Mac Mini Released

[davecuse]

Every version of OS X puts more pressure on the system than ... a new version of windows! XP was released in 2001. Which is not essentially worng just that when an OS is developing you tend to see more updates and once it is matured you will have less frequent updates and revisions. Mac OS X which gets released every year is not backward compatible with some thing that was released AN YEAR AGO. I am pretty sure that i makes any difference to zealots like you who donot know any thing about technology and think that just because you bought a nice designer machine are superior!

PC world is more driven by new technology than the mac world which is run by fashion! These are the most ill informed forms that i have ever seen.... most of them are my pc is not working(educate yourself a little you dumb a**)!! oh ...F*** that sh** get a mac .... now it is so cool .... and btw my d*** is larger than yours.... comments.... nothing about any internals no objective judgement.... just hyped bloated crap....

To be fair, you do make some valid points about backwards compatibility. That detail is actually one of the things that I like about Mac, being that I hate running old versions of software. I'd rather have to update a few programs rather than having my OS continue to suffer from the same problems as it's predeccesor from back in 98.

There are plenty of arguments to be made from each ill-advised corner. Fortunately I have had the fortunate to experience software technical support on both platforms, and can vouch for the stability of OS 10.3 first hand. Microsoft's OS creates an environment that needs to support so many backwards ways of doing things (which have since been corrected) that it is bound to run into MULTIPLE innexplicable problems. This is one of the reason that creating software for Windows is so profitable for programmers.... they make their living hacking the OS and working around the inherit problems. OS X developers have the luxury of concentrating on making their product work better for the user, thus the fantastic end user experience.

I'm not sure where I heard this, but I like the quote... "You can do anything on a Mac that you would on a PC, 10 steps faster"

 

[SvK]

Do you think apple had any thing to do with the design of the G5 ....or PowerPC (IBM version of it!) ..... i can imagine if sony/toshiba or some one brags about it ..... but apple? It only shows that MS has a open mind.... they know how to be objective .... that is what makes them tick .... if some one comes with a better product they go with them... that forces intel to make better chips.... They will be having the last laugh not you ... when they sell a millions of those Xboxes and games! where as apple selling its soul to IBM will be at their feet begging them move their processors.... (forgetting G4 ).... then you guys can blame IBM/Moto for the stupid decissions made by apple!!

MAY BE YOU DID NOT REALIZE THE JOKE WAS ON YOU!

Of course, I know that Apple had nothing to do with the G5, but you PC guys have been saying forever how lame and slow Apple computers are......and now MICROSOFT is sticking those same G5 processors in their premiere next-gen XBox2 console.........guess those G5s kick ass huh!?

answer that and stay fashionable!

 

[MSmilor]

New to the forum, though I read it frequently. As a G3 rev 1 350 B&W owner, this is a nearly perfect replacement machine. Granted after having to buy a new IDE controller card for the rev 1 to drop in a larger HD I will wait for the rev 2 mini.

 

[mleok]

Mac Mini only a bargain with restraint

Ok this is kind of interesting

G4 Mac Mini:
1.42 Ghz, 1 Gig RAM, Superdrive: 1124.00 $

G5 Tower
1.8 Ghz, 1 Gig RAM, Superdrive, mouse+keys included: 1724.00 $

hhhhmmmmmmmmm...........

in conclusion, the Mac Mini is ONLY a bargain you do NOT intend to go with 1 Gig of RAM.

It's well appreciated that the Apple store's memory prices are excessive. This is a particularly important consideration with the Mac mini since the RAM is not user-upgradable, in contrast to every other Mac in the current lineup.

Clearly, if you wish to max out the memory, have Bluetooth, and Airport Express, and a Superdrive, the pricing does escalate quite rapidly. By it's very nature, the machine is more appropriate for buyers who prefer to purchase a new machine over upgrading their existing one.

When taken in this light, it is best to configure the Mac mini for what you intend to do with it now, as opposed to future proofing it with expensive options. Instead, save the money you would have spent on unnecessary options towards your next Mac mini which will likely to have those options standard when they become sufficiently mainstream.

 

[weldon]

And how is a mini-plug supposed to output 5.1 digital audio?

I like the Airport Express mini-plug that doubles as a S/PDIF connector.

 

[SvK]

It's well appreciated that the Apple store's memory prices are excessive. This is a particularly important consideration with the Mac mini since the RAM is not user-upgradable, in contrast to every other Mac in the current lineup.

Clearly, if you wish to max out the memory, have Bluetooth, and Airport Express, and a Superdrive, the pricing does escalate quite rapidly. By it's very nature, the machine is more appropriate for buyers who prefer to purchase a new machine over upgrading their existing one.

