Mac Mini Mid 2010 Teardown Photos

[Beaverman3001]

It appears that the removal of hard drive on Mac Mini (non-server) would be exactly the same. They just did not show it in the tear-down. They left it until the very end even though the removal of logic board did not seem necessary to get to the one and only hard drive.

I see, if it can be removed without touching the logic board that would be great! Wish one of these companies made a video, judging by pictures alone is a bit hard.

 

[jp102235]

This endless bitching about the $100 USD price hike is getting sickening from many people here. Did it occur to anyone here that Apple did this out of a strategy? Look at the Mac mini server, most likely they want to sell you this machine. For $300 more you get dual 7200 RPM hard drives, faster processor and double the ram. Buy a copy of Snow Leopard for $29 and you've got a really great computer for a media center which is what many people want the mini for. Instead of just sitting around complaining all day try and look at the strategy behind it.

agree, the prices seem in line with hp offerings (compare a souped up mini-desktop to their all-in-ones)... although apple should really just throw in the mouse and keyboard ($100 to purchase)... that would make things a litte better...

 

[HLdan]

The new Mac-Mini looks amazing, but I'm disappointed to see thats its even more expensive now =/, Does Apple know what budget means??.

Sure, they understand budget very well, if they charged $5000 for a Mac mini they know many of their customer base will "budget" their money to buy it. Why should they charge lower when they know people will buy anyway.

 

[deconstruct60]

Why would I want an OS X Server at home?

He mentions buying a $29 Snow Leopard. (not sure if that is really neccesary) but I suspect what going to do is wipe the OS X Server off the server version. Put snow leopard on. Run it. Mainly buying the server version for the hardware ( RAID-1 the media collection there ? ).

Kind of skips over the effect of playing DVDs that aren't ripped.

With OS X Server can make the mini be a "time capsule" plus media server. But yeah the admin could get involved to try to leverage all of the server software.

 

[HLdan]

=

Why would I want an OS X Server at home? $699 already gets enough complaints.

Am I incorrect that you can't install your own copy of Snow Leopard? If that is correct then many people would prefer dual faster hard drives to a single one and many people here don't want the optical drive.

 

[DetroitBORG]

I ran to the Apple Store today and fetched my own copy of the new Mac mini.

I purchased this for my Home Theater, so it's not really going to be a desktop system.

I unbox, tour, demo, open the hatch, and compare it to the previous gen and Apple TV. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxnsj1Xx1tc

 

[balamw]

Am I incorrect that you can't install your own copy of Snow Leopard?

But why? Isn't OS X 10.6 Server a superset of Snow Leopard? Just turn off any services you aren't using.

B

 

[Eidorian]

He mentions buying a $29 Snow Leopard. (not sure if that is really neccesary) but I suspect what going to do is wipe the OS X Server off the server version. Put snow leopard on. Run it. Mainly buying the server version for the hardware ( RAID-1 the media collection there ? ).

Kind of skips over the effect of playing DVDs that aren't ripped.

With OS X Server can make the mini be a "time capsule" plus media server. But yeah the admin could get involved to try to leverage all of the server software.

The $300 difference can buy a stupidly large amount of storage that one more 500 GB internal hard drive just can't amount to.

I don't see the benefits of having the ability to have an Open Directory server in my home. There's a disturbing amount of Time Machine compatible network hardware and NAS solutions that are chump change compared to a Mac mini server.

Has Apple broken Time Machine on non-Apple hardware or via unsupported network shares yet? If they haven't it's a wide world. Plex and XMBC don't need Apple labeled hardware for network mounts either.

An unlimited client server license is overkill for what even a Windows Home Server can do.

 

[djellison]

Who cares? I personally wouldn't buy one if it didn't have a Superdrive in it.

Indeed - the price might be justified if it really has a 'super' drive, one that ran all currently popular optical media. Like 50% of laptops out there.

 

[HLdan]

But why? Isn't OS X 10.6 Server a superset of Snow Leopard? Just turn off any services you aren't using.

B

Fair enough, that's why I was asking, I'm not familiar enough with Snow Leopard Server to know if the built in apps offered the same experience as using the retail version Snow Leopard.

The $300 difference can buy a stupidly large amount of storage that one more 500 GB internal hard drive just can't amount to.

I don't see the benefits of having the ability to have an Open Directory server in my home. There's a disturbing amount of Time Machine compatible network hardware and NAS solutions that are chump change compared to a Mac mini server.

Has Apple broken Time Machine on non-Apple hardware or via unsupported network shares yet? If they haven't it's a wide world. Plex and XMBC don't need Apple labeled hardware for network mounts either.

