Exactly!!!BenRoethig said:
I media center like this would sell like crazy... small, simple and elegant. Just imagine how many switchers you would get at the same time.
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I media center like this would sell like crazy... small, simple and elegant. Just imagine how many switchers you would get at the same time.
Just In Time Invintory Management Makes When Yonah Price Falls The Time To Do It
I'm still not convinced this rumor is true. I've got my fingers crossed these two processors are going to be C2D at 1.66 and 1.83GHz - not Yonah.
Only fair & logical reason it might be true would be due to constrained supply of Merom to begin with so Apple has to use all those for MacBook Pro first, then iMac - excluding a Conroe plan -, MacBook and finally mini when supply of Merom is unconstrained like around November-December. By first doing the speed bumps to the Merom speeds with Yonah, they can deliver an immediate benefit to their mini customers without spreading the limited supply of Meroms all over the lines yet.
So after they have enough Meroms for MBP they can switch the MB to Meroms at the same speeds as now, then switch the mini ALMOST silently once that line is satisfied fully. iMac is a big unknown due to Conroe possability.
More I think about it, that is probably what's happening. Intel probably has the order with Apple designed to reduce the Yonah supply as quickly as they can provde enough Meroms to keep satisfying Apple's every growing appetite for more and more C2 Intel processors at the ever growing assembly lines in Taiwan & China.
M-Life said:
IF TRUE - Just In Time Invintory Management Makes When Yonah Price Falls The Time To Do It. That would be once Merom is shipping - like NOW.HecubusPro said:
I'm still not convinced this rumor is true. I've got my fingers crossed these two processors are going to be C2D at 1.66 and 1.83GHz - not Yonah.
Only fair & logical reason it might be true would be due to constrained supply of Merom to begin with so Apple has to use all those for MacBook Pro first, then iMac - excluding a Conroe plan -, MacBook and finally mini when supply of Merom is unconstrained like around November-December. By first doing the speed bumps to the Merom speeds with Yonah, they can deliver an immediate benefit to their mini customers without spreading the limited supply of Meroms all over the lines yet.
So after they have enough Meroms for MBP they can switch the MB to Meroms at the same speeds as now, then switch the mini ALMOST silently once that line is satisfied fully. iMac is a big unknown due to Conroe possability.
More I think about it, that is probably what's happening. Intel probably has the order with Apple designed to reduce the Yonah supply as quickly as they can provde enough Meroms to keep satisfying Apple's every growing appetite for more and more C2 Intel processors at the ever growing assembly lines in Taiwan & China.
$499 price point ... bingo!
I think you hit on the key thing here! The target audience for the Mac Mini is starting to break down into 2 camps. One is the niche user who wants it for a homebrew media center setup. They like the faster, more powerful Minis - even if they cost a few hundred bucks extra.
The far larger target group, however, is the home user on a budget. The people I know who have interest in a Mini as their next computer are currently using 1-2 generation old Windows PCs that they bought used to begin with a couple years ago. They need to type letters, surf the Inet and check their email. They want to download pictures out of a digital camera and print copies, but they don't need fast 3D graphics for games. (They're the types who enjoy the little web-based games from GameHouse or PopCap, or Windows Solitaire.)
They like the promise of greater "ease of use" with OS X and a Mac, and less threat of viruses. They also like the small form-factor case, since they tend to stick their computer on a small desk or card table, as opposed to a nice computer desk purchased just for that purpose.
These people want a low price... not a "next generation CPU". I actually think it would be good if Apple could use the Mini as their system that helps them dispose of "old stock" spare parts and start selling it for a $349.95 and up price point.
I think you hit on the key thing here! The target audience for the Mac Mini is starting to break down into 2 camps. One is the niche user who wants it for a homebrew media center setup. They like the faster, more powerful Minis - even if they cost a few hundred bucks extra.
