Mac Mini to Launch at Macworld San Francisco?

[CyberBob859]

I hope the Mac mini update, media center and home server are all merged into one product.

Yes, and if true, would also signify that Apple has recognized that the Mini has more appeal than the "switcher" computer it was designed to be.

 

[Cave Man]

I'll buy a pair IF:

1) They have Blu-Ray
2) They have firewire
3) They have a 3.5" internal HD
4) They have a video card capable of outputting a decent 1080p signal.
5) An inexpensive and easy means of outputting to HDMI and Component exists.

Any one of those missing, and no dice.

Have fun with your Windoze PC.

 

[nick9191]

I'll buy a pair IF:

1) They have Blu-Ray
2) They have firewire
3) They have a 3.5" internal HD
4) They have a video card capable of outputting a decent 1080p signal.
5) An inexpensive and easy means of outputting to HDMI and Component exists.

Any one of those missing, and no dice.

Then you wont be buying one.

 

[CyberBob859]

Rumors all the major sites have been reporting:

1. New mac mini.
2. Possible new media server.
3. Standalone software for AppleTV functionality on any mac.

Can it be that all three are ONE product, ala the iPhone intro?

Maybe the real answer is:

You can order a mac mini (with two hard drives even with lots of storage) with a software option that turns it into a AppleTV/home media server solution out of the box?

This is what I'm hoping for, and if so, would make the new Mini very appealing.

 

[Cave Man]

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that the optical audio output is only stereo, and not 5.1 surround or whatever that movies have.

You are incorrect. The optical port can deliver up to 7.1 compressed digital audio (e.g., DTS or Dolby Digital). It cannot deliver HD audio (e.g., DTS-HD or True-HD). For that, we need Apple to fully implement the DisplayPort, which has the bandwidth for such audio.

 

[iMacmatician]

TUAW believes that the Mac mini will indeed see an update at Macworld San Francisco next week. Rumors of a Mac mini update have been ongoing with most expectations pointing to Macworld.

More evidence is always good.

TUAW's report is light on details but expects at least two major changes

- The internal optical drive will be an SATA drive that can be swapped out with a second SATA hard drive
- Design will change from the current white plastic to black plastic and aluminum.

Design changes are expected, and I'm quite interested in the SATA drive stuff. Maybe the Mac mini is shifting focus? I don't know.

 

[Luke1robb]

POLL: What is Apple going to do with the mini and apple tv... (link attached)

So is Apple going to:

1) Release a new mini and apple tv

2) Release a combined device

or

3) Release a new mini, but slowly kill off the apple tv

Take my poll here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/625664/

 

[VoR]

You are incorrect. The optical port can deliver up to 7.1 compressed digital audio (e.g., DTS or Dolby Digital). It cannot deliver HD audio (e.g., DTS-HD or True-HD). For that, we need Apple to fully implement the DisplayPort, which has the bandwidth for such audio.

I didn't think displayport has the bandwidth for hd audio.

 

[Luke1robb]

I'll buy a pair IF:

1) They have Blu-Ray
2) They have firewire
3) They have a 3.5" internal HD
4) They have a video card capable of outputting a decent 1080p signal.
5) An inexpensive and easy means of outputting to HDMI and Component exists.

Any one of those missing, and no dice.

So......basically, you have no plans on buying a Mac Mini any time soon is what you're telling us? Or..... you're trying to seem tough and that you won't buy it unless it has said features, but you'll really actually cave when it comes time to launch... which one is you?

 

[dongmin]

I'll take a case redesign with height enough to handle 2 3.5in SATA 1.5TB drives and buy two of them to add onto the network.

TWO 3.5" drives would be out of the question, without completely altering the "Mini" form factor. But maybe, ONE is a possibility.

For everyone having wet dreams about the Home Media Server converging with the Mini, I wouldn't get my hopes up. No way Apple is gonna offer any advanced Server capabilities into a $600 machine.

My guess is that you'll have to buy a Time Capsule or invest in an external HD if you want any kind of backup capability.

And the only way you're gonna get HDMI out of the Mini is through an adapter. Maybe, just Maybe, Apple will be generous enough to include a MiniDisplayport-to-DVI adapter. But I doubt it.