An unlimited client server license is overkill for what even a Windows Home Server can do.

I got your point very well, I was looking more at the small form factor and as a media center it's a perfect solution if you don't want clutter but you want decent specs. I'm just thinking that Apple strategically set this up to get more people to buy the server version, especially if you can just install the standard Snow Leopard if the server version is overkill.

 

[oYx]

I don't pretend to know anything, but just to throw this up to get some thoughts:

If the new Mini's price prods you over to the iMac, Apple will be happy. If the Mini is the choice purchase for any reason, Apple will be happy too. Of course, you might just give up on a Mac altogether, but if price is a highly sensitive factor, then you probably won't be looking at Apple in the first place? The last observation based on having seen the people around me who purchased Macs.

All in all, what I am suggesting is that Apple has got little to lose if you are already looking in their direction?

 

[Eidorian]

I got your point very well, I was looking more at the small form factor and as a media center it's a perfect solution if you don't want clutter but you want decent specs.

What's wrong with the previous Mac mini then? People keep suggesting the PS3 to me as well. The Acer Revo can pull it off with XMBC.

I'm just thinking that Apple strategically set this up to get more people to buy the server version, especially if you can just install the standard Snow Leopard if the server version is overkill.

I don't see a reason to purchase the Mac mini server in order to do this. What are the benefits of the server version in doing so?

You keep mentioning storage or overwriting the OS X Sever installation. Can you explain that?

 

[notabadname]

If only it had blu-ray. Then, this would be the most perfect media center ever. They did HDMI, but no blu-ray? I really don't understand why Apple is now about THE only non-adopter of blu-ray. I can order it on an Acer now. That's like being able to get Nav in a Suzuki automobile, but not in a BMW.

Come on Apple. You backed it over HD-DVD. It won the format war. Blu-rays are pushing DVD out of BestBuy one isle at a time. You are supposedly a leader in new technologies.

Sigh . . . . . .

 

[HLdan]

I don't see a reason to purchase the Mac mini server in order to do this. What are the benefits of the server version in doing so?

Well, putting the ram aside because it's insignificant, the dual 7200 hard drives and lack of optical drive are a plus for many people. Apple won't offer a 7200 on the standard Mac mini, not sure why. The Mac mini could still be a lot more than what it is, but for the form factor I would rather have the better hardware over an optical drive. Having multiple external drives create too much clutter for something most people are just going to use to store a few movies and their music collection on.

 

[Eidorian]

Well, putting the ram aside because it's insignificant, the dual 7200 hard drives and lack of optical drive are a plus for many people. Apple won't offer a 7200 on the standard Mac mini, not sure why. The Mac mini could still be a lot more than what it is, but for the form factor I would rather have the better hardware over an optical drive. Having multiple external drives create too much clutter for something most people are just going to use to store a few movies and their music collection on.

Network storage is hilariously cheap compared to spending the money to get one more 500 GB hard drive inside of a Mac mini. I'm sure there are plenty of people that have a multi-terabyte NAS here or are even using a Power Mac G4 with a SATA card hidden in a closet somewhere. Why does all of the storage have to be inside of the Mac mini itself?

I still toy around with a Windows Home Server V2 using a possible built-in TV tuner to stream to Windows Media Extenders. A Xbox 360 Arcade can run $99-149. The server would also handle Time Machine backups and be able to location shift any media over the internet using Silverlight. It'd be cheaper than a mini server too.

I remember the suggestions of a PS3 with a NAS from yesterday as well. That offers Blu-ray right there.

If you can extol the virtues of buying a $999 Mac mini server with an unlimited client copy of OS X Server and 2 500 GB hard drives as a HTPC then please do so. Unless a HTPC needs to run a directory server, Apache, and NetInstall. Maybe my priorities are wrong.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Network storage is hilariously cheap compared to spending the money to get one more 500 GB hard drive inside of a Mac mini. I'm sure there are plenty of people that have a multi-terabyte NAS here or are even using a Power Mac G4 with a SATA card hidden in a closet somewhere. Why does all of the storage have to be inside of the Mac mini itself?

I still toy around with a Windows Home Server V2 using a possible built-in TV tuner to stream to Windows Media Extenders. A Xbox 360 Arcade can run $99-149. The server would also handle Time Machine backups and be able to location shift any media over the internet using Silverlight. I'd be cheaper than a mini server too.

I remember the suggestions of a PS3 with a NAS from yesterday as well. That offers Blu-ray right there.

If you can extol the virtues of buying a $999 Mac mini server with an unlimited client copy of OS X Server and 2 500 GB hard drives as a HTPC then please do so. Unless a HTPC needs to run a directory server, Apache, and NetInstall. Maybe my priorities are wrong.

