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Intel Mac mini To Evolve Into Digital Hub?
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nagromme said:
actually, I think it worked the other way: they developed a universal dock design for the mini, but when the feature was axed from the mini design they decided to release it as a standalone unit. I still say a dock connector in the top of the mini would be ugly...
edit:
shanmui1 said:Does a digital hub Mac mean we can also look forward to a gaming Mac?
ah, returning to the whole iBox idea... that would be amazing if you could do all that AND console gaming on the same machine. well, as long as it has some manner of TV out you should be able to plug in a gamepad and play your choice of 5 games... or dualboot to W*ndows and do console gaming from there.
damn, if this ends up being true I'm gonna have to shell out for a third mac myself.
This Mactel To Replace Our Intel Machines!!!
Sounds great. Seems to me as the rebirth of the Cube. I only ask for a few things to place orders:
1) Quiet Mac. If possible, fanless.
2) Large & fast 7.200 rpm hard disk. Large 500GB HD a great bonus.
3) At least TWO independent (no hub-like) FireWire Ports. FireWire 800 a bonus.
4) Audio in/out for microphone, headphones and Apple Pro Speakers.
5) Last but not least, triple booting as Mac, Linux and Windows. Virtual switching between OSes (without hardware rebooting) a great bonus.
We will replace all our Intel machines with this Mactel. In fact, we will standardize on these Mactels if released with the above o better specifications.
Sounds great. Seems to me as the rebirth of the Cube. I only ask for a few things to place orders:
1) Quiet Mac. If possible, fanless.
2) Large & fast 7.200 rpm hard disk. Large 500GB HD a great bonus.
3) At least TWO independent (no hub-like) FireWire Ports. FireWire 800 a bonus.
4) Audio in/out for microphone, headphones and Apple Pro Speakers.
5) Last but not least, triple booting as Mac, Linux and Windows. Virtual switching between OSes (without hardware rebooting) a great bonus.
We will replace all our Intel machines with this Mactel. In fact, we will standardize on these Mactels if released with the above o better specifications.
My dad wants to get a DVR, which would set him back about $700. If this new Mac retains its $950 price point, then I might be able to talk him into one
Marx55 said:
and you expect to fit all of that in here?
virtual switching? not while steve still draws breath...
BlueRevolution said:
Size is no issue for us. Just make it a bit larger and it will do OK.
BTW, this one looks nice:
http://www.tuaw.com/2004/08/13/imac-g5-kraftwerk/
Original at:
http://www.mackompass.de/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=2
OK, probably the Mac mini does not need to be that big. But we would not mind anyway!
If this device includes DVR functionality, then at the very least it needs a video input, better an integrated digital tuner. They did hire the ElGato guy recently
Given the current ports on the back of the mini, there isn't any room to add the required aerial ports or svideo/scart. Therefore the device would have to be wider to add them. Because of this, a 3.5" hard drive can be used. The device may be a little taller than a current Mac Mini (3.5" hard drives are 2-3x as high as 2.5" hard drives), or twice as wide. The latter might allow for an integrated power supply however.
Because of this, I'm thinking that it isn't a Mac Mini replacement, but a Media Mac new product. Expect the device at $799, not $499.
I expect it to boot Mac OS X from 512MB of embedded flash memory for fast cold boot times. Not many consumers are willing to wait 1 minute to watch TV/DVD! Additionally it will go into a deep sleep like my iBook does, and return from sleep in under 2 seconds. I like that.
Important design features for me are:
- Quiet (zero fans)
- No blinking lights
- Simple remote
- Good interface
If it happens, it will be the first major computer to have a decent living-room design. Apple have got a lot of space to work in actually, given the size of your average device. I hope the remote is larger though, it'll get lost down the side of the sofa otherwise.
Given the current ports on the back of the mini, there isn't any room to add the required aerial ports or svideo/scart. Therefore the device would have to be wider to add them. Because of this, a 3.5" hard drive can be used. The device may be a little taller than a current Mac Mini (3.5" hard drives are 2-3x as high as 2.5" hard drives), or twice as wide. The latter might allow for an integrated power supply however.
Because of this, I'm thinking that it isn't a Mac Mini replacement, but a Media Mac new product. Expect the device at $799, not $499.