The far larger target group, however, is the home user on a budget. The people I know who have interest in a Mini as their next computer are currently using 1-2 generation old Windows PCs that they bought used to begin with a couple years ago. They need to type letters, surf the Inet and check their email. They want to download pictures out of a digital camera and print copies, but they don't need fast 3D graphics for games. (They're the types who enjoy the little web-based games from GameHouse or PopCap, or Windows Solitaire.)
They like the promise of greater "ease of use" with OS X and a Mac, and less threat of viruses. They also like the small form-factor case, since they tend to stick their computer on a small desk or card table, as opposed to a nice computer desk purchased just for that purpose.
These people want a low price... not a "next generation CPU". I actually think it would be good if Apple could use the Mini as their system that helps them dispose of "old stock" spare parts and start selling it for a $349.95 and up price point.
iHotu said:
M-Life said:
because merom is being releaased now, not two months ago. with merom, yonah will propably get very cheap
Evangelion said:
The pricelist from Intel themselves (PDF).
[guide]Core 2 Duo[/guide]: Merom pricing.
Yonah prices in normal font, Merom in bold
1.66 GHz - $209/ $209
1.83 GHz - $241/ $241
2 GHz - $294/$294 etc. etc.
They cost the same! Intel hasn't announced any price drops yet.
BlizzardBomb said:
you can be certain that the price-difference is there. since merom and yonah are 1:1 compatible, why would anyone use yonah istead of merom? but since the two will be sold side-by-side, yonah obviously has some benefits that merom does not have. and that benefit is most likely price.
Evangelion said:
And the ability to grant three wishes.
(It's buried deep in the documentation...)
I agree.iHotu said:
I was shocked when the price of the core duo minis increased in price above $500. As mentioned several times, that is the reason to buy a Mac mini. I think we'll see meroms in the iMacs as they represent the mid-level Macs in Apples line-up.
LoL
The discussion in thinksecret is so fun at the moment, you can't even imagine how.
Basically everyone was talkin about it's video card, how it should be upgraded and things like that
But then these messages came into topic
User1
I think the Mac mini has a future as long as they can get a better video output and a DVR.
User2
It'd be great if they added a nuclear reactor.
User3
Will it include a pony?
Coments? Mine: LOL
The discussion in thinksecret is so fun at the moment, you can't even imagine how.
Basically everyone was talkin about it's video card, how it should be upgraded and things like that
But then these messages came into topic
User1
I think the Mac mini has a future as long as they can get a better video output and a DVR.
User2
It'd be great if they added a nuclear reactor.
User3
Will it include a pony?
Coments? Mine: LOL
The mini is too small
I've been saying since the mini came out that it's too small. Even if it had been twice as big it still would've been very small. Going bigger would have allowed a 3.5" HD and a more standard logic board. Such a mega-mini would really be the media storage machine people are dreaming about because a 250GB HD is about the same price as an 80GB notebook drive while offering much better performance.
Of course I've also been saying that Apple needs to have a machine in the iMac price range that doesn't include a display. Remove the LCD, put in a desktop CPU and an upgradable video card and you're back where you started cost wise. The Mac Pro is such a good deal for people who need that kind of power that having a mini tower or desktop with fewer drive bays at the 20" iMac price point wouldn't take away any Pro sales. I think such a machine would attract a significant number of current PC users who can't cope with the all-in-one, can't upgrade anything concept of the iMac.
Having another tower would also drive Cinema Display sales. Maybe not a huge amount given that Apple displays are significantly more expensive than the competition, but any increase would be good for Apple's bottom line.
So why don't I like iMacs? In 14 years of owning Macs I've upgraded, on average, every two years. It makes absolutely no sense to toss aside a perfectly good display every two years when I can simply plug a new computer into it. When there is a major improvement in display technology I can change on my own timetable. Oh and I recently upgraded my RAM without having to remove any first and installed a second HD in preparation for Time Machine. Try doing that with an iMac.
