Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Mac Mini Released
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
thecoleorton said:
Thanks for misquoting me. The rest of the post (that you did not quote) presented a good comparison of what you get for the money between an iMac and Mac mini. The part you quoted was to explain my comparison and what kind of market they each target.
What If I quoted you:
"..D"
and responded something like "?" It would make about as much sense and be as easy a post to get my post count up. Please offer me more input than "...DUH...." I doubt it does anyone much good.
Wow, seems like there is a lot of newbies asking questions about the new Mac.
That rocks! I hope everybody on MR tries to be helpful to the potentiual switchers. The only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask.
My brother just ordered his last night, he ended up getting a pretty loaded 1.42 GHz. Apple charges a fortune for the 1GB memory upgrade, but they insisted that the memory is not user upgradable. I'm sceptical on that....
This machine is good news for everybody. Since it's a volume machine, it could feasibly increase Apple's market share by 50-100%. Not to mention the Shuffle...
To people that complain about the video card:
Yes, it's a little weak, but it's better than the integrated shared memory crap a lot of Wintel boxes have. If you want to do Halo, get an iMac or Powermac. This machine is not meant for Halo. But it will be great for iLife, surfing the net, watching DVDs AND playing Powermac G4-era games like RtCW etc.
Expect Apple to update this machine with a 5200 at some point in the future, when the iMac G5 gets a better card. Halo-heads who want a Mac mini must wait till then.
That rocks! I hope everybody on MR tries to be helpful to the potentiual switchers. The only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask.
My brother just ordered his last night, he ended up getting a pretty loaded 1.42 GHz. Apple charges a fortune for the 1GB memory upgrade, but they insisted that the memory is not user upgradable. I'm sceptical on that....
This machine is good news for everybody. Since it's a volume machine, it could feasibly increase Apple's market share by 50-100%. Not to mention the Shuffle...
To people that complain about the video card:
Yes, it's a little weak, but it's better than the integrated shared memory crap a lot of Wintel boxes have. If you want to do Halo, get an iMac or Powermac. This machine is not meant for Halo. But it will be great for iLife, surfing the net, watching DVDs AND playing Powermac G4-era games like RtCW etc.
Expect Apple to update this machine with a 5200 at some point in the future, when the iMac G5 gets a better card. Halo-heads who want a Mac mini must wait till then.
Photorun said:
Don't blame Apple, blame the users. The problem with gaming on Mac, is that most Mac users are most tech saavy, and know how to steal games effectively. MacPlay that if just 5-10% of users who download illegal copies what few Mac games there actually are actually went out and bought them, then they would have an effective business case for doing the ports. It's not Apple that is clueless, its the people who steal software who have effectively destroyed OSX as a viable gaming platform.
Sir_Giggles said:
I think your onto something there. Why have this weird power point unless it plans to serve a purpose.
yeah....
now... if i could get osX to run on that dell... hmmmm you dont get it do you?
legalnut said:
now... if i could get osX to run on that dell... hmmmm you dont get it do you?
hmmm
if you DONT have a computer at all and live in the US ... yes the emac is a better deal.... but if you already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse along with a clone PC this mac is PURRRRRFECT and thats what it was made for and thats why it going to be back ordered prrreeetttty soon
ipodmann said:
if you DONT have a computer at all and live in the US ... yes the emac is a better deal.... but if you already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse along with a clone PC this mac is PURRRRRFECT and thats what it was made for and thats why it going to be back ordered prrreeetttty soon
I just bought mine yesterday, with the Superdrive option... Can't wait to replace my Cube with that thing! ^_^
RAM
well.... for 159 you can get 1GB for the mini... and then it ROCKS
hint: http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4158153?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
http://shop1.outpost.com/product/3325732?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
i think they use the 2nd kind now that i see the pictures of the insides
just dont order all of them! leave some for me!
tsk said:Looks nice.
Just a few negatives I see:
Edu discount only $20
Only 1 DIMM slot and I'm guessing it's laptop memory so expensive to get to 1GB RAM (and RAM must be installed by Apple authorized...). If it's regular memory, it's no problem.
I also wonder if the HD is a laptop drive.
