Mac mini Missing Built-In iPod Dock?

[TEG]

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.

Don't forget that the iMac (for several generations) had holes in the motherboard for headerpins for Mac Floppy Drives. Infact XLR8 had a walkthrough on how to solder the pins in and use a floppy drive on the iMac. I even recall seeing a site where someone did it, and then found a place in the case to stick the drive. Ingenious.

Now just if someone could figure out how to upgrade the CPUs in TiBooks/AluBooks, that might be something to look into.

BTW: My thoughts on the "mystery connector/solder points".
1) More Firewire Ports
2) CATV in
3) Stackable Design
4) Diagnostic connection
5) Console connection
6) Next Generation Airport connector
7) SPDIF
8) SATA connection
9) Fan Connection (Powered elsewhere, getting orders from this card)
10) S-Video Out

TEG

 

[lbodnar]

My remarks were directed at ... posters having delusions of Mini being more then it is internally.

It settles it down then. Sorry for breathing...

 

[bosrs1]

It settles it down then. Sorry for breathing...

Breathing is overrated.

 

[lbodnar]

BTW: My thoughts on the "mystery connector/solder points".
1) More Firewire Ports
4) Diagnostic connection

1) No, there are no more FW chips in mini, and the one there has only two 400 ports.
4) On a mezzanine board? And only 6 signals... Hmmm.

All the rest well might be! I'm going to look at it further. With a scope.

 

[Flynnstone]

There is one thing that the phantom connector is for ....

Rumors

 

[Flynnstone]

Perhaps more investigation might be fun.
Can some one track where all the traces go? What are the chip labels?

 

[polyesterlester]

Your reaction is why they cancelled that part of the project. They didn't like it in the end.

And your attitude is why Santa Claus died.

Seriously though, all you're going off is rumors. So you can't really use phrases like "trust me".

 

[~Shard~]

Very cool rumor! I wonder what hidden surprises Jobs has in store for the Mac mini...

 

[bosrs1]

And your attitude is why Santa Claus died.

Seriously though, all you're going off is rumors. So you can't really use phrases like "trust me".

Actually I'm not going off rumors

Let's just say I heard it from the horses' mouth.

 

[microchip13]

I think the stackable idea is very likely, as if you remember the mini's power connections have more ports than necessary, so that other things can piggyback onto the minis power supply.

 

[lbodnar]

if you remember the mini's power connections have more ports than necessary, so that other things can piggyback onto the minis power supply.

This is a myth, there is nothing but a single voltage on a power supply connector in mini. This could have been triggered by a large pin count but if you think about it, since it is symmetrical and has no key, each pin is mirrored on the "flip side" so unforunately there will be no surprises here.

 

[~loserman~]

My vote is for wireless firewire. The internal connector is for a wireless firewire module that can be added later, like the bluetooth-airport module.

Nope... Wont be that.

There is not any such beast.

 

[joey4127]

That would be awsome, having a built in dock

 

[Bakey]

Nope... Wont be that.

There is not any such beast.

There was talk however of the development of wireless Firewire & wireless USB... I'm not saying the connectors are related but simply noting the apparent discussion sometime ago of such technologies being developed.

 

[840quadra]

I read this last night on Leo Bodnar's site. He's a MacGenius of the highest order. It was probably one of those proof of concept things that never get used after the marketing doofus' get through with it, ala original iMac mezzanine slot
here's the slot .jpg from Leo's site:

Thanks for the link, that was a good read

 

[barneygumble]

anyone wiling to suggest a rev B update including this at WWDC

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Nope...

I don't think it can be.. think about this... earlier iPods haven't always had the dock connector... one of the first iPods had the FireWire port on top... it can't be because why would they make an iPod dock on Mac mini if not all iPods can be used..

I'm knew to this Mac Rumors site... I've been reading and following up some posts and threads... It seems like this site really knows what there talking about.

Lilstewart92

 

[Crazydoc]

You guys have probably seen this, right?

http://news.com.com/HPs+hues,+they+are+a+changin/2100-1042_3-5645763.html?tag=nl

 

[alexeismertin]

Soldered memory

It may have been for an ipod dock etc but I think Apple will just solder 256mb of ram into a mini. The space the riser occupies looks like the perfect spot.

Also it is taking 1-2 weeks to get a mini in the UK (off the shelf & BTO), so perhaps we'll know shortly.

An update I reckon is imminent, so the specs are 1.33Ghz(poss 1.4)/1.5Ghz, ATI 9600/Geforce 5200 64mb, HD options, 256mb soldered + 256mb stick.

 

[aswitcher]

It may have been for an ipod dock etc but I think Apple will just solder 256mb of ram into a mini. The space the riser occupies looks like the perfect spot.

Also it is taking 1-2 weeks to get a mini in the UK (off the shelf & BTO), so perhaps we'll know shortly.

An update I reckon is imminent, so the specs are 1.33Ghz(poss 1.4)/1.5Ghz, ATI 9600/Geforce 5200 64mb, HD options, 256mb soldered + 256mb stick.

A 100 gig HDD option seems a must for those heading to multimedia on their Mac mini.

Be nice to have a bit more audio and video hardware as well.