Mac Mini 2010 Predictions

[Shanpdx]

MacMini - do not need battery

may be may be we might see an Core i3 ( and of course laptop CPU)

everything else pretty much macbook specs not to be surprised it is exactly like macbook (as it is now)

SSD no way - it is not even offered in iMac or macbook so no chance for it get into MacMini, 7200RPM drives possible as standard config but with larger hard drive platters 5400RPM newer drives easily outclasses 7200RPM older ones ...

 

[flopticalcube]

Once again, i3 shares the same design flaw as i5. No integrated GPU can be used with it as it has its own crappy one internally. If they use i3, they will need to use a dedicated GPU like the 330M which won't happen because the mini will then be better than the 13" MBP.

 

[henrikrox]

So when should we expect the new mini? Following the buyers guide. Mabye in summer, but i think fall. I seriously want a new computer and i hate buying the mini as it is now.

 

[mdnz]

Once again, i3 shares the same design flaw as i5. No integrated GPU can be used with it as it has its own crappy one internally. If they use i3, they will need to use a dedicated GPU like the 330M which won't happen because the mini will then be better than the 13" MBP.

It's a licensing issue, not a design flaw.

 

[AAPLaday]

Once again, i3 shares the same design flaw as i5. No integrated GPU can be used with it as it has its own crappy one internally. If they use i3, they will need to use a dedicated GPU like the 330M which won't happen because the mini will then be better than the 13" MBP.

I hate intel for this stupid rule. I only wish AMD were more of a force in mobile computing. Then Apple would have more of a choice. Intel are getting too big and powerful now in the CPU market

 

[Hellhammer]

It's a licensing issue, not a design flaw.

It's a marketing trick

I hate intel for this stupid rule. I only wish AMD were more of a force in mobile computing. Then Apple would have more of a choice. Intel are getting too big and powerful now in the CPU market

As I said, it's just a marketing trick. Other IGPs can't be used as they uses the system memory a.k.a RAM and Nehalem has built-in memory controller meaning that it'll control the RAM and Intel has made it so that it won't give it for other GPUs. I don't think it's a bad thing really, it's great in terms of battery life when Optimus etc gets more popular. Apple is just lazy to redesign innards of e.g. 13" MBP as it could fit a low-end dedicated GPU fine, e.g. nVidia 305M or ATI 5450.

 

[flopticalcube]

It's a licensing issue, not a design flaw.

From what I gathered, the licensing was more from the desktop point of view and was for the complete chipset (MCP99?). The fact that the memory controller was now embedded in the MCM meant that even a Northbridge IGP needed its own dedicated RAM and thus it wasn't really integrated but dedicated.