 

[El Carbonite]

Finally the rumors start flowing! 😀

 

[zami]

Two questions...

If Firewire 400 is removed and eSATA is included will it be bootable from an eSATA external HD?

Will it be bootable from an external HD via USB2?

 

[Cave Man]

I didn't think displayport has the bandwidth for hd audio.

It supports up to 6 mbps. The True-HD and DTS-HD of my Blu-ray rips are in the 4 to 5 mbps range. DD and DTS are in the 400-500 kbps range. The limit is still 7.1, though.

 

[8CoreWhore]

I hope they add eSATA, then you can add an external BD drive.

 

[PhireWare]

Hmmmmmm maybe this?

Did a little more idea drawing and just did a simple image of this. The Mac Mini look something like this maybe???

 

[MasterNile]

Two questions...

If Firewire 400 is removed and eSATA is included will it be bootable from an eSATA external HD?

Will it be bootable from an external HD via USB2?

Not sure about eSATA but leopard can boot from USB2, as that's how I'm running my iMac because the internal HD is dead.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Have fun with your Windoze PC.

Then you wont be buying one.

So......basically, you have no plans on buying a Mac Mini any time soon is what you're telling us?

To the person to whom these posts pertain, get some realistic expectations. Apple will never make anything like that.

 

[Techguy172]

Two questions...

If Firewire 400 is removed and eSATA is included will it be bootable from an eSATA external HD?

Will it be bootable from an external HD via USB2?

I don't think we will see eSATA, no other macs have it and I don't think they plan to.

 

[zami]

Not sure about eSATA but leopard can boot from USB2, as that's how I'm running my iMac because the internal HD is dead.

Thanks, had no idea anything but FireWire was bootable, thank God for that🙂

 

[VoR]

It supports up to 6 mbps. The True-HD and DTS-HD of my Blu-ray rips are in the 4 to 5 mbps range. DD and DTS are in the 400-500 kbps range. The limit is still 7.1, though.

7.1 true-hd and dts-hd is just what I'm after. I can't see any information on the displayport page that confirms this, only the opposite (ie. the two formats are not supported) on various sites, including wikipedia that states:

Advantages compared to HDMI
1. DisplayPort does not require licensing or royalty payments

Disadvantages compared to HDMI
1. No xvYCC color space support.
2. No Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio bitstream support.
3. No support for Consumer Electronics Control signals

Am I being totally blind on displayport.org? 🙂

 

[Cave Man]

I don't think we will see eSATA, no other macs have it and I don't think they plan to.

But if the internal optical drive is SATA, then it would be a piece of cake to run a SATA to eSATA cable out the back of the thing. Then you'd be talking about bootable 7200 rpm 1.5TB 3.5" hard drives.

 

[Josh Kahane]

Did a little more idea drawing and just did a simple image of this. The Mac Mini look something like this maybe???

Pretty nice, I wouldn't mind one of those. 🙂 I don't think it will be that thin though, but any design like that would be lovely.

 

[bobsentell]

Soooo if its got black plastic or aluminum would it look like one of the two images attached??? Obviously he photos aren't real, but just an idea?

I knew if I looked long enough someone would put a pic up. I'd buy it.

 

[Cave Man]

2. No Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio bitstream support.

Am I being totally blind on displayport.org? 🙂

Well, now I'm not sure. If it only needed passthrough, then so long as you have a receiver capable of decoding the digital signal it should work. Perhaps these limitations have to do with DHCP? If so, then physical media could have issues, but ripped (i.e., de-HDCP'd) media would not. I suspect we'll have to wait and see. I don't have a True-HD/DTS-HD receiver, otherwise I could test it as soon as the new Mini was available.

 

[MasterNile]

I don't think we will see eSATA, no other macs have it and I don't think they plan to.

I do doubt it on the Mac Mini, but that's like saying "I don't think we'll see (mini-)DisplayPort, no other Macs have it and I don't think they plan to" back in September. Remember that the latest desktop update (iMac) was over half a year ago, eSATA has since grown in popularity and adding something like eSATA might boost desktop sales when you're torn between mobility and transfer speed since the aluminum macbooks only have USB2.0.