If you want a Media Box with storage, isnt there those HD Media Centre things which also support a network?

http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=12169

---

I think people recommend the PS3 because its the cheapest total solution media box.

 

[Eidorian]

If you want a Media Box with storage, isnt there those WD things?

There are so many things I can't list all of them.

My mind was boggled with Buffalo offered a network attached hard drive with a torrent client with web administration and it supported Time Machine for $149 at 500 GB and $199 for 1 TB. This was last year!

The PS3 meets my sofa needs tho, Internet, Games, Movies.

I can web browse on my Wii and it supports USB keyboards. Can't the PS3 do that?

 

[robby818]

Well, putting the ram aside because it's insignificant, the dual 7200 hard drives and lack of optical drive are a plus for many people. Apple won't offer a 7200 on the standard Mac mini, not sure why. The Mac mini could still be a lot more than what it is, but for the form factor I would rather have the better hardware over an optical drive. Having multiple external drives create too much clutter for something most people are just going to use to store a few movies and their music collection on.

I'm considering getting the server version and replacing one of the hard drives with an Intel 80GB SSD. I think a retail Snow Leopard disk may NOT boot..you may need 10.6.3 or above. I have tried to install Snow Leopard using the retail disk on my recent Macs (i7 imac and 13" MBP) and neither would boot off the retail disk.

The price is a bit high though and not a great value esp. when compared to the 21" imac.

 

[meatballs]

lulz?

 

[Cinch]

Click2Flash + HTML5 Youtube.

Next please.

only a tiny portion of the youtube universe of video is HTML5.
I have Click2Flash, but use it only a few times when I first had it installed. On many popular sites there are multimedia tools that are Flash based, blocking it would defeat the purpose of visiting the site. These sites varies e.g. ESPN and MarketWatch

Next Please

 

[Dj BW]

www.plexapp.com

wow! thank you so much! coolest app ive seen in a bit

 

[MorphingDragon]

I can web browse on my Wii and it supports USB keyboards. Can't the PS3 do that?

The PS3 can, and it supports flash. The PS3 also supports bluetooth keyboards and mice too.

I have the controller keypad tho.

 

[Xtremehkr]

I'm really tired of hearing about BD. BD isn't even doing that well against DVDs. I think people realize that content delivery is quickly moving onto the internet.

Sony manages to pick an awful lot of loser formats.

 

[Eidorian]

The PS3 can, and it supports flash. The PS3 also supports bluetooth keyboards and mice too.

I have the controller keypad tho.

I guess it does do everything.

Flash works on the Wii as well. My connection is painfully slow and it shows though compared to a x86 computer.

I'm really tired of hearing about BD. BD isn't even doing that well against DVDs. I think people realize that content delivery is quickly moving onto the internet.

Sony manages to pick an awful lot of loser formats.

Can you back up those claims?

 

[ciaran00]

I keep hearing about Plex (I admit I haven't played with it) and others that you can install, like Boxee/XBMC (which I was an alpha tester for on ATV). However, what I think all these are missing that the ATV has is a clean user interface. I don't want to have a keyboard or mouse to work my home theater (neither does my wife and kids). How do you rent movies with Plex or Boxee? I think, other than non-mainstream shows that are not streaming, DVR is dying.

I know that alot of you readers will disagree with me, but the simple interface that ATV has blows all the others away...especially since I can easily rent movies too. Now granted, ATV doesn't have the codec support that the others have but I don't know if the UI degrade is worth it. I find that I really just rent movies and buy kid movies so that the kids can watch them more than once. Just keep it simple is what will succeed in the mainstream...and that is where the money is. I will also admit I rip my purchased DVD's and then Handbrake them so they are on ATV...all behind the scene geeking out that my wife and kids don't want to or care about. I am fine with the quality and so is my family...I know others are not and I respect that. I would like to see ATV support more codecs...wouldn't mind a blueray player to be included with that too.

Just so you know, I did geek out with Boxee alpha on ATV and then into Beta, but it just never clicked with the family. UI is very important...hence the fact that the iPhone, iTouch, and now iPad are the first successful tablets. All others were trying to accomplish it but if you try and run a program that is designed with a mouse and keyboard, it is tough going if you don't have those accessories. Programs need to be designed with the specific UI in mind.

In my simple mind, all I think we need (and there are rumors it is coming) is ATV with iOS. Apps can be developed (hopefully Pandora and Hulu would be part of that) and I think the possibilities are almost endless. Who knows what great things all those minds out there can dream up.

Anyways, the new mini is nice but...

Seriously, have you looked at Remote Buddy?