Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Mac Mini Not Dead Yet?

So might as well go for the gusto -- 15,000 RPM drive! ;-)

Kar98 said:
Huh? What's that supposed to mean? The entire system is accelerated substantially by using a 7,200 rpm drive, even when compared to a 5,400 rpm one.



How about this, I'm using a 320 GB/7,200 rpm drive with my mini :)
Click to expand...
 
AGREED! Mac Mini & Apple TV are BOTH lacking various things...


KindredMAC said:
It's time that the Mac mini and Apple TV were merged into one product... and that the iSight camera was redesigned and rereleased.

The things I really want to do in my living room from USING ONLY AN APPLE PRODUCT:
- Pop up a web browser window for that quick search that I need to do while watching a show or to enter a corny contest using my brand new never before seen BT Apple keyboard with touch pad.
- Video iChat with family and friends from my living room on my widescreen HDTV, so I don't have to be in my home office or a small third bedroom of the house that is dark and usually cluttered as a "catch all" room. This is where the new iSight camera would come into play.
- Use my new Mac TV box as a DVR where I can burn all of my saved shows to DVD as if I'm burning a data disc on my computer.
- HDMI, with possibly also a digital optical audio out port, on the back of the unit.
- The ability to use your iPhone as a touch based remote control for the Mac TV unit.
- If you really want to piss off Sony, put a Blu-Ray player in it too.

Just the off the top of my head type of things I would really like to see Apple do to my living room experience.
Click to expand...
 
They do sell matte screens you can overlay over the glossy screen -- have for years!!

gregorsamsa said:
It wouldn't drive me "NUTS" only because the iMac's glossy screen remains a deal-breaker for me, but I see your point. A basic video card like the HD 2400 in the Mini would just spare me from buying a PC, but then Apple would definitely need to improve the low-end iMac with a HD 2600 PRO to maintain some distinction. But I think that none of this is likely to happen & we'll probably just see the iMacs receive a VRAM increase (ditto processor speed & storage) & see the Minis get the integrated X3100.

As for the timescale, I meant that rather than seeing these updates within 4 weeks (as rumoured in an article over 2 weeks ago now), going by the gist of this recent AI article these updates may take a few weeks longer, which would be a real drag for me as I've been ready to buy for weeks now. Updates tomorrow would be a surprise & some people already seem to be ruling out 1st April because of some current Mac sale lasting until 3rd April, so let's hope no later than 8th April. :)
Click to expand...
 
iPhone as Mac Mini Display...

I would love to be able to use the iPhone as Mac Mini Display...

Guess we'll need a 802.11n/WiMax/HSPA iPhone to have refresh ability fast enough... ;-) I can already do this a bit with VNSea... Touchpad is way cool -- allows me to use iPhone as a Touchpad via VNC... I see the future, and it is getting cooler all the time. ;-)
 
gregorsamsa said:
Those old filters have been around since the first shiny CRTs, but it seems a bit odd for Apple to expect their customers to resort to such solutions in 2008.
Click to expand...

As someone who was using computers extensively during the CRT era when the screens were glossy (which, back then was considered a bad thing, but nowadays has suddenly become some kind of virtue :confused: ) I also agree that this is a bit odd. Not only that, but those overlays tended to dull the onscreen image quite a bit. I don't know if the technology for those matte overlays has improved or not, but I remember the overlays causing frustration as it could, in some situations, render things on the screen hard to see.
 
inkswamp said:
As someone who was using computers extensively during the CRT era when the screens were glossy (which, back then was considered a bad thing, but nowadays has suddenly become some kind of virtue :confused: ) I also agree that this is a bit odd. Not only that, but those overlays tended to dull the onscreen image quite a bit. I don't know if the technology for those matte overlays has improved or not, but I remember the overlays causing frustration as it could, in some situations, render things on the screen hard to see.
Click to expand...