I expect it to boot Mac OS X from 512MB of embedded flash memory for fast cold boot times. Not many consumers are willing to wait 1 minute to watch TV/DVD! Additionally it will go into a deep sleep like my iBook does, and return from sleep in under 2 seconds. I like that.
Important design features for me are:
- Quiet (zero fans)
- No blinking lights
- Simple remote
- Good interface
If it happens, it will be the first major computer to have a decent living-room design. Apple have got a lot of space to work in actually, given the size of your average device. I hope the remote is larger though, it'll get lost down the side of the sofa otherwise.
shanmui1 said:Does a digital hub Mac mean we can also look forward to a gaming Mac?
Woah, woah big fella, slow down there. Don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves on here. If we start throwing around rumours like that Steve's bound to get hold of them and cancel the whole product for good. cough*asteroid*cough
I've never used Tivo, so I don't know if this is already possible, but I hope they include some web interface to allow programming over the web. So even if it is a simple DVR, if you forget to program it and you're somewhere else, just log in and start your recording Maybe even integrate this with .Mac, which would certainly increase subscriptions.
Maybe even integrate this with .Mac, which would certainly increase subscriptions.We don't even have TIVO in Australia, so I can't help but wonder what this option would do in our market.. If advertised effectively of course.
Sceptical
The D/PVR market is a very difficult one to jump into at the moment. I therefore regard this news with caution. My reasoning is as follows.
1) The Tivo is a device that has been developed specifically for 1 market - the US. They tried the UK but gave up. There is more to the Tivo than just a TV tuner, there is the small matter of collating TV schedule from all content providers on a realtime basis and keeping the box updated with the changing schedule.
2) At the moment, there is a wide range of transmission formats available at the moment - terrestrial analogue / digital, cable, satellite and now the web. All of these require different tuners and in a large number of cases, dedicated content descramblers.
3) HD broadcasts are now being experimented which will leave most existing hardware redundant
4) HDMI - this is a new format connector for linking multimedia devices. It is only just finding it's way into medium price domestic flat panel displays. HDCP digital content protection (with links to intel) is also part of the mix.
I therefore see the tuner functionality remaining outside the box, so one can plug the appropriate one in.
As Apple has in general taken new standards into products early, I would not be shocked to see the mini fitted with HDMI in / out sockets and for these sockets to be HDCP enabled. Apple displays would probably be updated at the same time to also support HDCP with HDMI connectors.
Would a HDMI enabled mini with some nice new software be considered a D/PVR? I think and hope so
The Living Room suite of the future (or maybe next year) will be a Dumb Flat panel - no built in tuner. A dumb TV tuner box. A Mini. A surround sound amplifier. Everything will be connected by HDMI and the software in the mini will control everything. Simplicity of living room control could well be a reality.
A mini with a built in amplifier and tuner - I hope not.
The D/PVR market is a very difficult one to jump into at the moment. I therefore regard this news with caution. My reasoning is as follows.
1) The Tivo is a device that has been developed specifically for 1 market - the US. They tried the UK but gave up. There is more to the Tivo than just a TV tuner, there is the small matter of collating TV schedule from all content providers on a realtime basis and keeping the box updated with the changing schedule.
2) At the moment, there is a wide range of transmission formats available at the moment - terrestrial analogue / digital, cable, satellite and now the web. All of these require different tuners and in a large number of cases, dedicated content descramblers.
3) HD broadcasts are now being experimented which will leave most existing hardware redundant
4) HDMI - this is a new format connector for linking multimedia devices. It is only just finding it's way into medium price domestic flat panel displays. HDCP digital content protection (with links to intel) is also part of the mix.
I therefore see the tuner functionality remaining outside the box, so one can plug the appropriate one in.
As Apple has in general taken new standards into products early, I would not be shocked to see the mini fitted with HDMI in / out sockets and for these sockets to be HDCP enabled. Apple displays would probably be updated at the same time to also support HDCP with HDMI connectors.
Would a HDMI enabled mini with some nice new software be considered a D/PVR? I think and hope so
The Living Room suite of the future (or maybe next year) will be a Dumb Flat panel - no built in tuner. A dumb TV tuner box. A Mini. A surround sound amplifier. Everything will be connected by HDMI and the software in the mini will control everything. Simplicity of living room control could well be a reality.