When taken in this light, it is best to configure the Mac mini for what you intend to do with it now, as opposed to future proofing it with expensive options. Instead, save the money you would have spent on unnecessary options towards your next Mac mini which will likely to have those options standard when they become sufficiently mainstream.

This is true......

 

[budugu]

Of course, I know that Apple had nothing to do with the G5, but you PC guys have been saying forever how lame and slow Apple computers are......and now MICROSOFT is sticking those same G5 processors in their premiere next-gen XBox2 console.........guess those G5s kick ass huh!?

answer that and stay fashionable!

See I am not fool to say that a 2.5 Ghz G5 is not fast (they are definitely expensive!).... they are ...but at the same time i am not stupid enough to say that 400Mhz or even a 1.42 Ghz G4 is better than a 3-3.8Ghz P4..... A processor some thing like the "CELL" or G5 which are built on the same platform ie. Power5 may not have the same traits as they are built for different purposes... so if MS /Nintendo or Sony plan to use CELL or a derivative of it is because it fits their purpose.... not because they hate Intel! untill G5s ...processors apple used were lame.... And btw XBox is just a gaming console (currently P3-733 vs.top of the line P4 3.8)... and is the most powerful gaming console ....and still their requirements are smaller .... just a joke !! - may be they thought G5s were just useful as a small Proc. in their gaming machine..and realized one will not be able to handle load so they said lets put in 2 or 3 .....hehe

 

[SvK]

See I am not fool to say that a 2.5 Ghz G5 is not fast (they are definitely expensive!).... they are ...but at the same time i am not stupid enough to say that 400Mhz or even a 1.42 Ghz G4 is better than a 3-3.8Ghz P4..... A processor some thing like the "CELL" or G5 which are built on the same platform ie. Power5 may not have the same traits as they are built for different purposes... so if MS /Nintendo or Sony plan to use CELL or a derivative of it is because it fits their purpose.... not because they hate Intel! untill G5s ...processors apple used were lame.... And btw XBox is just a gaming console (currently P3-733 vs.top of the line P4 3.8)... and is the most powerful gaming console ....and still their requirements are smaller .... just a joke !! - may be they thought G5s were just useful as a small Proc. in their gaming machine..and realized one will not be able to handle load so they said lets put in 2 or 3 .....hehe

fair enough.......to much negative energy between us.......let's be friends k?

R U in the Game Industry?

 

[budugu]

fair enough.......to much negative energy between us.......let's be friends k?

R U in the Game Industry?

Sure!

 

[fr0ntside]

A few of you guys really aren't getting this.
Apple is absolutely targeting the home and creative market with this, with the idea of the Mac Mini as an "appliance" rather than a Personal Computer as such.
It's really rather strategic of Apple. Instead of focusing on speed and performance, Apple has perfected an even balance to run creativity and lifestyle apps well enough and left it at that.
Apple is actively getting users who have been using Dells and found them useful as a "computer" but not so useful as a lifestyle device. Some people don't want to run the latest games. For that, I have my PC. For everything else creative and lifestyle, I have a device with a small footprint capable of being moved around the house on a wireless network, talking to friends through iChat, organising photos and publishing movies, etc. And that, Apple thinks, is what alot of users want to do, ultimately - without wading through malware or having to configure stuff.
Did you really think it was a coincidence (sp?) that Apple released (edit: updated) iLife with this thing? I mean, did anyone predict that? Was it due for an update?

Just some thoughts.

 

[SvK]

Sure!

I asked whether you are in the Games Industry because you seem very knowledgable about processors in general. I am not technical at all. I create audio assets for a living, and have been with Apple since the heyday of Notator, which of course later became Emagic Logic and now is Apple Logic Pro 7. Apple has served me well in life, but I also use PCs for email at work. The Pro Audio community has always had a close relationship with Apple, since in the old days Apple lead the Audio Apps market. This has changed now.

There are things I actually like BETTER in the PC finder than on Apple and vice-versa. All in all, both systems are very mature, and the relationship we have with our respective machines is a deep one. I believe this is the main reason conversations between PC users and MAC users get heated. We view our computers as close friends, and get offended when people put our "friends" down.........that is why I lashed at you......and I think that is why you lashed at me. But, it is just a little bit fun to "trash talk" about our machines. ;-)

SvK

 

[3Memos]

As a G3 rev 1 350 B&W owner, this is a nearly perfect replacement machine. Granted after having to buy a new IDE controller card for the rev 1 to drop in a larger HD I will wait for the rev 2 mini.

