Mac Mini End Of Life?

[miniHope]

Here's hoping...

Dell has gone where others have gone before.
Such as this cuurent Shuttle:

This is what's coming up the pike:
The barebones on the left is $99 but you won't get a Core 2 Duo for that.

Anyone seen this before, oh, about 7-8 years ago? That being said, Shuutle has a proven track record.

Another Asus. This one has a 1.6 mhz Atom at $269.

Apple won't be going anywhere near this, as they seem on the verge of dumping this form factor.
Edit: (Maybe I'm wrong; this thing looks thin.)
Asus is aggressively targeting the low end with both of its Triple E's, and they also have a proven track record.
BTW, they make some sweet motherboards as well.
I've seen another Mac user's laptop EEE and it's a handy little machine.

This Everex seems to be a cloud based machine. This less capable version of a Mac Mini isn't much less expensive, and IMHO maybe a step backwards.

Low end computers are not just $4-500 Dell Windows boxes anymore, which seems to be the common image evoked by several people here. With Moore's Law in play a $500 machine can be very powerful nowadays.

I can't help but think Apple has something up its sleeve here.

I agree with you, and in the meantime we wait for Apple's next rabbit, please check:

http://www.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=10836

 

[Joe The Dragon]

I agree with you, and in the meantime we wait for Apple's next rabbit, please check:

http://www.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=10836

wow MXM MN8600M GT 256M and a 3.5 hdd why can't apple put a good low-end to mid-range video + a 3.5 in a mini?
with Slim slot-in Blu-ray SuperMulti or DVD SuperMulti.

 

[shikimo]

how does apple TV fit into all this? presumably that is Apple's attempt to get under your TV in your lounge. But its pretty limited and more like a media streamer than a full PC.

surely there is a place for something like the appleTV interface in front of a mac mini, sitting under your TV? So a hybrid of the two?

I have an apple TV and I like it for what it does, but it is limited. I'd love to be able to use an apple bluetooth keyboard and mouse for a spot of web browsing on my HDTV, or check my mail.

I can't believe apple would ignore the potential that lounge PCs have - granted, nobody has really cracked it yet, but IMO apple is closest with their appleTV and mac mini

There's a decent discussion of the mini/Apple TV hybrid scenario about 500 posts ago, although in this case I don't at all blame you for not reading the whole thread.

As far as Apple ignoring the potential of 'lounge PCs', I think Clive-at-Five's post just a little while ago regarding demand and product lines pretty much applies to this too, although I suppose that's open for discussion.

 

[maccompaq]

Allez Clive! Let us know it goes...it might be fun if you felt like documenting the adventure in a separate thread.

Let's all make a Hackintosh. Every once in a while, I think about putting a Mini in a G3 Blue and White tower.

L'Enfer, c'est les autres.
Le Paradis ou Le Purgatoire pour vous?
Apple ou Microsoft?

 

[ihabime]

Let's all make a Hackintosh. Every once in a while, I think about putting a Mini in a G3 Blue and White tower.

I myself have always wanted to put a mini in an SE/30 case, that sweet original form factor kitted out with a 9" lcd running OSX. I have a couple Se/30s sitting around, they still work though so I can't bring myself to gut them, but sometimes late at night, when it's real quiet outside, I can hear them calling...

 

[Cave Man]

wow MXM MN8600M GT 256M and a 3.5 hdd why can't apple put a good low-end to mid-range video + a 3.5 in a mini?

Too much heat for the Mini's ff.

with Slim slot-in Blu-ray SuperMulti or DVD SuperMulti.

Blu-Ray's not in Apple's business model. Downloads are.

 

[jodelli]

Let's all make a Hackintosh. Every once in a while, I think about putting a Mini in a G3 Blue and White tower.

L'Enfer, c'est les autres.
Le Paradis ou Le Purgatoire pour vous?
Apple ou Microsoft?

Have you seen this?