BlizzardBomb said:
I've been saying since the mini came out that it's too small. Even if it had been twice as big it still would've been very small. Going bigger would have allowed a 3.5" HD and a more standard logic board. Such a mega-mini would really be the media storage machine people are dreaming about because a 250GB HD is about the same price as an 80GB notebook drive while offering much better performance.
Of course I've also been saying that Apple needs to have a machine in the iMac price range that doesn't include a display. Remove the LCD, put in a desktop CPU and an upgradable video card and you're back where you started cost wise. The Mac Pro is such a good deal for people who need that kind of power that having a mini tower or desktop with fewer drive bays at the 20" iMac price point wouldn't take away any Pro sales. I think such a machine would attract a significant number of current PC users who can't cope with the all-in-one, can't upgrade anything concept of the iMac.
Having another tower would also drive Cinema Display sales. Maybe not a huge amount given that Apple displays are significantly more expensive than the competition, but any increase would be good for Apple's bottom line.
So why don't I like iMacs? In 14 years of owning Macs I've upgraded, on average, every two years. It makes absolutely no sense to toss aside a perfectly good display every two years when I can simply plug a new computer into it. When there is a major improvement in display technology I can change on my own timetable. Oh and I recently upgraded my RAM without having to remove any first and installed a second HD in preparation for Time Machine. Try doing that with an iMac.
swingerofbirch
macrumors 68040
I also think that making the mini bigger makes sense. I mean the Cube was a wonderful design and a few times larger than the mini.
Both of them have external power supplies, which from an esthetic point of view isn't the most pleasing. A larger design could potentially include an interal power supply, although it might make it a good deal nosier, I'm not sure.
Both of them have external power supplies, which from an esthetic point of view isn't the most pleasing. A larger design could potentially include an interal power supply, although it might make it a good deal nosier, I'm not sure.
Well, may be off topic but the shipping times on the MacBooks has been inreasing on the Apple Store online U.S. since yesterday. They were at 3-5 business days yesterday and now they're all at 5-7. Could be something, could be nothing.
EDIT: Also, the 17" iMac was at 24 hrs and the 20" iMac was at 1-2 business days when I checked yesterday and now they are both at 1-2 business days.
EDIT: Also, the 17" iMac was at 24 hrs and the 20" iMac was at 1-2 business days when I checked yesterday and now they are both at 1-2 business days.
4God said:
As has been reported, it's because of high demand due to the back-to-school season. Apple is having difficulty keeping up with that demand.
swingerofbirch said:
We've all been crying for a new cube since the mini came out... is the mini an awesome machine? Absolutely, I love mine. But there is a market for a headless iMac/Cube/MacPro mini... people like me. I don't need a quad core computer. I don't need 16gb of RAM. I don't need 4 harddrive bays, or even two optical drive slots.
I do want a fast CPU, an upgradable GPU, a couple of full size HDDs and a full size optical drive. I also want something quiet, relatively affordable (something a bit less than an iMac would be idea), and stylish.
I don't think that Apple would lose Mac Pro sales to something like this - they might lose iMac sales but if the margins are the same for them who cares, and any loss of mini sales would be upsells, so it'd be a good thing.
I think a lot PC types, especially gamers, would be interested, bringing in new markets... None of my gamer friends would be satisfied by an iMac, but neither would they shell out $2-3k for a Mac Pro.
Let's see, the mini is 6.5x6.5x2 inches, would anyone even notice if it went to 8.5x8.5x4? Even better would be 8x8x8, just for the cube dimensions, done in iPod white (or black), would look stellar on a desktop. Core 2 Duo 1.83ghz, 4 RAM slots for an 8gb max with 512mb installed stock, 1 16x PCIe w/ 7300GT base (BTO options), 1 PCI slot, 2 3.5" drive bays w/ 160gb standard, 1 5.25" bay w/ SD, AE, BT2, 6 USB2 (4 back, 2 front), 1 FW 400, 1 eSATA (in place of FW800)... $999 anyone? BTO options for slower/fast CPUs and GPUs, more RAM, bigger HDD and a $200 TV tuner/video encoder breakout box...
