Am I the only one who hates this idea? I mean, not everybody who wants a cheap Mac is an iPod user, plus, it's just going to be ugly!
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Mac mini Missing Built-In iPod Dock?
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this would have to be an option, i mean i don't want a dock on my mini, it wouldn't look good unless apple could somehow manage to not ruin the look
it's going to be a multipurpose dock to connect the ipod(s) OR to stack and directly plug in the upcoming expansions (i.e. large drive with all the needed connectors for the media center, additional optical drive and so on).
The mini will be a SYSTEM like the stereos of yesteryear. You get what you want, all is beautifully integrated with no cables around to slow down connections and clutter the area, and you can upgrade one part at the time without changing everything.
edit: or that is what it SHOULD be
The mini will be a SYSTEM like the stereos of yesteryear. You get what you want, all is beautifully integrated with no cables around to slow down connections and clutter the area, and you can upgrade one part at the time without changing everything.
edit: or that is what it SHOULD be
DPazdanISU said:
they can just have a "plug" the covers the dock on top and just merges in seamlessly with the rest of the mini.
I am on board with thinking that there is more to this than just an iPod dock. Makes one wonder what are the long range thoughts on what the mini will be in a year or two. Stackable or connecting components could make this the 'digital hub' of a year from now. It may be worth watching what comes of this.
You guys are funnyziwi said:
Believe me when I say... there is NOTHING too this. It is a leftover piece from the design process. Originally the Mac mini had an iPod docking station on top, but they cancelled it AFTER the architecture had been decided but not the final case design. Hence they left it in there but didn't put the dock on the machine because it was too limiting on future dock designs.
ogun7 said:![mini_connector.jpg]()
The "D" designators are likely diodes. The "R"s are resistors. "F" is quite possibly for fuse. "J" is a connector.
D1 is quite large, so it can handle some power.
I think this is designed for the outside world, like an iPod dock. The key is the fuse.
I'd like a Mac mini to interface with my amplifier with a SPDIF optical link. It's the one thing I see missing from the Mac mini to make it a media center.
I plugged my PowerMac into my HDTV a while back. Worked like a charm.
I didn't try it, but I suspect I could plug the SPDIF in my amp and have my amp decode DTS/Dolby signals. So my Power Mac could be used a media center. Too expensive for this task though. But a Mac mini ... perfect, except for the digital audio out.
Now this supposedly the year of HD (High Definition).
My question is ... can a Mac with a DVD type drive read a HD-DVD disk when they come out? Mac mini Rev B? (aka Media Centre)
***nomination for most useful idea of the week***
haha yes that was what we were ALL waiting for: an ugly dock for your pod.
Even if I had an ipod I would say: "thank you but thank you"
It's stupid. Or is there a one size fits all for all ipods that's invisible and without additional factory cost? That would be cool with me.
haha yes that was what we were ALL waiting for: an ugly dock for your pod.
Even if I had an ipod I would say: "thank you but thank you"
It's stupid. Or is there a one size fits all for all ipods that's invisible and without additional factory cost? That would be cool with me.
maybe future revisions will have it.
but then unless teh dock is covered it wouldnt look very nice it might ruin the minis look
but then unless teh dock is covered it wouldnt look very nice it might ruin the minis look
huh
You don't think Steve would go to the trouble to eliminate a cable? What planet are you from?
Ultimately thought I think they dumped the dock Idea because it would detract from the simplicity of the case design
Also note that 10 of the connections are for power or ground with 4 for firewire signals leaving only 6 presently unknown connectors
gmed said:
You don't think Steve would go to the trouble to eliminate a cable? What planet are you from?
Ultimately thought I think they dumped the dock Idea because it would detract from the simplicity of the case design
Also note that 10 of the connections are for power or ground with 4 for firewire signals leaving only 6 presently unknown connectors
Well whatever it is its good to see Apple planning head to roll out new tech for us all. Between this and those new pins on the Shuffle I tend to think its an iPod thing - big Halo effect due soon...
Hey, you got me thinking!Flynnstone said:
They key is actually not a fuse but a diode D1. You know why? Because it prevents the current from another firewire device on the same bus flowing backwards into mini's PSU if the other Firewire power voltage is higher. Much like SCSI bus power.
That means that this is a prevention from connecting something beyond Apple's control. Otherwise it's a waste of a high current diode that costs money. Most probably it all should somehow end up on a standard 6 pin Firewire socket.
Maybe another row of connectors above existing USB/FW?
Unknown lines are grouped as two and four.
Those two could be:
I2C to control something
Stereo in OR out
S/PDIF in AND out
USB
...
--Leo
ziwi said:
I agree with the stackable modular design, but i think a lot of that will come from 3rd parties. For example, a no-brainer is a DVR that comes with not only a TV tuner and various video inputs, but also with its own larger-capacity hard drive (e.g. a 3.5" 120GB drive). It could connect via Firewire but also act as a Firewire Hub.
Considering EyeTV and competing products sell for $300 *without* a hard drive, I think such a product could sell for about $400 and still make a killing. So for about $1000 you could get a true Media Center, which plays music from your iTunes Library, plays DVDs, and records TV shows. And oh yeah, just happens to be a full-fledged Mac computer as well. And it should come with a Bluetooth-based remote control so you can have easy access to all of the media functions.
*shakes head*
Why doesn't anyone listen to me. I know you guys think Apple has grand plans because of this, but it's just not so. Inside sources have stated that it is nothing but a vestigial remain of what was going to be the Mac Mini iPod dock. The early models of the mini had the dock on top however late in pre-production they pulled the idea but were too far along to eliminate the pieces from the innards. And thus we have what remains on the board now. That's all. There is no media center piece planned for it, no iPod dock, and no special connectivity. I doubt it will even be on the Mini Rev B.
Why doesn't anyone listen to me. I know you guys think Apple has grand plans because of this, but it's just not so. Inside sources have stated that it is nothing but a vestigial remain of what was going to be the Mac Mini iPod dock. The early models of the mini had the dock on top however late in pre-production they pulled the idea but were too far along to eliminate the pieces from the innards. And thus we have what remains on the board now. That's all. There is no media center piece planned for it, no iPod dock, and no special connectivity. I doubt it will even be on the Mini Rev B.
bosrs1 said:
And this isn't all that unusual for Apple -- if folks will recall, the original Bondi Blue iMac shipped with the "Perch" mezzanine card slot, and people got all excited about expandability (some third parties even made cards for it). But it was removed in a later rev., and Apple said: "The Mezzanine connector was used during the development and manufacture of iMac. It is no longer needed and therefore has been removed from the iMac 266 logic board." So I wouldn't be at all surprised if bosrs1 is right.
B-52 Macer said:I believe you.
But in the rumors game it's not what is true that is the most important, it's to speculate and come up something own that you want to believe in.
, well in that case I think it's going to connect to a big satillite dish that will allow you to email aliens.
bosrs1 said:
Uh, I thought I was agreeing with you. I was pretty clear that what I envisioned was 3rd parties creating complementary products that just plugged in to one of the Mini's existing ports. Probably Apple will do what it often does with software and hardware innovators: let them make groundbreaking products that greatly enhance the Mac experience, then crush them underfoot by stealing their ideas and rolling them into their own products.