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Mac Mini Released

Hi guys,
I have two questions related to the Mac Mini:
1. Can you indeed use this with your TV and get a good image? I remember my college teacher having his pc hooked up to the TV and it looked horrible. I don't have a plasma or LCD right now either, just a standard flatscreen. I do need a new dvd player though, and while I don't necessarily need a new mac the idea of this sounds cool, also.....
2. I would wait to get it until Tiger comes out. I would of course get the new iLife and Tiger (iWorks is extra right?) with the new mac. Would I be able to install Tiger and the new iLife onto my current iMac with the disk's that come with the Mac Mini?

Thanks :p
 
The problem with this as I see it is the need for a usb hub. Before anyone starts on that mac keyboards have two usb ports - most people do not have a mac and hence do not have a mac keyboard. They either have to spend extra getting one or they will have to buy a hub. The two usb ports would be taken up by the mouse and keyboard, what about a printer? Or a scanner? Or plugging in an ipod or ipod shuffle thing? :confused:
 
MacMiniOwner said:
Theres alot of talk of using as a "Media Centre" how do people expect this to happen...so you can plug it in to your TV via the adaptor if you dont have DVI on your TV (which I dont), however when I have done this before with my ibook the image is not so good.

Once its plugged into you TV how do you control it? Can you get a remote with a track pad in or ball built in, will there be a piece of software to tie in all iLife apps (I'm thinkin M$ media centre here :( )
Click to expand...

I currently use my Sony Ericsson K700i to remote control iTunes, Desktop and DVD Player. It can also control EyeTV, Presenter, Powerpoint and Mediaplayer (Quicktime) and some more programs I won't bother with! Its free software at the moment too, from Salling IIRC. Got their program for my Palm Tungsten T3 which does all of the above only with additional bells and whistles (album art, search, playlists etc).
 
rog said:
Let's see, it starts at $499, but you need to add $199 for 1 GB RAM from cheapest current vendor on ramseeker.com, $75 or so for a 120MB hard drive, which is still pretty small in this day and age, $75 for a keyboard and mouse, $250 for a bargain 17" LCD. So that's $1100 to make it usable and it still can't really run Tiger how it's supposed to run and it's using a single processor that was considered low end 2 years ago. It seems tempting at first, but overall an eMac or even an iMac 1.6 is probably a much better deal. Maybe this is Apple's intention, to get people in the store with the $500 lure, but get them to think through that they'd be much better off spending $1000 or more before they leave!
Click to expand...


I'm a PC user now so this thing seems like it is perfect for me. I already have a Microsoft USB mouse, keyboard, and a Sony 19" LCD. I'm thinking upgrade the RAM to 512MB, and go with the $599 model, get a KVM switch and I'm all set with an affordable unix box. My PC as my gaming rig and the Mac for email, etc.
 
well personally the lack of many usb ports is no big deal to me. I use a bluetooth mouse & keyboard and have my printer plugged into my airport express. Yes it cost's more to have the Mac Mini upgraded for wireless use but whateva. ;)
 
G5 Mac Micro

Has anyone stated the rumor that the G5 Mac Micro (about the size of a Zippo Lighter) will be released soon?

:)

This is a pretty sweet deal - looking to get one for parents - while it is not a gaming machine it really does have a great target market - and I really do believe that part of that target includes PC users - after all I had not problem dropping $5k+ for my 2.5+6800 and 23 inch screen - but when I bought a PC that $600ish was really hard to cough up - but saddly I needed one for school to run some really lame Stats software.

Can't wait to see how this thing sells!




Macrumors said:
As rumored, Apple released a low-end headless Mac... the Mac Mini. The newest Mac offers the following features

1.25GHz G4 or 1.4GHz G4 for $499 or $599
6.5 inches wide and 2 inches tall
2.9 pounds
Up to 1GB of Memory supported (comes with 256MB)
ATI Radeon 9200
iLife '05
Keyboard, Mouse, and Monitor sold seperately

Available at the Apple Store
Click to expand...
 
Wow this is so appealling to me.

I think people are going to get it just because of its cute form-factor.

The fact that it appears as a succinct, polite aluminium block almost makes me forget that it's still a newly released Apple computer based on previous-generation technology.
 
ihatescarves said:
Damn... what is it with Apple ripping people off in Australia?

The Sydney Morning Herald have kindly posted a Reuters article and included the AUD conversions of the USD prices - they're so much different!

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Technology/The-120-song-130-iPod/2005/01/12/1105423518180.html

For example, 499 USD converts to 654 AUD, but the Australian Apple Store is selling the 1.25GHz Mac Mini for $799; the 1.4GHz model is going for $949, which is vastly more than the USD/AUD conversion of $785. We're supposed to pay more for the 1.25GHz model than we should be for the 1.4GHz one? Wow, thanks, Apple! Does it really cost $150 more to send something to Australia?