Spot on & going by a recent thread I've read on this elsewhere, even the latest matt filters still dull the onscreen image so can't be considered a viable solution for most.
 
gkarris said:
:eek:

"Bring out your dead, bring out your dead...."
Click to expand...
imagesgrail-bring-out-your-dead-small1.jpg


Sorry, just having a Monty Python moment. One of my customers the other day was wearing a "I'm not dead yet" t-shirt she got from Spam-A-Lot, and I've decided next year (or whenever) if it comes back down here, I'm going to it.

Anyhow, in an effort to get back "on-topic" before one of the wonderful MacRumors admins slaps me on the hand, I'm looking to change my strategy and am thinking seriously about buying one of the new Mac minis, assuming the rumors pan out to be true.

So, for anyone counting, add me to the list of people who want one of these things. Heck, anything is an upgrade from my 800MHz G4 iMac.
 
Digital Skunk said:
I agree. The price is cheaper than any other mac on the market but it's still at $600 for the low end, and it's made from parts that may not be worth much more than $300 wholesale.
Click to expand...

it uses laptop parts so there cost is higher but you can get desktop parts that much better then what is in the mini for $500 - $800 and stuff that is just about the same for $300-$450
 
Now that Apple has nose-dived to a funky TN panel in the 20" iMac and somehow totally messed up the quality of the 24" S-IPS iMac screens (unless you happen to really luck out with your sample)... AND gone to a glossy surface (adding insult to injury!) I'm keeping plenty of distance between my wallet and aluminum iMacs until something major happens, in a really good way, to improve the displays in them. No way I want to risk having to return a 24" iMac time and time again hoping to find one with a good monitor. That sucks.

That makes the new, beefier mini all the more attractive... soon one can get a reasonably potent Macmini brain (2.4GHz C2D, 800 GHz bus, X3100 graphics processor, maxed out with 4 GB RAM) and add on a super-nice 24" matte-surface S-IPS monitor (read, NEC 2490WUXi) and be totally thrilled with an awesome 24" Photoshop workstation for just under $2k! Versatile set-up. Top-deck monitor. Great news. :D
 
DHart said:
That makes the new, beefier mini all the more attractive... soon one can get a reasonably potent Macmini brain (2.4GHz C2D, 800 GHz bus, X3100 graphics processor, maxed out with 4 GB RAM) and add on a super-nice 24" matte-surface S-IPS monitor (read, NEC 2490WUXi) and be totally thrilled with an awesome 24" Photoshop workstation for just under $2k! Versatile set-up. Top-deck monitor. Great news. :D
Click to expand...
i'm afraid that will not be so soon ;p
 
i just think mini is a bit over-priced. It was cheaper in price while its is PPC based...Anyway I planned to get one after its update, and connect it to my Bravia in living room.
 
stephenli said:
i just think mini is a bit over-priced. It was cheaper in price while its is PPC based...Anyway I planned to get one after its update, and connect it to my Bravia in living room.
Click to expand...

Yeah... you could easily say that it's overpriced. But on the other hand... it has no competition, if you want a lower priced headless Mac.

A MacBook with external monitor might be considered a bit of a better deal if you wanted the flexibility and transportability of a laptop & external monitor, but not if you only want a Mac brain for a lower price to add a large external monitor to.

Figure the next revision 2.4 GHz mini, loaded w/4 GB RAM from OWC and an aluminum keyboard & mouse, is about $960... add $600 for your choice of a very nice wide screen monitor. You're at $1560. And a very nice set-up! Do the same with a Mac Book 2.4 GHz with 4 GB of RAM and you're at about $1320 plus the $600 for the monitor, for a total of $1920 or so. Nice set-up also, and more versatile. But $360 more money.

Unless you want to have and pay for the versatility & transportability of the MacBook set-up, you save about $360 going with the mini instead.
 
One thing that may push Mini upgrades: The AMD 780G. It appears to be a superb integrated graphics solution, much superior in performance and features than the Intel X3100/X3500. I'm sure a mobile version will follow soon. In response Intel might push its customers to upgrade as quickly as possible to the X4500, which would be a good move for Mini fans.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back