make money off music. They run it to sell iPods. Now they have Video on there as well. Yes, they are using it to sell iPod Video units, but that isn't a big enough reason to go through all that R&D. The iPod video market will never grow as large as the music market. They are putting so much money into R&D for the video portion of the iTMS in order to move a new type of hardware.

Think about the hardware options they have now (iMac, iPod, MacBook)...none of them are viable candidates as your main video player. That is where the Mac Media Center comes in. Where it will be a DVR is unknown, but I think we can be dang sure that there will be some sort of video Mac that hooks up to your TV. That will be the hardware that they move with sales of videos in the iTMS.

 

[berkleeboy210]

Yea, I'm with you on that one.
It's pretty sad if all this is acutally about an actual iPod boombox.

The first iPod was released at this same audiitorium, so we may be in for something big. Leo Laporte was talking about it on his Radio show Today, he'll have a podcast up about the event later on Tuesday MacBreak.

 

[Lurch_Mojoff]

Please, let the high-end model have a Core Duo, a mobile X1600 with 128MB, two RAM slots and a 3.5" drive.

Please Apple:

- Front Row 2.0 with Hardware decoding/encoding of HD H.264
- Huge 500GB SATA drive
- Gb ethernet for fast transfers
- DVD+RW DL drive
- Core Duo 1.83Ghz for realtime H.264 playback of HD material
- Same price as the PPC mini


= First 'proper' media centre for connection to HD screens

= $$$

I don't think you really need an internal 3.5" HDD. A good 7200rpm 80GB 2.5" SATA notebook drive will give you both enough space for OS, applications, etc. and very good responsiveness. For pure storage you can always get an external USB/Firewire drive in an enclosure so harmoniously matching design with the look of the Mac mini that it makes me weep. This will give you great extensibility and huge storage (up to 16 daisy-chained Firewire drives and up to 63 in total; 5 in a row and 127 total for USB) while you wont have to give a lot of money upfront - you can buy a cheap Mac mini and probably one external drive (which will sum up to about the same price as an integrated version) and then buy more as your needs grow.

Anyway, what I'd like to see in a mini is PCMCIA or better still ExpressCard expansion slot(s). And since it's gonna be a media center maybe HDMI.