The prices for the other products mentioned in the article (and, I assume, everything else Apple sells in Australia) aren't much better.
Click to expand...

the prices on the apple store usa don't include tax.
$654au PLUS 10% GST take it to $719.40.
don't forget GST. everything gets 10%. everything.
$79.60au difference. anything i have imported is also slapped with a customs inspection fee. the mac mini is reasonable compared to the usa price. powerbooks and g5's have major differences that need explaining.

edit....hours off the pace. dotmike way ahead of me. dot even mentioned my favourite......the buzzle levy. apple au have to pull back over $30 million. we are all paying for that fiasco. appears the buzzle levy has been waived on the mac mini.
 
Mouse plugs into the keyboard....because the keyboard has built in usb slots as well.


gco212 said:
I just noticed this. The mac mini has only two USB ports. If one is for the mouse and one is for the keyboard, then none are left for the other things. USB flash drives are gaining popularity, this might be an oversight on Apple's part.
Click to expand...
 
I'm a power user- if my tower is less than 2.5 feet tall and 2 feet deep, it's small.. I like my RAID arrays, ECC RAM and a lot of it, SCSI, dual procs (or more.. I can wish right?), big heat sinks with fans on all of them, more case fans than I need, 660W power supplies, and I love the sound of loud hard drives, but when it's all said and done with if I could have something bigger and badder I'd be all over it. So it's not really in my nature to go for minitowers, compact computers- iMacs, eMacs.. things of this nature look like a confined, miserable machine that wants a few more case fans to me. But.. this Mac Mini is cool.. admittedly though it is a shame there is not a faster G4 proc in it- 1.67Ghz wouldda been nice, with DDR 400 FSB and oh yeah while we're at it a Radeon 9700 mobile, but, even as it is if I had $500 bux sitting around.. that wouldn't be a bad use for it to pick one of these up. Just in the idea of the saved desk space is nice.
I think this points to some type of speed boost for sure with the eMacs.
Oh yeah- does anyone know which G4 proc they're using in the Mac Mini? 7448? 7457?
 
legalnut said:
You have to bring your own display, keyboard and mouse ... not to mention add another 256 megs of ram to run OS X comfortably and you're right at the price point for the emac .... emachines and Dell offer complete systems for less... oh and by the way I'm not terribly impressed by the power supply brick ... FUGLY
Click to expand...

for around £600 you can get a mac mini with a pretty decent LCD display and keyboard. which is still a pretty good saving on a £900 iMac.

sure the spec is less, but then would you expect the same spec for 1/3rd less?

could suit my dad down to the ground.

Iain
 
OS 9 Switchers

It's disparaging to read all the posts criticizing the Mac mini for its specifications in complete disregard for its price point. If people want expandability and a higher spec bus speed, video card, memory maximum, etc… then Apple makes several products which will fit the bill.
That being said, I think the biggest market for the Mac Mini is not PC switchers, but the legion of iMac G3 users out there who want to run OS X but don't have a sufficiently powerful machine.
They have the mouse & keyboard, and probably a printer. They can pick up whatever monitor they want to complete the package.
I think the Mac Mini will sell by the truckload. I also think it will launch a large accessory market much like the iPod has.
 
Piarco75 said:
I currently use my Sony Ericsson K700i to remote control iTunes, Desktop and DVD Player. It can also control EyeTV, Presenter, Powerpoint and Mediaplayer (Quicktime) and some more programs I won't bother with! Its free software at the moment too, from Salling IIRC. Got their program for my Palm Tungsten T3 which does all of the above only with additional bells and whistles (album art, search, playlists etc).
Click to expand...


Yep, I have an SE K700i as well and its great as a little remote, although I dont tend to keep the BT switched on as it kills the battery life.

Any thoughts on a nice one application interface for showing your photos and music, movies?
 
Will the mini kill eMac sales ?

Alot of schools have lots of old VGA monitors in their computer inventories. If schools buy the more affordable $499 model, salvage their old monitors and USB Keyboards and mice , why would they buy the eMac ? What is the fate of the eMac ?

On the home consumer side, if you bought the faster model with Superdrive , with a Top Quality CRT like the Sony Multiscan G520 ( $650 list price ) and you would have a G4 desktop far better than what the current eMac offers. Zenith sells the C32V37 32 " integrated HDTV set ($1000 list price ) that would work with the mini . Add a wireless keyboard/mouse and sit on your couch and use it.

If you think the mini will sell well , just wait until they upgrade it to a G5 model.
 
I wish people wouldn't say "It shoulda had this or that..." We all knew when the rumor first broke that this would:

1) NOT be a performance-geared machine (quit complaining about not having a faster proc!)

2) be marketed to a completely different market (ie those who already have keyboard, display, mouse from their PC)

I see this machine as an email getter, web surfer, word processing machine. Throw in iLife, and this is what the machine was meant to do. That's it. And that's what 99% of people will use it for. And they'll be happy with it.

