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Mac Mini To Be Discontinued?
- Thread starter Planner Dude
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because it doesn't matter. Maybe that is just the size of the future like the letter "i" is the prefix of the future.
iPod, iMac, iCan't stand that iStuff
Now you are talking crazy - that is too close to their current line up in MacPro. Too many people are like me - As soon as my wife's desktop crashes again she wants a mini - we don't need all the expandibility of a MP all we need is a dependable replacement for our PC for email and ebay. Period. The mini is perfect.
My theory is that all their attn. has gone into iphone and keeping the laptops up to snuff. Mini has been ignored. Soon, they will come out with one with wireless N, core 2, etc. Just watch and pray...
bow in reverence to ...
Let's keep it clean here guys....
Oh wait... I had the nipple comment.... okay moderators... you can remove it if you wish.
The Cube might not be very practical, but it's better than an iMac without monitor because there are several PC graphics cards that can be made to work.
What you describe is about what all of us so-called "whiners" have been clamoring for in these forums for ages. You could even drop a Kentsfield if you wanted to kind of waste money in four cores with poor bandwidth.
So a great replacement for the current mini would have:
* form factor of the
TV [edit: just taller]
* larger capacity hard drive
* full version of OS X
* retain the video card and HDTV outputs
* Core 2 Duo CPU
2.0GHz/1GB/120GB/combo $599
2.16GHz/1GB/160GB/super drive $799
dudes?
* form factor of the
TV [edit: just taller]* larger capacity hard drive
* full version of OS X
* retain the video card and HDTV outputs
* Core 2 Duo CPU
2.0GHz/1GB/120GB/combo $599
2.16GHz/1GB/160GB/super drive $799
dudes?
IMO, the Mini is good for people who just type letters, check e-mail & listen to music. The iMac is good for all that plus some casual gaming. As for the Mac Pro, it should be scrapped and 2 new kinds of desktops should be available in its place. One would be a midrange tower, 2 optical drives, 2 hard drives, 3 PCIe (2 in SLI mode and another 1 for whatever) and 1 proc. The other tower should be the workstation with 3+ optical bays, ~4 hard drives, 2+ multi-core procs, & ~4 PCIe (2 SLI & 2 others for whatever). I'd also like the optical drives in the towers to be easily user replaceable like in regular PC ATX cases.
You missed the point. I was commenting on someone saying that the Cube was this and that and what he described as limitations were the same limitations in the iMac..
Apple could make a headless mini tower that slide right between the 24" iMac and the MacPro. I agree with you on the mini issue, but the mini is a bit of a precarious little device that had seen it's hayday. I don't see anyone really needing to get a fresh Mac for $600 when they could pay the extra $300 for the 17" iMac and get better specs, and a monitor mouse and keyboard. When the 17" iMac was still $1200 it might have been more plausible and when the mini's specs were close to the iMac's then it was a bargain, but now it is just an old machine used for novalty stuff. The original creators of Cash Cab stuffed them into a cab and used them to wirelessly transmit footage from inside the cab to the chase vehicle for editing. Works better than an iMac... but for home, student, family, use... meh... your better off getting a used eMac... it comes with a monitor.
So a great replacement for the current mini would have:
* form factor of the
* larger capacity hard drive
* full version of OS X
* retain the video card and HDTV outputs
* Core 2 Duo CPU
2.0GHz/1GB/120GB/combo $599
2.16GHz/1GB/160GB/super drive $799
dudes?
Nah...I am not sold that the 7.7" form factor is gong standard. I also dont thnk that apple ever intended that the appletv be sitting in your home office - I guess I am ust stuck on why they would introduce a 6.5" extreme if 6.5" form is dead.
Your other stats look good - I just think they'll do that in a 6.5" box.
you can now send money to...
The Cube was not better than an iMac... changing a graphics card and what else though... besides... it based off of some elses opinion. The Cube was limited he said... the limitations listed sounded like the exact limitations of the iMac.
And I want the whiners to get what they want too, and it would make it easier for me to convince the geeks and gamers to switch to Mac if there was a computer with MacPro expandibility and iMac price for them to play with. As for the MacMini... if Apple updates it, then great... if they don't then great... give me the next budget Macintosh Computer which gives good reason for discontinuing the MacMini... I think the net revision of the Apple TV may just have the mini's features... same size same parts... just make it thicker for the optical drive to watch BlueRay movies on and TiVo features and Apple's a shoe in.
The iMac has the TERRIBLE limitation of including its own monitor. Even if you made it headless, you can't upgrade the graphics. I'm on my third gfx for the Cube, going for a fourth.
Resurrection
The Mini is here to stay..........TV Pro would be a likely metamorphosis.
The Mini is here to stay..........
TV Pro would be a likely metamorphosis.
I also agree with you on the iPhone bit... They need to premier Leopard at WWDC and forget about this iPhone Santa Rosemary stuff... give me software!!!
iLife 08
iWork 08
Logic 08
FCX 08
Leopard
Server 08
Aperture updates
QuickTime updates
Make bootcamp work like Parallels so I can have an actual factual Windows machine to run games without booting into that God awful Windows OS.
Santa Rosa and hardware isn't why I switched... it was the software.
Actually it is the true geek who wants a computer in the car (got one) one at the TV (oops another one there) and who knows where else doing . . . if you will simple jobs.
My wife (non-geek) has one and loves it.
Apple just needs to give it better specs and update it more frequently. Why not have just one edition of the mini like they did with the Mac Pro:
2 Ghz Core 2 Duo
1 GB RAM (expandable up to 2)
120 GB 2.5" hard drive
Intel GMA graphics
Optional 256 MB ATI Radeon x1600 ($200)
HDMI out (converters for component avail.)
DVI out
4 USB 2.0 ports
1 FW 400 port
5.1 surround sound support (through HDMI connection)
Apple TV menu replaces Front Row
Double Layer Super Drive 8x
Optional HD DVD drive ($200)
Mac OS X Leopard 10.5
Apple Remote
$699
2 Ghz Core 2 Duo
1 GB RAM (expandable up to 2)
120 GB 2.5" hard drive
Intel GMA graphics
Optional 256 MB ATI Radeon x1600 ($200)
HDMI out (converters for component avail.)
DVI out
4 USB 2.0 ports
1 FW 400 port
5.1 surround sound support (through HDMI connection)
Apple TV menu replaces Front Row
Double Layer Super Drive 8x
Optional HD DVD drive ($200)
Mac OS X Leopard 10.5
Apple Remote
$699
I never said the iMac should be headless. And the fact that it is an all in one COMSUMER machine doesn't make it a limitation. If you need to upgrade graphics cards get a MacPro...
Still using a Cube? Maybe it's time for a new computer... only so much beating a dead horse can take..
Software
Very true. However, if Santa Rosa and hardware upgrades will make these high-end apps run well, then bring on the hardware that'll make'em scream.
I also agree with you on the iPhone bit... They need to premier Leopard at WWDC and forget about this iPhone Santa Rosemary stuff... give me software!!!
iLife 08
iWork 08
Logic 08
FCX 08
Leopard
Server 08
Aperture updates
QuickTime updates
Make bootcamp work like Parallels so I can have an actual factual Windows machine to run games without booting into that God awful Windows OS.
Santa Rosa and hardware isn't why I switched... it was the software.
Very true. However, if Santa Rosa and hardware upgrades will make these high-end apps run well, then bring on the hardware that'll make'em scream.
Goodbye AppleTV sales. If they replace it, it's gonna have everything you say sans Apple TV menu, HDMI out, 5.1, and anything else that makes it compete with the Apple TV.
And Apple supports Blue Ray... no HD DVD either.