Mac Mini Released

[Object-X]

Belkin KVM doesn't work with Cinema displays

Quite honestly, when I buy one of these, it will be for one of two reasons...

A) I am replacing another system. I doubt I will need to replace my LCD screens, wireless keyboard, or mouse at that time.

B. ) I am adding to my current PC setup, in which case, due to ergonomics, I will probably just buy a Belkin KVM from the apple/macmini/accessories page.

Either way, this is considered a replacement, or bait computer. It is not being marketed the same way as the iMac G5.

Just keep in mind. Most die-hard Windows users would not be happy with the bottom of the line DELL. In my case, I still build my own, as I am not happy with any DELL. This is a cheap way for Windows users to 'try' a mac without forking over $2k .

Max.

Be careful about the Belkin KVM, it doesn't support the 20" cinema display. I called Belkin and asked one of their engineers if it would; he said it would not and they had tested it. There is a KVM maker that claims theirs works with the Apple display. Just in case any of you are thinking of getting the Belkin.

 

[erova]

What are they thinking, this thing looks great but can't chose a better graphics card?? this is a 5 yr old card, barely enough to run OSX. Forget any games, forget Garageband. With the also outdated G4.
You can internet and word process, maybe a little Iphoto.

Too bad it puts Apple right back to underpowered TOY status.

Steve

hey steveo--you see those shiny G5's?

i think those might be built for a little more than "internet" (verb?) and word process (as in 1985?).

if you really thought these were built to produce the next Pixar you might need to rethink Mr. Jobs' grand plan here.

 

[Phat_Pat]

Straight From Macworld.

These things are amazing. They are completly silent. They have a built in speaker, and are only about the size of a CD/DVD. They are almost the size (just a little bigger) of the Display power block.


with iLife '05, a superdrive(add on), 1.42 ghz G4,
these thing rock!

 

[mxpiazza]

for those complaining about keyboard/mouse not being included...

lets not fool ourselves. this product was designed for SWITCHERS in mind. from personal experience, and just by reading user opinions, 90% of people switching from PC are not going to want to tackle the whole one button mouse thing. if they were both included, maybe half of us wouldnt complain, but more than half of apple's target for this product would complain... and thats what matters.

2 years ago i bought a 12" G3 iBook brand new EDU with a 900 mHZ G3, 384 MB RAM, 16 MB VRAM, and a combo drive for $1500...

look at the system that can now be had for $499 shipped. i realize a lot of people on these forums will always find something to complain about, but for one product launch, can we just try and put things into a greater perspective?

 

[Gerg]

I couldn't get to the Apple Store website fast enough after seeing the first picture from MacRumor's live updates. I bought the 1.42 model with 512MB of memory, a SuperDrive and Airport Extreme Card. My e-mail confirmation says it should be delivered on January 22nd, which is next Saturday. I'm countin' the days!

I wasn't in the 'current' market for a new Mac, but I have been getting tired of my B&W G3. Even with a ton of memory installed, it stalls out sometimes. I didn't want to spend $1500 for a new G5, and I already have an 18" LCD monitor and keyboard & mouse, so the Mac mini is EXACTLY what I wanted, I just didn't know it! Steve knew it, though!

 

[Renko31]

Optional Superdrive

I was just checking out the writing speed specs of the optional superdrive, and came across this:

Optional SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW): writes DVD-R discs at up to 4x speed, writes DVD-RW discs at up to 2x speed, writes DVD+R discs at up to 4x speed, writes DVD+RW discs at up to 2.4x speed, reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 16x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 8x speed, reads CDs at up to 24x speed

Is this right? And if so, is this the first time Apple have offered a DVD±RW drive?

http://www.apple.com/macmini/specs.html (bottom of page)

By the way I'm looking for a cheap upgrade to my 12" Powerbook Rev A and I think the Mac Mini is just the job. Well done Apple!

Renko

 

[MacPhreak]

I'd love to toss the dual 500 i've kept around as a spare and to run the odd OS 9 app.

Let me know before you do. I'm running a B&W upgraded to G4/400 as my desktop.

 

[trose]

I think it's awesome.

My mother and sister both are currently using old iMacDV 400mhz G3s, they reallly need a new computer, their's are just not handling OSX well. Especially my mother who manages her website and business on the computer.

I priced it out, and for about $670 (including shipping) you could get a Mac Mini 1.25Ghz w/ 512MB RAM and a good quality 17" CRT. They already have keyboards a mice.

So for about the price of a single new iMac G5, they could instead get two new Macs. Very nice.

 

[tsk]

for those complaining about keyboard/mouse not being included...

lets not fool ourselves. this product was designed for SWITCHERS in mind. from personal experience, and just by reading user opinions, 90% of people switching from PC are not going to want to tackle the whole one button mouse thing. if they were both included, maybe half of us wouldnt complain, but more than half of apple's target for this product would complain... and thats what matters.