But all in all, looks pretty good.
well.... for 159 you can get 1GB for the mini... and then it ROCKS
hint: http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4158153?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
http://shop1.outpost.com/product/3325732?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
i think they use the 2nd kind now that i see the pictures of the insides
just dont order all of them! leave some for me!
ipodmann said:
For some people, yes it is. For others, no it is not.
I implore you and others to look at it with a marketing hat on your head. Markets are segmented as people have different needs and wants. Ever wonder why Chevrolet has over 25 different models and even further variations on each one?
If Apple had packaged this with a KB and mouse, we'd be reading complaints about why am I buying items that I already have? They should have left them out and sold it to me $50-$100 cheaper.
As a VP of Sales and Marketing, I think they hit this nail on the head.
The Mini Mac is not for all of us who already own iMacs or Powermacs, it's aimed at PC users who are tired of Windows and all it's problems and those who got sucked into buy disposable Dell computers. Or, for those who can't afford the cheapest iMac.
And don't forget that adorable little box comes with the most gorgeous and powerful OS available today, with a lot of very nice Apple apps. That alone is worth $499!
And as has already been said a million times: if the mini Mac isn't enough for you, then there's always the eMac, iMac or Powermac. And stop bitching about the lack of keyboard/mouse. A lot of online vendors are already offering them free with a new Mini Mac.
And don't forget that adorable little box comes with the most gorgeous and powerful OS available today, with a lot of very nice Apple apps. That alone is worth $499!
And as has already been said a million times: if the mini Mac isn't enough for you, then there's always the eMac, iMac or Powermac. And stop bitching about the lack of keyboard/mouse. A lot of online vendors are already offering them free with a new Mini Mac.
raeble said: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?
most people have a usb hub already and if theyre upgrading their bondi imacs they can just keeep the keyboard
oh and on ebay you can find mac keyboards and mice for 30 bucks...
winter artifice said: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
yes to all
Its highly likely the Mac mini will be a flop. You can't judge initial fan reaction and come to the conclusion this thing will sell. You only need to look at the G4 Cube to see the same thing. Initial reaction for it was positively overwhelming, but it ended up not selling because of price.
For the mini, the opposite is true, the price is right, but the performance suffers. And as a result, I am certain, even with all the adulation it is receiving, the mini will flop magnificently.
For the mini, the opposite is true, the price is right, but the performance suffers. And as a result, I am certain, even with all the adulation it is receiving, the mini will flop magnificently.
The deathblow
Pretty much everyone I've sent the link for this new Mac to (that's everyday Windows users and pro-Mac but Wintel-pressured education professionals) think this machine is incredible.
I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say this has the potential to be the deathblow to Windows for the ordinary user, and especially for schools, where whole labs will be replaced by these Mini Mac machines, extremely cheaply. It looks as if the trojan horse story started by the iPod may move one step further with this new Mac. Do not underestimate the potential of this humble computer, which incidentally, will still probably piss on some Celerons.
<-Adopts the voice of Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons. "Best, Macintosh, Evaaaar"
Pretty much everyone I've sent the link for this new Mac to (that's everyday Windows users and pro-Mac but Wintel-pressured education professionals) think this machine is incredible.
I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say this has the potential to be the deathblow to Windows for the ordinary user, and especially for schools, where whole labs will be replaced by these Mini Mac machines, extremely cheaply. It looks as if the trojan horse story started by the iPod may move one step further with this new Mac. Do not underestimate the potential of this humble computer, which incidentally, will still probably piss on some Celerons.
<-Adopts the voice of Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons. "Best, Macintosh, Evaaaar"
Dunepilot said:
Incredible yeah, but is the performance enough to justify your friends switching? I will have to say no. Mac mini is a lame duck out of the starting gate, I'm afraid. Perhaps in 6 months when Apple intros the same computer with a G5 and 2 RAM slots will your friends consider actually opening their wallets.
nope
[QUOTEOriginally Posted by rog
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!=iJWC]
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.[/QUOTE]
http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4158153?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
159
[QUOTEOriginally Posted by rog
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!=iJWC]
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.[/QUOTE]
http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4158153?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
159
Sir_Giggles said:
Performance? A G4 at 1.25 is FINE for most people that this new Mac is targeted at! Plus the price is right! That's what you don't get! Sure, a little more ram would be good but it is a great machine for someone that just needs a computer that works! That is what this dose, it works! Most people that will be getting this mac don't know a G4 from a G5 they just know that it comes with the software that they neend for doing a paper, photos, music, exc.., and it gets them on the internet. Please think things through before you trash this machine!
