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Intel Mac mini To Evolve Into Digital Hub?

MacSlut said:
It has nothing to do with 7200rpm. As it is, 5400 rpm is too fast (noise, heat and wasted speed). The issue is with cost (3.5" is considerably cheaper per GB) and with capacity (even 500GB isn't enough for some of us...my media collection is well over 1.5TB). Sure there is FireWire and USB2, but the cool thing about a potential "mini a/v" is that it would be so convenient to take with you...and 3.5" versus 2.5" really won't increase the size much.

OMG, to think that this bad little boy could boot as a Windows PC, an OS X Mac, and replace my TiVo...Life could be good. Now, please, please, please, let this control common cable boxes, provide an "Apple-cool" programming guide via the Web, and let the files be open (for burning and transfer).
Click to expand...

Keep it small. The number of mini's sold as desktop machines will far outstrip the number sold as media centres. If the mess with the form factor they'll lose what's beautiful about the mini.

I've picked up a mini as a headless server because of the size, and I'm already dreaming about how to make use of another.

As you said, the storage requirements for a videophile will exceed any drive they can put in there, so keep a couple firewire ports, but don't upset the core unit.

The 4GB nano is outselling the 60GB iPod even though there are some pretty loud voices here complaining that even 60GB isn't enough for them. The iPod can't be expanded, but the mini can-- look at things like the OWC mini-mate or whatever they call it (500GB drive and FW/USB hub that matches the mini footprint).

I'd expect Apple to follow the industry and their own history on this one as far as DRM: what you record yourself is yours, what you dowload from them is locked. Record your favorite shows, or pull them from iTMS if you didn't set it up, joined the series late, or just want it commercial free.
 
I hope, IF this rumour turns out to be true, this will be an additional product alongside the current Mac mini as I can't see it being cheap at all. I just want a cheap Mac.
 
New Mac Mini..... cool, I think

Kind of getting tired of the speculation and rumors though.....

But then again I heard it on the internet so it must be true :rolleyes:
 
Talk about great free publicity. We're barely a week into the great iPod for xmas frenzy and already we have rumors (from traditional Mac rumor sites and Wall Street analysts) of Intel versions of most Apple lines coming in January. No doubt we will be disappointed when most, if not all, fail to materialize at MWSF.

As an Apple stockholder, I say keep the frenzy up.
 
BWhaler said:
There are two common--common meaning 10-100's of millions of people use these devices or need a solution--electronic devices/purposes which the market's current solutions are terrible:

1. Living room hub and universal remote.
2. Cell phones
Click to expand...


I agree.

A media Center Mac mini would need a good remote control (wi-fi iPod?) to choose airport base stations for music and an optical audio out for surround sound.
 
I hope when negotiations with Tivo fell apart that Apple purchased (or will purchase) Elgato (EyeTV). I was very skeptical about the product, but craved a d/pvr. This is not an advertisement but I purchase a refurbished EyeTV and it works flawlessly. The software is great, scheduling is simple and there are no monthly fees. You can edit commercials out quickly and it exports in more formats than I can remember, including directly to the ipod. I have my Ipod filled up with the family guy and mxc, I don’t know what I would do without it. And remember the former CEO of Elgato is now with Apple Germany. This is another one where I don’t think Apple has to reinvent the wheel, rather just buy it and tweak it.
 
I was hoping for a device like this, the mac mini has the potential to be the perfect home theatre device, and it would only need to be say half an inch higher to fit the tv card and 3.5" drive, I mean it's logic board is already packed, they'd need to make room for the RF receiver and tv microchip. I think a slight change in form factor would be a good idea, to make such a perfect home theatre device, the home theatre computer currently has nothing but sub-par products, reminds me of hard drive mp3 players before ipod, they were completely sub par. What if apple can get a large amount of mainstream comnsumers to consider buying this device instead of a dvd player and set top box, and sell them 720x480 movie and tv shows on itunes store? We may be looking at the device that will obsolete cable tv here... maybe. All from a tiny mac mini box. Sounds ambitious? who would have thought apple would be obsoleting the audio cd and cd player 5 years ago.
They could stick with the current laptop hard drive and use a 120GB one maybe though that would be ok enough, to avoid increasing the units height so much. But it would drive up the cost.
They alraedy have a remote with imac, all they need is a new frontrow version with tv support.
 
ok ThinkSecret... i believe you. I guess. :rolleyes: :)

... but I don't think this Apple DVR will be a Mac Mini reincarnate. It's gotta be a different form factor. (1) Apple does not want to hurt sales of an already well branded, entry-level computer system. (2) If the Apple DVR/home hub does come to pass, expect it to be marketed as another consumer device (a la the iPod) instead of a computer system. It will be compatible with Windows-based home networks.

$70 a share doesn't scare me. I'm definitely hanging onto my stock through this next year. The transition to Intel and hopes of (insanely) great new products should make things interesting.
 
Bluray?

Any chance that a bluray dvd burner will be included in this model or are they not production ready yet? Is bluray backwards compatible i.e. current dvd format?

Would be an awesome little machiene with remote, hard disk and some kind of tv connection.

What is the likelihood of convergence between tv content, movies and internet? How far away is the prospect of having one cable for tv, movie download and internet conncetion? Imagine that- one cable a video capable airport that can stream movies, tv, photos, music to any screen or speakers in your house.

Am I dreaming...?:rolleyes: :cool: :eek:
 
Perfect this is what my grandmom was going to buy the Mini for(replace her Media Center PC with her Plasma) so i hope this happens
 
This would be really cool.......well if it had a decent CPU and GPU of course....somthing that has power :D
 
give it good components a 500 GB 7,200rpm hard drive and all the rest that people have mentioned in this post, keep it cheap, make it bigger for all i care! a small tower will do!
 