One thing I think they should include with the system is a PS2 to USB connector for keyboards. My experience is that most (almost all) PC keyboards are PS2 connectors and if they include equipment for existing keyboards, it's fine because a lot of people will have keyboards they want to use instead.

 

[Poff]

I for one am glad Apple didn't include a keyboard and mouse. I dont like either of them anyway. The keyboard is at a crazy, NON-ADJUSTABLE angle the one button/no scroll wheel mouse sucks! If not including them helps keep the price down then thats great. I think they should make the mouse and kb optional on all macs!

My Apple Pro Keyboard has adjustable angle.. maybe you didn't look well enough beneith yours?



Apart from that, it really sucks that they didn't include iWork, or at least Pages, with this new computer. For Apple to include Pages on the computer wouldn't cost a lot, and it would make life easier for a lot of "switchers". Now they'll probably just go out and buy Microsoft Office anyways..

 

[Poff]

One thing I think they should include with the system is a PS2 to USB connector for keyboards. My experience is that most (almost all) PC keyboards are PS2 connectors and if they include equipment for existing keyboards, it's fine because a lot of people will have keyboards they want to use instead.

Agreed.. especially if it's to attract those with an ageing system (whom I guess are the ones interested in a low-cost system). You don't have to go back more than 2 or 3 years before most PCs were delivered with PS-2 keyboards..

 

[Stella]

Mac MINI doesn't do optical audio out?

If so, this puts a dampener on things. Though I suppose you could get an Airport express and wirelessly connect you surround sound speakers.

 

[funkywhat2]

My Apple Pro Keyboard has adjustable angle.. maybe you didn't look well enough beneith yours?

The Pro Keyboard was discontinued, and the new keyboard aren't adjustable.

I'll be getting this along with the 1 GB iPod Shuffle as soon as I have all the cash saved up. I can't wait.

 

[fluidinclusion]

Wireless mouse

OK, I want to try a MAC, because like most people I'm sick of the crashes, anti virus software incompatibilities, and spyware. So I have a few questions. First I have a SAMSUNG 51" DLP HDTV, and would like to know if the Mac Mini would work with this. If it would I'm surely interested in purchasing this. I would configure it with the Wireless Keyboard and mouse and it still is cheaper than any other MAC you can find, plus I get the educational discount. So will it work with my TV. I have a DVI port, and a HDMI port on the TV. This is what I've been waiting for. I didn't want to spend more than $1000 for a MAC and than have to learn the OS all over again only to find I didn't like it. This solves that problem. I love Apple and if this works out and I like it I'm ditching my Dimension 8300, for a G5 or something. Also can I find a wireless keyboard and mouse that will work with the Mini at Officemax or Staples,and will it be cheaper?

I bought a wireless mouse by microsoft. I just plugged it in and it worked. No drivers required. Only $25 at Best Buy on sale a while ago. Should work fine on the mini

 

[Belly-laughs]

vs

It looks like the asteroid might be a stackable expansion box to the Mac mini (if it in fact wasn´t the mini), perhaps for HDTV recording, remote controlling, etc. Also, expect la Cie to make external HD´s to fit as well. Seems the possibilities of cool expansion solutions are endless!

 

[fatbarstard]

Looks like a lunch box to me....

I think this new Mac Mini should be called the Mac Lunchbox becuase its about as big as a sandwich...

V V V nice though..

Also I wonder about the corporate market... these baby's could almost be taken for a 'thin client' except that its a 'fat client'... but what the hell... well designed, well made, bloody fantastic, el cheapo lunch box sized croporate desktop computer...

Now all we need is a plastic handle on the top and some Sopongebob Squarepants motifs on the side then we would be away

Come on Belkin.... get to work on accessorising this baby

 

[rdowns]

One thing I think they should include with the system is a PS2 to USB connector for keyboards. My experience is that most (almost all) PC keyboards are PS2 connectors and if they include equipment for existing keyboards, it's fine because a lot of people will have keyboards they want to use instead.

Would be nice but you can get these for a few bucks. I have like 7 of them somewhere in my office.

 

[mxpiazza]

yeah, i think apple's goal, obviously, was to only include things that everyone would need... the computer itself. they dont want to force people to pay for something they dont need, and want to keep costs at a bare minumum... by including adapters, keyboards, mice, and other things that some people already have, they would increase costs and upset people who already own the accessories. just dosent make sense given the target market.

 

[Yvan256]

For the price this really is amazing. All that top software alone must be worth the asking price. Add a computer like that in to the deal and... wow.

Prediction: This is going to fly off the shelves.

Yeah, right. Like these things will even have time to land on the shelves in the first place.