If you have to complain about any of the specs, this machine isn't for you. We all knew at the outset that the specs would be anemic for power users. Get over it.

I don't see this thing ever getting a G5 (at least in the forseeable future) -- I can't believe anyone in their right mind expected/was disappointed that it didn't have a G5 -- you know who you are! I see it saving Freescale and being the showcase for upcoming Freescale processors.
 
yes

mowogg said:
I think the biggest market for the Mac Mini is not PC switchers, but the legion of iMac G3 users out there who want to run OS X but don't have a sufficiently powerful machine.
Click to expand...
This is just another reason why the Mac mini is a great product. There are tons of people out there still using their iMac G3.

Time to move on folks. The Mac mini is here. Do it now.
 
If the Mac Mini had hit the shelves in Nov. I would have bought one but I got a 1.2 iBook. That's fine but now my wife, who is a pc user, is asking more and more questions about the MM and asking me if the accountanting programs she has will work on it. She's happy that she get's to keep her 17" CRT and wireless keyboard and mouse so what she spends her money on is on the system itself.

I'm going to try and convert the office to a mac setup now...wish me luck!
 
RichardCarletta said:
If schools buy the more affordable $499 model, salvage their old monitors and USB Keyboards and mice , why would they buy the eMac ? What is the fate of the eMac ?
Click to expand...

I really hope the eMac is dead.
 
kerpow said:
Needs expensive display, no PS2 ports?



PS/2 to USB Mouse and Keyboard Adapter = $10

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1118352&CatId=465

or

Basic USB KB and mouse = $15

and

17" CRT Monitor = $70

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1104930&CatId=166

or

I bought a used 17" monitor from a local hardware shop for $50.
Click to expand...


you make a good point, we dont actually have to buy a 20inch apple monitor with blutooth keyboard and mouse, its price makes it affordable though and dmn tempting

i have to say the one and only thing holding me back is the graphics card (dont get me wrong i didnt expect anything amazing)
if it had the same card as the imac g5 i would be there (or even an option)

dont get me wrong though GREAT machine for the price
 
maxterpiece said:
This is not an office computer. it is a computer for the ipod user who doesn't liek the idea of computers - .
Click to expand...


Bt This is an Officce computer!!!!

What more do you need?

It is great for what it is and a great value overall.

Imagine yourself in a productivity enviroment, no more dl stupid spy&^P on your computer, installing more than what you need.

No more guys coming to defragment the thingy and no more wasting time restarting and rebooting that thing.

You go to lunch and you lleave it sleeping, you come back and voilá, let's go.

For those saying that 32 mbs is bad, well , Apple doesn't take all the power from the card like PC's, so it works more eficiently.

If you are not a crazy gamer, hehhehe, then you will love this one.
 
works

MacMiniOwner said:
Theres alot of talk of using as a "Media Centre" how do people expect this to happen...so you can plug it in to your TV via the adaptor if you dont have DVI on your TV (which I dont), however when I have done this before with my ibook the image is not so good.

Once its plugged into you TV how do you control it? Can you get a remote with a track pad in or ball built in, will there be a piece of software to tie in all iLife apps (I'm thinkin M$ media centre here
Click to expand...
One answer ... EyeTV from www.elgato.com. They work great .. and come with a remote control.

And, the Mac mini comes with a DVI to television adapter.
 
Is anyone else getting bombarded with e-mails/phone calls today from pc-using friends asking for more info/opinions on the mm because they are thinking of switching? This is insane. :eek:
I didn't get where the mm was aimed, but I think I do now.
 
MacNeXT said:
Great! This turned out to be just what I hoped it would be, except for expandability, which I didn't expect anyway.

And PHEEWWW, ok, it was obvious that the "spy shots in elevator" were fake, but what a relieve that it looks NOTHING like that hideous piece of cardboard. I also don't remember seeing a mockup that looked anything like this, do you?

And then these name discussions we had. xMac, cMac, uMac, iMac Express etc. etc. Did anyone mention just simply "Mac Mini"? I don't think so but I could be wrong.

Don't know if this has been mentioned - it's a bit difficult to read MR right now because the 9 out of 10 "Server too busy" messages, but

http://www.apple.com/macmini/design.html

shows some pictures of the Mac Mini's innards. You can clearly see it uses large DIMM's, but I can only imagine a 2,5" hard drive underneath the ComboDrive, it doesn't look like a 3,5" would fit. Can anyone confirm this? I'd really like to know.

That large number of clamps visible in the picture might suggest you need some kind of special tool to open it up. That would explain "Memory upgrade must be performed by an Apple Authorized Service provider" in the specs.

Anyway... I'm very happy with how this thing turned out to be. I can't afford one right now. Maybe when they get a speed bump. About 7 or 8 months?
Click to expand...

I almost got it, i said MiniMac
 
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