How about a single core 1.6ghz yonah or something like that, would offer decent performance, and would play mpeg 2 HD.:eek: it's necessary to use a laptop CPU in it for cooling issues in something so small, as well as silent cooling.
500GB is too expensive I think for something that supposed to be a budget mac. Perhaps a BTO option. :p And the small form factor is very important for a home theatre device. Hmm there is also the consideration of the extra noise a 3.5" drive would make.
I think that size and silence are of top importance for a home theatre device.
 
Here we go...

This is exactly what I have been waiting for, if they actually make this I'll probably buy it. It'll be great to have a fast Mac and a DVR in one box. I wonder how much it will cost but, more importantly, how fast will it be? I wonder how high of a graphics card they'll have in it since it will need a good one. I don't know about the iPod dock, I can't imagine one "built-in"...and what happens if they change the iPod Dock connector? I just can't see that happening, but then again I couldn't see the shuffle becoming a real product and it's been a great product. Wow me Apple so I can spend money I don't have! :D :rolleyes:

Edit: Also remember Apple might not include a 56k modem, they've already took them out from the iMacs and added that $49 USB modem to their store, I say it frees up some space :)
 
TS has given me some hope for the new year to get some hardware :)

Wishlist.

I would be happy to see a slightly fater Mini with a real HDD (250 gig option) for all my music and movie options. + better cooling. A gig of flash for instant startup ;)

BT/Wifi/IrD as standard. All mounted towards the front.

HMDI/HDCP connector out next to DVI out? S-Video out?

Gigabit ethernet? Is that needed yet?

USB/Firewire connectors...maybe a front mount to easily connect cameras.

iPod dock on top...mmm...kinda cool.

HDMI/HDCP in? to pull the signal from a tuner. With component/Scart/composite to HDMI connector cable options.
OR
Built in SD tuner? As well. There pretty cheap nowadays so why not. Awesome if was HD tuner.

Optical audio in/out for music.

Built in iSight???? Probably not but that would be pretty cool for family conferencing in front of the TV. To much of a pain I guess. So maybe a new iSight with HD.

More advanced remote? Is there anything else it "needs".

DL DVD Burner...

Basic / Advanced model that dont leap too much away from current price points - designed to compete with the 360 and PS3 for multimedia features (not too hard when you only have a 20 gig HDD).

And it comes in Black ;)

And there is a pro one in Metal?
 
I am not sure i believe this rumor, but a revised Intel based mini would be nice. I'd be willing to sacrafice a little bit of a size increase if it meant a full size hard drive, meaning increased speed.

I'm sure it would help with HD recording and playback, as well as storage.
 
I would drive my car into the Mall of America and block off the Apple store and sit there with a shotgun to be the first to get my hands on an entertainment center based Mac Mini.* I want....I soooo very very much want. :eek:









*I'm soooo kidding
 
aswitcher said:
TS has given me some hope for the new year to get some hardware :)

Wishlist.

I would be happy to see a slightly fater Mini with a real HDD (250 gig option) for all my music and movie options. + better cooling. A gig of flash for instant startup ;)

BT/Wifi/IrD as standard. All mounted towards the front.

HMDI/HDCP connector out next to DVI out? S-Video out?

Gigabit ethernet? Is that needed yet?

USB/Firewire connectors...maybe a front mount to easily connect cameras.

iPod dock on top...mmm...kinda cool.

HDMI/HDCP in? to pull the signal from a tuner. With component/Scart/composite to HDMI connector cable options.
OR
Built in SD tuner? As well. There pretty cheap nowadays so why not. Awesome if was HD tuner.

Optical audio in/out for music.

Built in iSight???? Probably not but that would be pretty cool for family conferencing in front of the TV. To much of a pain I guess. So maybe a new iSight with HD.

More advanced remote? Is there anything else it "needs".

DL DVD Burner...

Basic / Advanced model that dont leap too much away from current price points - designed to compete with the 360 and PS3 for multimedia features (not too hard when you only have a 20 gig HDD).

And it comes in Black ;)

And there is a pro one in Metal?
Click to expand...

Yeah....thats it Flash for the OS :D :D

And and what 1.6+Ghz Penitium M/Yonah
 
Do you think this will really replace the mini?
People love the mini for it's simplicity( yet not at the expense of a wee pic 'o power), low cost and the whole 'plug-in-and-play' approach.

Adding all these 'extras' is only going to complicate matters. I feel that people would prefer an additional 'media centre' Mac range - for people that want them!
 
I don't see this as being a mini replacement, and I don't see it as being a full blown Mac. Big buttons on an easy to use oversized interface (a la Front Row) that you can see from across the room, great idea.

Small fonts and menu bars, complicated (for a consumer elecrtonics device) OS tweaking, not so great an idea.

I see this Apple media centre as doing one thing well (media management) rather than lots of things badly (XP Media Centre Edition).

Just my 10 cents.
 
I don't think it'll make the mini less simple, such feature should be easy to ignore if you don't want to use them much like the current imac. ;)
 
If this is a Mac with a media centre focus, what becomes of the keyboard and mouse. Perhaps a remote that can navigate around the OS?
 
Remember when this made the rounds?
http://dms.tecknohost.com/macrumors/i/ihome/

Photo-0008.jpg


I think something along these lines is quite likely.
 
Murphy's Law

Murphy's Law dictates that having just bought a Mac mini, a MacPower MD-X9 (basically a Newertech mini stack) and a 400 Gig HD, plus an eyeTV tuner, Apple will release all this in a smaller box for half the price.

Oh well, I'll just move the "old" mini to be the new webserver, get a new Intel mini for my HTPC, and send the old G4 tower currently acting as my webserver to my church. I donated an old G4/500 with twin graphics cards to run the data projector a few weeks ago and the staff team love it.
 
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