 

[V.A.Toss]

Agreed.. especially if it's to attract those with an ageing system (whom I guess are the ones interested in a low-cost system). You don't have to go back more than 2 or 3 years before most PCs were delivered with PS-2 keyboards..

u know PC keyboards cost peanuts these days. A PS2 costs £2, and a USB one not much more. Most of them work fine on a mac, mine does anyway.

 

[makkystyle]

What are they thinking, this thing looks great but can't chose a better graphics card?? this is a 5 yr old card, barely enough to run OSX. Forget any games, forget Garageband. With the also outdated G4.
You can internet and word process, maybe a little Iphoto.

Too bad it puts Apple right back to underpowered TOY status.

Steve

Umm, My powerbook is just over 2 years old (last Ti rev) and it has a radeon 9000. I have no problem running OSX or, for that matter, FCP, After Effects, Maya, Photoshop, etc. Now granted I have 64mb versus the 32 of the new Mac mini, but who exactly do you see as purchasing this thing? You really can't believe that Apple is making this for the professional user... or do you? This is for the people who WANT a "TOY". The same people who love the iPod and Apple's "cool" design. After all the VAST majority of PC users only do three things: surf the web, check email and write a paper every once-in-a-while. That's why they all choose price over performance and select a $500 package from Dell or Compaq. This is a D-I-V-E-R-S-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N of the Macintosh product line, Apple already has plenty of high-end options to choose from. I'm sorry you'll have to let lesser users into your Mac owning club, but can't you recognize that this is a good thing for Apple?

 

[crunk]

Mac Mini Home Theater

Ok, here's my question for those of you who can relate specs to real world performance better than I can-

When I buy one of these, hook it up to the dvi port on my 55-inch hdtv, plug in my ati remote wonder, and network it to my g4 tower that has all my movies stored on it, is it going to handle fullscreen quicktime without any jitters? and do I finally have a mac solution to my seemingly never ending quest for a good home theater component that networks with everything on my computer? (as long as someone finally makes a good movie cataloguer / launcher - thanks dvd juggler for the best attempt yet...)

 

[macaddictann]

OK, let me see...versus my current machine, a Powerbook Ti.

Mac Mini:
1.25GHz G4 or 1.4GHz G4
Powerbook:
550 MHz G4

Mac Mini:
$499 or $599
Powerbook:
Already paid for

Mac Mini:
6.5 inches wide and 2 inches tall
2.9 pounds
Powerbook:
I don't know how wide. About 2 inches thick when closed. 4 pounds? I forget.

Mac Mini:
Up to 1GB of Memory supported (comes with 256MB)
Powerbook:
Same

Mac Mini:
ATI Radeon 9200
Powerbook:
Rage M6 or something? No idea. This should tell you how important this is to me.

Mac Mini:
iLife '05
Powerbook:
Nope. The only life this has is in the battery.

Mac Mini:
Keyboard, Mouse, and Monitor sold seperately
Powerbook:
Keyboard, mouse, and monitor built in

Hmm. The primary advantage here to me is that 1.25 or 1.42 GHz, which this Powerbook lacks. Yet the new Doom requires 1.5. I don't play Doom, so in that sense, I don't care. But it makes me wonder about where minimum requirements might be headed down the line. (Well, we all know they'll get there eventually.) By that logic, the more power the better. The more slots the better.

This would have been a great buy for me 3 years ago when I bought this Powerbook (minus its full transportability, monitor-wise). But now...It may be useful in some ways and for some purposes, but honestly, nothing shall shake my resolve to dig myself into debt for a G5.

 

[dotmike]

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

But you haven't taken into account GST (those US prices don't include state tax which most people do indeed have to add, eg, 8.5% in California). There's also currency hedging: the AUD has had a good run, but could quite conceivably fall back a few cents in the coming months with the rise of US interest rates. (That happened with the iPod mini which for a few weeks was the cheapest in Australia out of anywhere in the world.)

There's also the "Buzzle factor" - the amount that Apple lost when the greedy Buzzle retail chain went bankrupt while in debt to Apple and humourously rumored to be built into the price of every Apple product. And office space at Frenchs Forest or the bimbos that work there don't come cheap, ya know.

In real terms, it works out to about 50 bucks either way. No one's really getting ripped off for a product this low cost. If you're really hard up, do you know anyone in Education... it's $719 for an edu price.

Just wait until you hear the poms start whining!

 

[FFTT]

The Mac mini is certainly impressive.

Howsomever,

This shows us how affordable an Apple G4 series computer SHOULD BE!

This would indicate to me that a nicely equipped 1.5 Ghz G4 PowerBook with superdrive SHOULD retail NOW for about $1,100 or less and not much more for a 17"

We might also keep in mind that one can purchase a very nice
dual G4 tower used for about the price of a well equipped mini.