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Any ideas how much the components in the Mini must cost now? The price of the Mini to the consumer hasn't changed, but the price of the hardware inside that Apple buys must have?

If Apple is still getting it's parts from Intel, I would figure prices may have started to go up. Intel doesn't like having to continue to produce legacy parts when they have moved on the the new hotness.
 
I thought Intel is still producing the GMA950 for the Atom in the NetBooks/NetBoxes... :confused:

You're right & I should have qualified my comment. However, I've read that a new generation of Atoms is going to be unveiled for netbooks soon. :)

As for the Mini getting the Atom, I agree with all those who doubt this will happen. After no updates for almost 2 years now, I suspect most people not unreasonably expecting significant Mini updates overall would view the Atom for a desktop with total dismay & derision... & not only on this forum!
 
It's semi-pointless. Even with hardware acceleration, Atom can't really play back Blu Ray, let alone other stuff. I guess if it gets put in $300 netbooks though there may be a market for that as a super cheap PDA that plays WoW or the like :D
 
I don't know if anybody saw this?

Amazingly enough, consumers can enjoy not only full-spec 1080p high definition playback, but support for popular PC games such as Call of Duty 4, World of Warcraft, The Sims 2 and even the DRM-ridden Spore. According to Nvidia, the platform also supports Windows Vista Premium, the upcoming Windows 7 OS, and even faster photo and video editing with Adobe's Creative Suite 4. The company also said that netbooks utilizing the ION platform will see 10x faster graphics and video transcoding. All-in-one PCs will have the capability to display resolutions of 2560 x 1600, whereas CPU cost will be 80 percent cheaper when utilizing the ION platform in notebooks.

Yes, but doesn't the program and or OS have to support off-loading CPU functions to the GPU?

Will Snow Leopard do this?

If they do put the Atom in the Mini, that means they would have to wait until Snow Leopard is released. When will that be?

I guess the wait's been way long enough already.... :eek:
 
Stuff has to be explicitly supported, plus these low end integrated graphics parts are still slower than a good CPU, even for the particular things that a GPU's processors can excel at. And right now there's only a handful of programs that actually run on the GPU on Windows, and none on OS X, so...

But at any rate, it's not happening. At least not at that price point. Although unfortunately I could be wrong, which is terrifying. Atom is okay for a PDA replacement, not for a modern computer.
 
sooo if the CPU's are 80% cheaper to manufacture..does that mean the mini might have a $499 price tag :):) :confused: :rolleyes:

CPUs could be 99% cheaper and Apple would still charge the same or more than now.
And $499?
Didn't Emperor Jobs say that Apple would never sell a computer for less than $500, or something to that effect?
 
CPUs could be 99% cheaper and Apple would still charge the same or more than now.
And $499?
Didn't Emperor Jobs say that Apple would never sell a computer for less than $500, or something to that effect?

nah i dont reckon, apple only puts a 30%-60% extra fee on the cost to build it.. so if the CPU's come down enough then so will the price of the computer.

yea your right about <$500, i think Job's reasoning behind is because the quality of the build wouldnt be good enough for apple's standards.
 
^^^ exactly...

I was at the Apple Store tonight trying out some sample HD video files from a camcorder I was thinking of getting.

I tried them out on the new White MacBook as it had iLife '09 - it played/edited the files just fine...

I think the consensus is that a new Mini for $599 with the new White MacBook specs would be a great value.
 
^^^ exactly...

I was at the Apple Store tonight trying out some sample HD video files from a camcorder I was thinking of getting.

I tried them out on the new White MacBook as it had iLife '09 - it played/edited the files just fine...

I think the consensus is that a new Mini for $599 with the new White MacBook specs would be a great value.

wow they have things other than Mac's and iPods at your store? intersting...

i dont think that the WhiteBook "mini" version would be $599, it seems to expensive. what is the current price of the mini anyways? here in australia im used to seeing it around $1k....
 
wow they have things other than Mac's and iPods at your store? intersting...

i dont think that the WhiteBook "mini" version would be $599, it seems to expensive. what is the current price of the mini anyways? here in australia im used to seeing it around $1k....

They were probably talking about the U.S. version. It's $599 here, which is kind of a rip off for what you get, though a bump to the Macbook's specs would make it more palatable.
 
They were probably talking about the U.S. version. It's $599 here, which is kind of a rip off for what you get, though a bump to the Macbook's specs would make it more palatable.

its always a rip off over here, even when the technology is new! yea i just wish they would update and hurry up about it!
 
Intel begins shipping new Atom chip for Netbooks

The new Atom Chip and Chipset (GN40) is out.

Kinda interesting - the netbooks can play 720p now.

Interesting is the Atom chips, and the 1.83 GHz Version.