A mini with a built in amplifier and tuner - I hope not.
call me a pessimist, but I don't see it happening. It's too soon after the iMac, and it's the wrong product. It's blatantly just what we all want to hear - which is why noone has thought about it rationally.
Sounds very cool and hope that the price does not rise to much. I however will still be using the VHS recorder for years to come.
Not a very difficult prediction to make!
Myself and others have predicted and stated that the Mac Mini always was the perfect media hub, so whether or not Think Secret's story is based on fact or not, it is obvious the Mac Mini was not only conceived first and foremost as a media hub, just by it's form factor, but also as a gaming console. It's a hell of a lot more elegant and technically sophisticated than any of the three next generation consoles (it's a real computer too), with the exception of Nintendo's amazing new Revolution controller. Anyway, Apple will do wonders with a Mac Mini hub if they can combine the ease of use of Front Row with the versatility of iTunes which is the best example of a piece of software that combines an intuitive interface with increasingly sophisticated features.
Myself and others have predicted and stated that the Mac Mini always was the perfect media hub, so whether or not Think Secret's story is based on fact or not, it is obvious the Mac Mini was not only conceived first and foremost as a media hub, just by it's form factor, but also as a gaming console. It's a hell of a lot more elegant and technically sophisticated than any of the three next generation consoles (it's a real computer too), with the exception of Nintendo's amazing new Revolution controller. Anyway, Apple will do wonders with a Mac Mini hub if they can combine the ease of use of Front Row with the versatility of iTunes which is the best example of a piece of software that combines an intuitive interface with increasingly sophisticated features.
Well, I hoping for one.
Now all we need is someone to predict an Intel PowerMac at MWSF and the cycle will be complete
Now all we need is someone to predict an Intel PowerMac at MWSF and the cycle will be complete
Oh goody, an iPod dock for all of us who don't have an iPod. Add a memory stick slot and I'm sold!
Before I'd consider one of these, Apple need to do something about the lousy graphics card. But I guess that goes without saying
Before I'd consider one of these, Apple need to do something about the lousy graphics card. But I guess that goes without saying
Chundles said:
Yep. It's pretty much like that or Sky+. The Guide stuff isn't anything more than we've had for what, two decades? with decent VCRs that get their program info from teletext - videoplus style. Sure it looks nicer but it's the same thing, except free.
The problem with a Mac Mini with TV tuner capability built in is just which TV standards do you support. Analogue is due to go away but I don't get anything but analogue here (in PAL, not NTSC or SECAM). In Europe we've Digital Terrestial (DVB-T), Digital Satellite, cable, DVB-H and probably a bunch of others I've not come across. Then you've got competing pay card standards...
Even ElGato don't do a box with it all in or even just analog and DVB-T.
As an owner of a Mac mini, I do love its size. Howerver, the 4200 RPM drive in the unit has been shown to be a limiting factor in its performance. I have a HD PVR with a 250GB HD from my satellite provider. At HD rates, I only get about 20 hours of HD content before the drive runs dry. This may seem like a lot, but with my schedule, I find a need for more, I'm waiting for the ability to add another drive externally. They do also need to make the unit a little bit more user servicable, I think that making RAM a non user servicable part on the mini was a big mistage. Doubling the height of the unit would still make it very compact.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Mini move to an all new form-factor. One shorter, but wider and deeper. In other words, one that would fit nicely in your stack of A/V gear, perhaps something like a mini Xserve. That's assuming they're going to be pushing it as a digital hub. The current form factor may be useful for a small desk, but is awkward for an A/V component.p0intblank said:
Chundles said:
Tivo did come to the UK a few years ago. It was very expensive and required subscription (If i remember correctly).
Sky+ is effectively doing the tivo equivalent and is really starting to build a loyal following even with the monthly charge.
For Freeview, there is a growing range of devices that do the job with varying degrees of success. See http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/forumdisplay.php?f=90
for a discussion on the current crop.
It all sounds very likely - and awesome. I'd get one!
Didn't someone find what looked like an early dock connector chipset on the mother board of the mini?
Didn't someone find what looked like an early dock connector chipset on the mother board of the mini?