Millenium Falcon
Mac mini
Derrick Hixson
"The Mac mini was already being used as a media center Mac, where it was connected to the television in the family room. We saw this toy Millennium Falcon and thought, hmmmm....that should work!"

http://www.macmod.com/content/view/371/2/

 

[maccompaq]

That is a pretty neat mod for the Mini.
The SE30 idea is compelling, but the Color SE30 would be awesome.
I have a pair of G3 Blue and White towers that would be great for a mod, but they both work so well, I cannot bring myself to kill them.

 

[Clive At Five]

wow MXM MN8600M GT 256M and a 3.5 hdd why can't apple put a good low-end to mid-range video + a 3.5 in a mini?
with Slim slot-in Blu-ray SuperMulti or DVD SuperMulti.

Too much heat for the Mini's ff.

FALSE.

The first mini's CPU (a G4) had a higher TDP than the mobile C2D, plus the unit had a dedicated GPU (and cost only $499). There's no reason Apple couldn't be using a mobile GPU in tandem with the mobile C2D in the current formfactor... plus, with their huge volume discounts from Intel, the mini should be priced lower than $499.

Let's all make a Hackintosh.

Let's! I vote MacRumors puts up a Hackintosh forum for us to show off our builds, offer discussions and community troubleshooting.

I myself have always wanted to put a mini in an SE/30 case, that sweet original form factor kitted out with a 9" lcd running OSX. I have a couple Se/30s sitting around, they still work though so I can't bring myself to gut them, but sometimes late at night, when it's real quiet outside, I can hear them calling...

That is a pretty neat mod for the Mini.
The SE30 idea is compelling, but the Color SE30 would be awesome.
I have a pair of G3 Blue and White towers that would be great for a mod, but they both work so well, I cannot bring myself to kill them.

I bought a defunct Cube for this exact purpose... I just haven't bought the Mini yet. Waiting for an update..........................................................

C'mon, Apple.

-Clive

 

[Cave Man]

FALSE.

The first mini's CPU (a G4) had a higher TDP than the mobile C2D, plus the unit had a dedicated GPU (and cost only $499). There's no reason Apple couldn't be using a mobile GPU in tandem with the mobile C2D in the current formfactor...

3.5" drives still run off of 12v (as opposed to the 5v of the 2.5" drives) and generate a substantial amount of heat. My Mini Stack 3.5" drive blows at maximum within a couple of minutes of using the Mini. In combination with other heat-generating hardware inside the Mini's ff, there just isn't any way you could create sufficient heat sink without a fan blowing almost all the time. So much for the Mini's quiet status.

 

[Clive At Five]

3.5" drives still run off of 12v (as opposed to the 5v of the 2.5" drives) and generate a substantial amount of heat. My Mini Stack 3.5" drive blows at maximum within a couple of minutes of using the Mini. In combination with other heat-generating hardware inside the Mini's ff, there just isn't any way you could create sufficient heat sink without a fan blowing almost all the time. So much for the Mini's quiet status.

Well, you couldn't fit a 3.5" HDD in there without increasing the size of the FF anyway. But I wasn't talking about the HDD. The CPU & GPU are definitely a possibility as historical MacMinis have showed us.

-Clive

 

[Cave Man]

But I wasn't talking about the HDD.

But Joe the Dragon was, which was what precipitated my response in the first place.

 

[gkarris]

Interesting on those "green" PC's - some have no optical drive.

That's what I was saying about the Mini a while back. If you want the Superdrive, just use the MBA one. Apple can then lower the price of the Mini to $499...

 

[Clive At Five]

Hey, all, just wanted to share that I'm ordering my Hackintosh parts tonight. My blog shows the factors leading up to my decision. If any of you have input on my setup and stategy, I'd love to hear it.

A message to Apple: With well over 200,000 registered users on InsanelyMac (and undoubtedly many more unregistered users) persuing information on running OS X on generic hardware, it should be obvious that something is wrong. I can guarantee that 90% of current Hackintosh builders aren't doing it to simply save a buck, but rather to use more appropriate hardware for their needs (and in doing so, may be saving money by foregoing costly design aspects you insist upon). I, and thousands of others, are willing to put up with less-than-desirable upgradability to simply be able to run OS X on the hardware we need. Take a hint.