The mini uses 2.5" laptop drives, so currently you can only max it out to 80GB. It would be wonderful had the case been just slightly larger to accommodate 400GB Raptor drives.

 

[Yvan256]

Should have included the keyboard and mouse for $499 and made it BYOM only. People will have to shell out 100 bucks for a matching Apple keyboard and mouse.

You really don't get the target market for this computer, do you?

And 256k of RAM? Come ONNNN!!!! We all know that isnt even enough to run OSX. So right there is ANOTHER an automatic upgrade charge.

Yeah, I have to agree, OS X cannot be run with 256K of RAM. Oh, you probably meant 256M.

Even their 1.8GHz PowerMacs only come with 256MB , I don't see why their entry-level Mac would include more.

Also, now that the G5 has been out for a while and is in mass production, I can't see why they couldn't offer it AT LEAST as an upgrade. Hell, some of the new games coming out wont even RUN on less than a G5.

Mac mini's target isn't gaming, far from that. Gaming on Mac is not a good idea anyway (unless you only buy Blizzard games, Quake and Unreal), so that's beside the point IMO. Get a Gamecube or Playstation 2 (or, gasp, a Microsoft Xbox). As for the G5, maybe in two or three revisions...

This was a great idea, but when you really think about it... its not. The iMac is a much better value.

It may be a better value if you need an LCD display, a G5 CPU and a better GPU with more VRAM.

But for a switcher like me, you can't beat the price of the Mac mini. Heck, they even took my idea of ditching the keyboard and mouse to lower the cost of the system! Maybe they really do read MacRumors.com after all!

 

[Yvan256]

B_Gates is a troll Yvan, stop wasting your breath, don't feed the trolls.

Well, with a name like "B_Gates", I sort of figured that out. But he's still a nice troll (unlike slashdot, where the trolls are without mercy).

Here's a hint for ya, "Bill", my main PC runs Windoze XP only so I can run iTunes.

 

[Yvan256]

I have heard the same from some others claiming to be beta testers of Tiger. The quote I heard said 64 mb vram was minimum config for Core Image. However I guess that 32mb vram cards will still be supported by Tiger and I am not sure what the consequences are for not being able to run CoreImage. I'm not sure Tiger will even run on 4mb - 8mb vram cards.

It's all pointless to debate this anyway... This quote is direct from Apple's own CoreImage page:

"For computers without a programmable GPU, Core Image dynamically optimizes for the CPU, automatically tuning for Velocity Engine and multiple processors as appropriate."

Sure, the Mac mini won't do CoreImage 100% using the GPU, but it'll do everything anyway (just slower).

 

[cygni]

Furthermore, what a lot of you don't seem to realize is that the power of modern computers has far outstripped the demands users place on their machines. I've had three macs before, all used machines. iBook 700mhz G3, powerbook 667mhz G4 (with broken lcd, so it was way cheap,) and an old 450mhz G4 PM. I ran intensive audio apps all the live long day on that old iBook, and unless I was running a bunch of intensive synths at once, it held up admirably. I'm talking Cubase SX here, which is not exactly low spec software. It wasn't *quite* as fast as I wanted, but IT WAS A 700MHZ G3. This machine is a 1.25ghz G4!!! For those of you that can AFFORD an imac or powermac, I guess that seems pretty crappy to you. But being forced to use much less, for much longer, for much more intensive apps than probably a lot of you are running on your imacs anyways, this machine is a godsend. I am lucky enough to have a large crt monitor and usb input devices... nothing could possibly help me out more than this mac mini being released. I will surely be getting one.

I'm getting a mac mini becase I am young, I am smart, and I am poor.

I just want you all to know that there are a lot of us smart, scrappy kids out there who are going to do amazing things with machines a lot of you think are out of date. So there

[sorry if this is posted twice, the server is bogged down]

I totally agree with you. Speaking as a someone who is too poor to upgrade from my trusty G3 iBook to a Powerbook, I will gladly take the Mac mini (w/ more *cheaper* memory ).
I also thank apple, steve - whoever for offering a new mac that's affordable for those of us who cannot currently afford a brand new mac w/o breaking the bank. I have had a 17" monitor, usb mouse, usb keyboard, and hub sitting around since I gave a pc away, last year. They will now be put to excellent use.

Only hesitation, should I wait for Tiger.

 

[3Memos]

I totally agree with you. Speaking as a someone who is too poor to upgrade from my trusty G3 iBook to a Powerbook, I will gladly take the Mac mini (w/ more *cheaper* memory ).

I'm breathlessly waiting for the 1GB modules to drop in price in line with the 512's.