It's because of AMD.
I thought the Yonah/Merom pricing 'issue' has been discussed some time ago, already. The 'conclusion' was that Intel would price the Merom the same as the Yonah, to be able to fight off AMD, which has closen in on Intel a bit too much, to Intel's liking. Intel wants everybody to switch to the Core 2 technology as soon as possible. That's the only way the Intel chips will be faster on all levels than their AMD counterparts. Because, yes, Yonah was a stopgap chip. Merom is the real New Chip.
I thought the Yonah/Merom pricing 'issue' has been discussed some time ago, already. The 'conclusion' was that Intel would price the Merom the same as the Yonah, to be able to fight off AMD, which has closen in on Intel a bit too much, to Intel's liking. Intel wants everybody to switch to the Core 2 technology as soon as possible. That's the only way the Intel chips will be faster on all levels than their AMD counterparts. Because, yes, Yonah was a stopgap chip. Merom is the real New Chip.
That is the machine that Apple needs, at the moment its still the marketeers at Apple who seem to rule their product offerings with mini vs All in one vs workstation..mrgreen4242 said:We've all been crying for a new cube since the mini came out... is the mini an awesome machine? Absolutely, I love mine. But there is a market for a headless iMac/Cube/MacPro mini... people like me. I don't need a quad core computer. I don't need 16gb of RAM. I don't need 4 harddrive bays, or even two optical drive slots.
I do want a fast CPU, an upgradable GPU, a couple of full size HDDs and a full size optical drive. I also want something quiet, relatively affordable (something a bit less than an iMac would be idea), and stylish.
I don't think that Apple would lose Mac Pro sales to something like this - they might lose iMac sales but if the margins are the same for them who cares, and any loss of mini sales would be upsells, so it'd be a good thing.
I think a lot PC types, especially gamers, would be interested, bringing in new markets... None of my gamer friends would be satisfied by an iMac, but neither would they shell out $2-3k for a Mac Pro.
Let's see, the mini is 6.5x6.5x2 inches, would anyone even notice if it went to 8.5x8.5x4? Even better would be 8x8x8, just for the cube dimensions, done in iPod white (or black), would look stellar on a desktop. Core 2 Duo 1.83ghz, 4 RAM slots for an 8gb max with 512mb installed stock, 1 16x PCIe w/ 7300GT base (BTO options), 1 PCI slot, 2 3.5" drive bays w/ 160gb standard, 1 5.25" bay w/ SD, AE, BT2, 6 USB2 (4 back, 2 front), 1 FW 400, 1 eSATA (in place of FW800)... $999 anyone? BTO options for slower/fast CPUs and GPUs, more RAM, bigger HDD and a $200 TV tuner/video encoder breakout box...
a 'tweener
I would instantly buy for my office a small form factor (not necessarily as small as the mini) mac with, essentially, the same specs that the 20" iMac has, maybe a bit faster even, if it had dual video outputs, room for a lot of ram and a little better video processor. I don't need or want a built in monitor for the same reason I don't buy anything but individual, stand-alone stereo components. I do not need or want a MacPro. Even the base MP is way more than I need. Just my $.02.
Oops... Just noticed Mrgreen... you have it exactly right, for about $1200?
And keep the mini priced low. It was my first mac, and I only had the 'guts' to try it because it was so cheep... It is a great gateway drug...
I would instantly buy for my office a small form factor (not necessarily as small as the mini) mac with, essentially, the same specs that the 20" iMac has, maybe a bit faster even, if it had dual video outputs, room for a lot of ram and a little better video processor. I don't need or want a built in monitor for the same reason I don't buy anything but individual, stand-alone stereo components. I do not need or want a MacPro. Even the base MP is way more than I need. Just my $.02.
Oops... Just noticed Mrgreen... you have it exactly right, for about $1200?
And keep the mini priced low. It was my first mac, and I only had the 'guts' to try it because it was so cheep... It is a great gateway drug...