Mac mini as stepping stone
Another potential use for the mini, which I haven't seen anyone else mention, is as a stepping stone to a full G5 system.
For around £1800 I can buy a decent mini plus a 23" display, which will offer a vastly improved experience compared to my old 600Mhz iBook.
Then, in a year or so I can replace the mini with a mid-range G5, giving me the system I lust after (though, in all honesty, don't really need). Not only do I get an instant improvement now, I get to spread the cost and end up with a mid-lifecycle G5.
Another potential use for the mini, which I haven't seen anyone else mention, is as a stepping stone to a full G5 system.
For around £1800 I can buy a decent mini plus a 23" display, which will offer a vastly improved experience compared to my old 600Mhz iBook.
Then, in a year or so I can replace the mini with a mid-range G5, giving me the system I lust after (though, in all honesty, don't really need). Not only do I get an instant improvement now, I get to spread the cost and end up with a mid-lifecycle G5.
swissmann said:
I'm not sure this comparison is really valid. Ok, I agree you get a better CPU, better GPU, bigger HDD, ... BUT a 20" cinema display can be "recycled" when you buy your next Mac, whether it's a PowerpC G5 or a next-gen Mac Mini. The iMac's display however... (plus the new iMac is b***t-ugly)
The display costs double what the mini costs and is the only reason why your Mac mini is as expensive as your iMac.
I think it's safe to say it is meant to be hooked up to a cheaper display, say a 350 17" TFT. or even your TV.
On a different note:
the design rocks. It's a cube, but stackable (think cluster
) and less plasticky... The added software is a real plus too, I'm just wondering why they didn't throw in iWork (instead they give a test version of office
).Giggles, you are pretty much wrong. Here's why:
1. Climate has changed - We are dealing in a world of spyware, and viruses.
2. Price point: The cube sold for what? 1K ++?
3. Ipod effect - Does this need an explination?
This will be Apple's biggest selling computer of all time, bar none. The lack of keyboard, mouse and monitor will have no impact on the sales of this machine. Anyone who thinks that the average user needs more than this machine offers is living in fantasy land. I've been using a G4 for well over a year now, and I do some pretty heavy graphics and programing work. I have no complaints. None.
1. Climate has changed - We are dealing in a world of spyware, and viruses.
2. Price point: The cube sold for what? 1K ++?
3. Ipod effect - Does this need an explination?
This will be Apple's biggest selling computer of all time, bar none. The lack of keyboard, mouse and monitor will have no impact on the sales of this machine. Anyone who thinks that the average user needs more than this machine offers is living in fantasy land. I've been using a G4 for well over a year now, and I do some pretty heavy graphics and programing work. I have no complaints. None.
swissmann said:
Why add an Apple monitor to this? It would be far cheaper to buy a 19" LCD from elsewhere (if you need that size) that would be decent for half the price. That would reduce what you have above by $500 which would make for a decent tradeoff for price vs the imac G5. I realize that the Apple monitors have the cool factor going for them and have excellent features/specs, but do you really need them for an entry level computer? Like other people have said on here anyway, the people who are targeted by this computer likely have a monitor already and/or are interested in the low cost (and thus not the high priced Apple monitors). You could also reduce your price above by taking out the keyboard/mouse set. I know that I have both at home already. What do I need new ones for? Unless I spill coke on my keyboard again that is.
jayscheuerle
macrumors 68020
Let's start a new thread..
Does anybody want to guess what engineering problems will plague the Mini off the bat?
Poor Airport range?
Unable to upgrade RAM on your own (without breaking warranty) and didn't realize it?
Slow graphics card?
Too loud?
Any others?
Does anybody want to guess what engineering problems will plague the Mini off the bat?
Poor Airport range?
Unable to upgrade RAM on your own (without breaking warranty) and didn't realize it?
Slow graphics card?
Too loud?
Any others?