 

[fr0ntside]

Also, now that the G5 has been out for a while and is in mass production, I can't see why they couldn't offer it AT LEAST as an upgrade. Hell, some of the new games coming out wont even RUN on less than a G5.

you all groaned for a
- set top box mac
- headless iMac
- sub- $1000 machine

so here it is. Obviously it's not going to be a performance delight, but it's what you all wanted. Looking for performance? Buy a PC. Or better yet, a G5!

 

[cygni]

I'm breathlessly waiting for the 1GB modules to drop in price in line with the 512's.

512 is probably enough for my purposes (would be nice if apple started at that level)... I'm just itching to use the widgets in Tiger.

 

[fr0ntside]

http://www.powermax.com/cgi-global/generate_css_temp.cgi?i=PM_CN_MM

PowerMax has some good Mac Mini configurations.
Plus they ship internationally I believe. Mini prices in New Zealand are about $1000 NZD for the low end model (From powermax, $700 NZD)!

 

[rdowns]

I read a thread over at ThinkSecret where some of the people are saying that the video card in the Mac mini doesnt do Coreimage. I hope this is not true. Those dashboard animations are pretty cool in Tiger, so I am looking forward to using it with my 2 minis.

When the ripple effect was first demoed at WWDC, I thought it was very cool. After seeing it again the other day, I can only hope it can be turned off. Will be the first thing I try to do when I install Tiger.

 

[dicklacara]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) on Wednesday posted a quarterly profit that blew past even the highest Wall Street forecasts on skyrocketing sales of its iPod digital music players and the highest number of Macintosh computers sold in more than four years

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/pf/...050113040900&w=RTR&coview=&TickerSymbols=AAPL

Apple representative answered questions from stock brokers and financial analysts after these earnings were posted.

One of the interesting answers was that 41% of the people who bought Mac computers were users of PC computers.

They didn't say that they were switchers; or that this was the first Mac computer they bought; or that they used a PC at work, but bought a Mac for home---

They just said that 41% of Mac computer buyers were users of PC computers, and that Apple had seen this trend for a while (several quarters).

From the article (above):

--iMac's average selling price rose to $1,359 from $1,105 a year ago.

--Analysts said that Apple is selling computers at twice the industry growth rate, countering long-held skepticism that Apple could gain market share.

--"Between the announcements at Macworld yesterday and the results today, it's really about much more than just the iPod," said Darcy Travlos, an analyst with Caris & Co.

You can read into this whatever you want.

But, clearly, people are able to justify the purchase of a Mac computer.

Dick

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
- Alan Kay -

 

[devman]

.

 

[Evangelion]

Disclaimer: I'm a Linux-user who still has W2K installed for occasional game or two. But Linux is my main OS. Here are my thoughts about the Mac Mini:

Yes, I will buy one. I have been planning to give OS X a shot, and this seems like the best way to do it. FYI: I'm not yet sure that will I keep OS X on this machine in the end. This machine would make a very nice personal server as well! Instead of having a bulky PC-tower, I could have this nice and silent machine sitting on my desk .

There are some downsides to this machine as well. Of course, the amount of RAM is not enough. But more than that: There are simply too few USB-ports! Plug in you mouse and keyboard, and that's it. It would have been ALOT better if they had included a third port (preferrably in the front-panel, so you could plug your iPod in it). My situation could be resolved, since my TFT also acts as a USB-hub (2x USB1 ports, so plugging iPod in there would be painful). But still....

In short: Apple will get a new customer from me (apart from the Mini, I'm planning to buy the 1GB iPod Shuffle). But I'm not planning to switch any time soon. I would merely keep on using the two systems side by side.

 

[devman]

And 256k of RAM? Come ONNNN!!!! We all know that isnt even enough to run OSX. So right there is ANOTHER an automatic upgrade charge.

(I assume of course, you meant to type 256MB)

I see this type of comment so often. There are probaly a hundred variants of it in this site I could find and reply to - so sorry, but yours happened to be the thread I'm reading right now and yours became the "tipping point" in terms of saying something.

There are a lot of uses where this memory works fine. My two kids have a 12" iBook each. They're over a year old, they are the 800MHz models and they have only 256MB.

My kids use these machine ALL the time. They run iChat, Safari (lots of windows and most of them flash sites where they play flash games - e.g. disney, nick jr, barbie, etc.). They run iTunes and they run Mail. They also regularly are running Classic for games (including Starry Night). Oh, and they also use the DVD player a lot.

Their machines run fine. They never crawl.

So, before the barrage of "but those apps are small" or whatever people might say. These apps represent their real world needs. Even though they're kids, I don't think the app mix is rare.