-Clive

 

[ihabime]

Hey, all, just wanted to share that I'm ordering my Hackintosh parts tonight. My blog shows the factors leading up to my decision. If any of you have input on my setup and stategy, I'd love to hear it.
-Clive

Good luck with that and thanks for SPAMMING the forums with your blog. I look forward to fewer posts here about how Apple doesn't love you anymore.

 

[Clive At Five]

Good luck with that and thanks for SPAMMING the forums with your blog. I look forward to fewer posts here about how Apple doesn't love you anymore.

You and all the other fanboys and zealots out there have the right to disagree with my opinion but it would be of better service to negate it with meaningful discussion or facts that support a different argument.

A link to my blog is not nearly as obtrusive as copying and pasting a long blog entry into a forum post. A link just sits there and one can choose to click it if (s)he thinks (s)he'll find it relevant. I receive no ad money nor am I affiliated with anyone who does. It's simply a link to a relevant post, as we were recently discussing the hackintosh as an alternative to waiting for a new MacMini. The post expands on that without a thread-jack, which it would've been had I posted it here. So spam it is not. Get over yourself.

I look forward to fewer meaningless flaming fanboys in the future... but it'll never happen.

-Clive

 

[ihabime]

You and all the other fanboys and zealots out there have the right to disagree with my opinion but it would be of better service to negate it with meaningful discussion or facts that support a different argument.

That's right, anyone who doesn't agree with the great clive must be a fanboy or a zealot. Here's a clue, some of us run more than OSX, some of us do more with our computers than post in forums, some of us choose the right tool for the right job and some of us don't spend months whining that Apple don't make exactly the tool we want. Some of us have built hackintoshes, but we are not so enamored with the sound of our own voices, so obsessed with our own opinions that we post melodramatic overly grandiose statements to Apple declaring our independence.

If you'd bother to read what I've written in other posts on this subject you might know that i have one Mac, that I run OSX, linux and windows on 3 pcs and have built a hackintosh, but those times you were much more concerned with your own over inflated ego, spreading the word of clive, saving us foolish masses from Apples evil claws.

You seem to think I'm an Apple zealot because I post about Macs on a Mac forum, but some of us don't hijack threads to babble on and on about hackintoshes, I post about those on *surprise* hackintosh forums.

But you know what? for all your supposed wisdom, I don't see one post in your history helping anyone, not one answer to a question, no advice for someone with a problem, just you spouting hot air.

So you get on your little donkey and go on your little crusade, but pardon me if I yawn, because it's been done to death.

 

[Clive At Five]

That's right, anyone who doesn't agree with the great clive must be a fanboy or a zealot. Here's a clue, some of us run more than OSX, some of us do more with our computers than post in forums, some of us choose the right tool for the right job and some of us don't spend months whining that Apple don't make exactly the tool we want. Some of us have built hackintoshes, but we are not so enamored with the sound of our own voices, so obsessed with our own opinions that we post melodramatic overly grandiose statements to Apple declaring our independence.

Oh please. I've used Mac OS simultaneously with Windows/DOS for almost two decades now and (though obviously it means I'm not as open-minded as you) haven't had a good reason to try Linux. So what? I still know I need OS X on desktop-class hardware. I don't see how you consider that such a personalized desire since there are thousands of other "complainers" like me asking for the exact same thing.

If no one complained, how would anyone ever know there's a problem?

If you'd bother to read what I've written in other posts on this subject you might know that i have one Mac, that I run OSX, linux and windows on 3 pcs and have built a hackintosh, but those times you were much more concerned with your own over inflated ego, spreading the word of clive, saving us foolish masses from Apples evil claws.

I have more important things to do than memorize each forum member's PC collection... like spread the word of Clive. *rolls eyes*

You seem to think I'm an Apple zealot because I post about Macs on a Mac forum, but some of us don't hijack threads to babble on and on about hackintoshes, I post about those on *surprise* hackintosh forums.

It wouldn't make much research to discover that others brought the Hackintosh discussion to the forefront. I merely contributed to said discussion.

-Clive

 

[bplein]

... plus, with their huge volume discounts from Intel, the mini should be priced lower than $499.

