For £499, you can get a Dell Core 2 duo with dedicated graphics. Although, I am sure quality takes a dive for other parts of the computer.
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Much Smaller Mac Mini Coming?
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For £499, you can get a Dell Core 2 duo with dedicated graphics. Although, I am sure quality takes a dive for other parts of the computer.
Don't count on it. You don't actually think Apple's quality is better – especially in this price range, do you?
I'm an Applecare sort of guy
, but I do think their quality is higher than that of Dell, although I am well aware it has taken a nose dive in the last 2-3 years.
That is quite a good deal, but considering the MOBO and the rest of the computer, I wouldn't ever buy a Dell. I work on a huge amount of Dell's. Almost everyone I've worked on that wouldn't post or wouldn't boot, had a MOBO problem. Maybe if they fixed some of the problems they have instead of trying to make a couple things look appealling to basic consumers, then they could have a killer system at that cost.
I'm actually looking forward to the new Mac Mini, hoping it does come out soon. I want to buy one for my entertainment center. I just got a Time Capsule, and I want to use it all to keep my iTunes library and watch it on my HDTV. I'm just looking for at least an Nvidia 8600M GT with at least 128mb of VRAM. Also, I would recommend it has an HDMI port as well as the DVI Port. The Blu-Ray option would be awesome, but then they would have to come out with it for almost the whole Mac Lineup. My guess is they will offer it in the Mac Pro, then the Mac Book Pro, then it will just trickle down the ladder.
Your point being? Have you not looked at how the MacBook Air can connect to the internal drive of other computers? It's software you install and everything is done wirelessly.
Unless (as I jokingly suggested in the "Mac mini not dead yet?") Apple goes Mac air, i.e. drops the optical drive and goes to soldered on flash memory, there's no way to make the mini any smaller. I had both the G4 and the Intel open, and they're as crammed as it could possibly get while still allowing for some air circulation.
People generally replace things that are old, not build up server farms.
The MBA is not intended as a primary computer. The Mac Mini is. There's a wealth of difference.
People generally replace things that are old, not build up server farms.
The MBA is not intended as a primary computer. The Mac Mini is. There's a wealth of difference.
The Mac mini is intended as a switcher computer. And if people do decide to switch, who's to say they won't keep their PC for gaming or Windows-only programs?
And if they do keep the Mac mini as their only/primary computer, it's easy enough to connect an external USB drive to it (whether or not it's Apple's SuperDrive for the MacBook Air).
I am. I "switched", i.e. bought a Mac mini after my PC locked up solid one time too many and I've had up to here (indicates upper edge of lower lip) with Windows, PCs and ginormous, noisy, juice-sucking towers that double as space heaters.
Kind of defeating the whole purpose of a mini computer, the small footprint and the reduced power consumption.
Dropping the optical drive doesn't make sense to me, whereas sticking a discrete video card in the Mini would do. Otherwise the message you're giving to switchers is kind of mixed. Almost like: buy our wonderful Mini. But make sure you keep all your PC hardware just so you can still run all your games, DVDs, CDs, etc. - That's going to make a great impression on your average potential switcher!
It's not a case of what "new computer buyers need", it's more about what they want, which is choice. PCs continue to outsell Macs (despite OS X's general brilliance) partly because Apple refuses to offer more choice (which doesn't mean I think they should compete in every segment of the computer market).
I wouldn't want to boot up my loud, power hungry pc just so I could load a cd or dvd over the network. I sure wouldn't want to do it to make the mini smaller. Or I can add an external cluttery external for disks and defeat the point of making it smaller altogether.
The desktop PCs are meant to be about ease, about making things simpler. "it just works", it shouldnt be about attaching dongles or booting up other machines to perform one of the most basic functions.
I mean why don't we just follow the smaller route and remove the hard drive? I mean you only need a 8gb flash card to hold the OS. If you want more space you can just add an external hard drive, or read files from your iMac/Mac Pro/PC/NAS. Lets just slowly cut down the mini, until its just an extender instead of a desktop, because the mac lineup at the moment has too much choice.
1- less than half the size (I don't believe this one second)
***** that would mean a Mac mini that is less than 1" tall, or about 1.4" tall if reduced to the MB AIr Superdrive dimensions of 5.47"x5.47", given that the ODD is 0.4" tall, a 160GB 1.8" HDD is 0.32" tall, that leaves 0.6" for the motherboard and its components...? Is this possible?
2- modest speed increases
***** maybe it will only receive the 2.1GHz penryn, but not the 2.4GHz like the MacBook
3- significantly larger storage
***** there's only 2 ways to achieve that: 3.5" HDD or 2x 1.8" HDDs in RAID mode, so either 2x80GB or 2x160GB, if Apple uses the iPod Classic drives. If Apple choose a 3.5" HDD (4"x5.75"x1") and no optical drive that would mean an enclosure that needs to be max. 4.1"x6"x1.7" to be "less than half the size" of the current Mac mini enclosure.
Or all this Looprumors info could be false and the Mac mini will simply be updated to the MacBook specs, with no change to the enclosure whatsoever:
2.1GHz 1GB RAM X3100 GPU 120GB HDD Combo drive ($599)
2.4GHz 2GB RAM X3100 GPU 160GB HDD Superdrive ($799)
"Significant larger storage" could be achieve by BTO options up to 200/250GB, which are not available today for the Mac mini.
I hope youre right. Thanks for reminding me about the original rumour, it does seem kinda ridiculous when they say "less than half the size" with a speed and storage increase. I think im taking this one too seriously.
If you take the volume taken by the power brick into account: yes.
What about simple 2,5" HDDs, which are available up to 320 GB?