I think this feeds the speculation that the Mini will use the CPU...

Maybe a special 1.83 and 2.0 Atom Duo with Ion? Hope not though, unless you get Snow Leopard and the Apps you have can use the GPU for processing.

Good news definitely for a new version of AppleTV! :D

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10158186-64.html

February 5, 2009 11:10 PM PST
Intel begins shipping new Atom chip for Netbooks
Posted by Brooke Crothers
Buzz Intel's newest Atom processor has slipped out of the starting gate sooner than expected.


Asus 1000HE Eee PC uses the new Atom N280 processor

(Credit: Asus)Though the Atom N280 had been expected later this year, it is now shipping to Intel customers. "Asus is already taking pre-orders for the 1000HE with the N280," Intel spokesperson Bill Calder said Thursday.

Intel doesn't expect the roll-out to be as big as the Atom N270--introduced back in June, but the N280 is expected to appear in a few systems, Calder said.

The N280 brings a minuscule clock frequency improvement to the N270, bumping up the speed to only 1.66GHz from the N270's 1.6GHz.

The most noticeable improvement is delivered by the accompanying chipset--the GN40. Its built-in graphics silicon offers--for the first time on an Intel Netbook platform--720p HD playback (though there will be no Blu-ray logo). Nvidia's Atom-based Ion platform will offer even better graphics, however.

Intel has also increased the front-side bus--a data path between the processor and other silicon--speed from 533MHz to 667MHz.

The N280 won't necessarily be the fastest Atom, however. The Z540, which is targeted at handheld-size mobile Internet devices, has been around since April and runs at 1.86GHz, a faster clock speed than the N280.

News about N280 was reported earlier here.
 
If the Ion can run Vista...

Microsoft certified the ION platform for Vista. Windows 7 will surely run better on it.

According to that article, Ion-based PC's will be out in the summer.
 
The new Atom Chip and Chipset (GN40) is out.

Kinda interesting - the netbooks can play 720p now.

Interesting is the Atom chips, and the 1.83 GHz Version.

I think this feeds the speculation that the Mini will use the CPU...

Maybe a special 1.83 and 2.0 Atom Duo with Ion? Hope not though, unless you get Snow Leopard and the Apps you have can use the GPU for processing.
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same clock speed as the old mini but with a weaker cpu, high cost ddr3 that the system does not get a speed up from that will sell well.

Apple will be crazy to sell that at $600 and raping you at $800
 
same clock speed as the old mini but with a weaker cpu, high cost ddr3 that the system does not get a speed up from that will sell well.

Apple will be crazy to sell that at $600 and raping you at $800
While DDR3 is more expensive I doubt you'll be seeing high density and more than one stick in the newer Atom revision. The jury is out on how much power you save and more battery life you get from moving to DDR3.
 
While DDR3 is more expensive I doubt you'll be seeing high density and more than one stick in the newer Atom revision. The jury is out on how much power you save and more battery life you get from moving to DDR3.

1 channle ram + a weak cpu with make on board video suck.

why can they use AMD dual core + 780g / 790gx with side port ram for a low end system?
 
While DDR3 is more expensive I doubt you'll be seeing high density and more than one stick in the newer Atom revision. The jury is out on how much power you save and more battery life you get from moving to DDR3.

Wouldn't DDR3 running at lower voltages than DDR2 kind of imply some sort or power savings?
 
Atom is good in my Netbook but wouldn't be my first choice in a Mac Mini.


I doubt this is true anyways:p.
 
same clock speed as the old mini but with a weaker cpu, high cost ddr3 that the system does not get a speed up from that will sell well.

Apple will be crazy to sell that at $600 and raping you at $800

It'll be the graphics that make the difference in the new mini. I believe they'll launch Leopard and the new Mini at the same to to increase exposure but 500 and 700 sounds more like it to me , whatever happens no atom unless the graphics are splendid for SL
 
Nvidia video

If anybody still doubts what the Ion platform (and not necessarily just the Atom processor) can do, you should really watch this demonstration that Nvidia did with Windows 7.
 
If anybody still doubts what the Ion platform (and not necessarily just the Atom processor) can do, you should really watch this demonstration that Nvidia did with Windows 7.

Wow, impressive.

But, it is on Windows 7, and looks like the encoding software for vids is their own (nVidia's). So it's a great platform, as long as the OS and programs are optimized for it.

I can see the Mini going this route, if they DO NOT come out with an update in March, as an Atom-based Mini is going to REQUTIRE Snow Leopard to run at a reasonable level, not to mention possibly slightly faster Atoms in the Fall...
 
so d'you reckon the atom / ion will run SnowLeopard ? , how much graphics power do these atom chips have ? that'll be what counts
 
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