Since when do costs dictate what a seller can ask for their system? Demand dictates what a seller can ask for a system, costs dictate what kind of gross margin and down the line, profits the unit will generate. Do you think that all automobiles are sold at the same margin? Why should computer manufacturers be compelled to fix prices based on costs?

Vote with your pocketbook. Let others do the same. That's why there are Chevy's and BMW's in this world.

 

[shikimo]

Good luck with that and thanks for SPAMMING the forums with your blog. I look forward to fewer posts here about how Apple doesn't love you anymore.

Out...of...line.

Clive's post is 100% relevant to the last 100 or so posts to this thread, and a two-word link (which contains, I might add, NO advertising) to a relevant blog entry in place of a 1000-word post is hardly spamming. Please don't introduce aggression and bitterness where there was none before, at least not between posters. Wouldn't this thread be a better place if you had chosen to NOT post these two sentences, which contribute nothing to an interesting debate?

 

[Cave Man]

Good luck with that and thanks for SPAMMING the forums with your blog. I look forward to fewer posts here about how Apple doesn't love you anymore.

Dude, what's up your skirt? Sounds like somebody has a bit of hackintosh envy.

 

[Cave Man]

Hey, all, just wanted to share that I'm ordering my Hackintosh parts tonight.

$600, eh? I'd like to see what you come up with. Does that include a retail copy of Leopard?

If no one complained, how would anyone ever know there's a problem?

A hole in Apple's lineup? Surely, that can't be true? Apple knows what we all want, right?

 

[marbles]

Good luck with that and thanks for SPAMMING the forums with your blog. I look forward to fewer posts here about how Apple doesn't love you anymore.

No offence intended but the link is, at least in my opinion , a valid contribution this thread .


Hackintosh , unfortunately , IS valid as Apple just don't make a reasonable priced / current spec'd entry level machine which forces most people go the Hackintosh route out of shear frustration .

I for one have enjoyed reading this thread & appreciate links to relevant sites , only broadens the horizons , no?.

 

[gregorsamsa]

Dude, what's up your skirt? Sounds like somebody has a bit of hackintosh envy.

Who knows what's up anyone's skirt these days, but I'll bet it won't be "hackintosh envy".

Most people buy Macs expecting a seamless experience, valuable time saved, for things to "just work". etc. The Hackintosh is a direct contradiction of all that it means to have a Mac. At least building a (legit copy) Vista PC gets you full support from MS.

Still, good luck to those who venture the Hackintosh way. It can only ever appeal to a tiny minority, but hey, whatever floats your boat... that's until more choppy seas arrive with the next Apple updates.

 

[snberk103]

Most people buy Macs expecting a seamless experience, valuable time saved, for things to "just work". etc. The Hackintosh is a direct contradiction of all that it means to have a Mac. At least building a (legit copy) Vista PC gets you full support from MS.

Still, good luck to those who venture the Hackintosh way. It can only ever appeal to a tiny minority, but hey, whatever floats your boat... that's until more choppy seas arrive with the next Apple updates.

That leads to an interesting thought.... What if Apple sold a rebranded version of OS X, separate from the hardware - specifically for people who want to build hackintoshes? They could sell it under a different name (so people weren't expecting an "Apple" experience), with no support whatsoever, other than the normal security releases, etc. Add a licensing restriction that this version could only be used for home use, keep the "may not be copied and distributed" clause, etc.etc.

IBM did that with OS/2 - they sold the rights to sell OS/2 to a 3rd party who called it EcomStation. It was OS/2, just called something else. I don't think IBM makes alot of money from this, and I don't think Apple would either, but the costs are negligible - and you are putting OS X into some areas that they might not otherwise get into.

Instead of $129 (US$) they could charge $59 or $79 - a reduced price since there is no support attached - and I'll bet enough people will want to stay legal. Perfect product for Apple - think of the profit margins!

As I said, call it something completely different so you don't confuse the brand. When the "off-sale" customer finally wants to move to an Apple machine, the migration should be a snap.

Hmm

Of course the hackintoshers would likely want to move to the new Mini that my sources tell me is being introduced next tuesday, first. (That last comment was to keep this post on-topic.....)