Does anyone like?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14010619@N02/2369152369/
By the way I don't see why Apple can't implement some of the MB/MBP/MBA technologies as options, lets say mobile graphics...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14010619@N02/2369152369/
By the way I don't see why Apple can't implement some of the MB/MBP/MBA technologies as options, lets say mobile graphics...
OK. 5.47"x5.47"x1.4" could be done.
320GB 2.5" HDD are not yet offered by Apple even in the MBP. What makes you think Apple would offer them in the Mac mini that (as of today) maxes at 160GB (even with BTO options)? And at what cost? a $300 option over a 120GB drive???
That certainly seems like a more likely approach than most of the proposals/pipe-dreams being floated here.
Even if a "half size" mini is in the works, I doubt it would be this soon. The first step would be to simply switch over to the processors Intel is trying to get everyone to adopt. This would seem to be relatively easy, since most of the parts/engineering would be carried over from the MacBook.
But maybe I'm caught up in the wishful thinking frenzy, too, since the second option is exactly what I want to buy as an upgrade from my month-old 1.83 Mini (which would be attached to my plasma).
OMG, that's the Airport Express.. ehh ? Mac Nano ? Mac Mini-Express ?
It would be a
shocker if the new Mac Mini turns out to be so "Mini"
An increasing number of Mini's are ending up in cars. If Apple made a version of the Mini with a natural 12v DC in port, and a battery as well as wireless accessories (superdrive in dash), the whole paradigm would change on unit sales projections.
That Air MB is NOT going to waste. It is a product line.
Rocketman
Some people ask why the battery. To power the Apple version of On-Star when the CAR battery dies.
Actually what Apple needs now is to have a stand-alone 802.11n Blue Ray / DVD / CD Superdrive (Ultradrive?) that is functionally identical to an internal drive. And why not optionally integrate it into the Time Capsule too? That way you only need one multi-media disc server wirelessly beaming whatever you need played or recorded, from whatever computers you have in your house. I really think with the Macbook Air, that Apple is heading in this direction. Why tie your iMac down to one hard-wired burner, when you could just keep upgrading the stand-alone drive unit when new technology comes out? Hey, somebody get Steve on the phone!!! 
Leave it alone
I am all for leaving the Mini at it's current size. The only thing I would liked changed is though a easier way to get in to the machine to change/add the memory in it. :/
Hugh
I am all for leaving the Mini at it's current size. The only thing I would liked changed is though a easier way to get in to the machine to change/add the memory in it. :/
Hugh
The reason they can't/won't is because if they do this the price will go up by a lot!
Reuse components
Apple's recent design history is "thin is in." Just look at the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod Nano, and MacBook Air to see where their head is at. So, I think a new design for the Mac Mini would emphasize thin.
But, this is also a computer that would be the lowest priced Mac product line, so re-using components from the other product would help keep costs down (both manufacturing and development.)
I think the idea of the Time Capsule or Apple TV form factor is a good one, but let me re-introduce an idea that came in earlier in this thread from somebody that I thought was excellent.
What if you took a MacBook, removed the LCD screen and keyboard and put a cover on it? Remove these two very expensive components from the MacBook, and you have a good starting point for a thin, but cheap, design.
Here are some advantages:
-All the hard engineering stuff has already been done. You have Penyrn processors, X3100 graphics, memory, wireless N networking, Bluetooth, hard drives, and optical drives from the MacBook line. So, the specs would be modern, and powerful enough for "switchers" - the primary market for the Mini.
-If they use the *identical* design for the Macbook, the hard drive and the memory are USER UPGRADABLE. A major plus for end users, and a problem for the current Mini.
-Form factor would be thin, matching Apple design trends, but sturdy enough to park an LCD monitor on top of it, or to put it in your AV cabinet.
- It could still be sold in the current $599-$799 price range and make money.
And just to put my $0.02 in about the whole optical drive debate - I think they need to keep an optical drive because (IMO) they would attract more switchers with one versus without one. However, I think they should get rid of the combo drive and just go with a SuperDrive.
Apple's recent design history is "thin is in." Just look at the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod Nano, and MacBook Air to see where their head is at. So, I think a new design for the Mac Mini would emphasize thin.
But, this is also a computer that would be the lowest priced Mac product line, so re-using components from the other product would help keep costs down (both manufacturing and development.)
I think the idea of the Time Capsule or Apple TV form factor is a good one, but let me re-introduce an idea that came in earlier in this thread from somebody that I thought was excellent.
What if you took a MacBook, removed the LCD screen and keyboard and put a cover on it? Remove these two very expensive components from the MacBook, and you have a good starting point for a thin, but cheap, design.
Here are some advantages:
-All the hard engineering stuff has already been done. You have Penyrn processors, X3100 graphics, memory, wireless N networking, Bluetooth, hard drives, and optical drives from the MacBook line. So, the specs would be modern, and powerful enough for "switchers" - the primary market for the Mini.
-If they use the *identical* design for the Macbook, the hard drive and the memory are USER UPGRADABLE. A major plus for end users, and a problem for the current Mini.
-Form factor would be thin, matching Apple design trends, but sturdy enough to park an LCD monitor on top of it, or to put it in your AV cabinet.
- It could still be sold in the current $599-$799 price range and make money.
And just to put my $0.02 in about the whole optical drive debate - I think they need to keep an optical drive because (IMO) they would attract more switchers with one versus without one. However, I think they should get rid of the combo drive and just go with a SuperDrive.
Very interesting idea. Anyone has pictures of the motherboard of a Core 2 Duo MacBook? (with relative dimensions, such has having the hard drive in the same picture)
Could the MacBook motherboard fit in a 7.7 x 7.7" case like the
TV?Not only would it mean higher volume/lower price for both the MacBook and the Mac mini, it would also mean both machines would (should?) be upgraded at the same time.
Or, taking the same approach... would the iMac motherboard fit in 7.7 x 7.7"?