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Much Smaller Mac Mini Coming?
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(probably said before, but didnt want to sift through hundreds of posts);
they could possible make it more wider and flat similar to a MacBook Pro...maybe make it a tad thicker. it wouldnt necessarily be as deep as the MBP because there really doesnt need to be all that extra room for a keyboard/trackpad, but a nice graphics card and easier to install memory (with the ability of having more than 2gb)
a small sleeker aluminum casing like the MBP would be perfect,and i honestly would snatch one of those up in a second (definitely use it as a Media Centre)
wishful thinking eh?
[but i guess thats the good thing about apple; theyre still a innovating small company in a huge market, they have the ability to learn & grow, while others are too ancient and depend on their Old Ways, while Apple still is a strong competitor in the market, they have the advantage, so they can always come out with more variety or alternatives to what thye have. a good thing id say; oh and when customers or mac enthusiasts would like to see product change, a feature change, etc most of the tiime apple listens and makes it happen]
they could possible make it more wider and flat similar to a MacBook Pro...maybe make it a tad thicker. it wouldnt necessarily be as deep as the MBP because there really doesnt need to be all that extra room for a keyboard/trackpad, but a nice graphics card and easier to install memory (with the ability of having more than 2gb)
a small sleeker aluminum casing like the MBP would be perfect,and i honestly would snatch one of those up in a second (definitely use it as a Media Centre)
wishful thinking eh?
[but i guess thats the good thing about apple; theyre still a innovating small company in a huge market, they have the ability to learn & grow, while others are too ancient and depend on their Old Ways, while Apple still is a strong competitor in the market, they have the advantage, so they can always come out with more variety or alternatives to what thye have. a good thing id say; oh and when customers or mac enthusiasts would like to see product change, a feature change, etc most of the tiime apple listens and makes it happen]
I'm pretty much in this situation. I do not own a Mac currently, but while I'm pleased with the recent iMac refresh (though I would have liked the 2.8 to have the 512 card in there as a base spec) I find myself struggling. Given that the iMac has inherent strengths and weakness I still find that I'd prefer to have a Mac that I would dip my feet into the OSX world and use a monitor of my choice. The mini doesn't have enough power for what I need and the Pro is overkill. Similarly, I don't want to "just" hook up a second monitor to an iMac - it's a waste of resources (an additional outlay of funds).
I continue to agonize over waiting, but I'll see if I can wait until June for the conference in the hopes that either a minitower like device is released, or the Mini is updated to be in line with what I need. If not, hopefully the new 3.0 model will have a good price in the refurb store in 6 weeks time (though that may be optomistic).
Sounds cool but I don't think a keyboard computer is going to end up working well. With the keys always going into the computer and/or someone accidently spilling their morning coffee on the keyboard, it doesn't seem like feasible product to me. If you were to spill something on the keyboard...it would ruin the whole computer instead of just the keyboard; sort of like a laptop? Ah ha...portable Mac Mini
I remember seeing "Keyboard Computers" advertised in the back of PC Magazine in the early 90s. Apparently they still exist, because I came across this one via Google with no effort. It's an interesting idea that always seemed to lead to under-powered and clunky computers. Seeing Apple's take on a product like that would be quite interesting.
Sounds cool but I don't think a keyboard computer is going to end up working well. With the keys always going into the computer and/or someone accidently spilling their morning coffee on the keyboard, it doesn't seem like feasible product to me. If you were to spill something on the keyboard...it would ruin the whole computer instead of just the keyboard; sort of like a laptop? Ah ha...portable Mac Mini
That's the issue I'd worry about too, but I guess if you think of it in terms of it basically being a laptop without a screen, it doesn't seem that bizarre.
Well even the Apple II had the CPU and keyboard in one. Just the disk drives were external. And that pre-dates the Commodore 64 by 5 years, according to Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_II and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64
EDIT: And the IIc Plus from 1988 (6 years after the Commodore 64) had everything in one device. So perhaps Apple is just returning to an optimized version of their 80s hits.
well, clearly the optimal situation here for users to do that you havent said is for them to
A: buy the imac/mac mini anyway regardless of 'monitorness'
B: buy the imac (if the mini does not have the power requirements), connect it to their new imac and use their screen to extend their desktop.
With all due respect, I don't think buying something you don't want is acceptable. It's not like the screen is free on the iMac - the price is built-in. You're paying for it. Certainly not an optimal solution.
Sorry, but an all-in-one does NOT fit all.
well no offense back, but according to you...
1. Already have their own monitor, so the iMac is out.
2. Don't want to spend that much money on such a weak offering as the Mini.
3. Don't want to spent that much money on a Mac Pro.
... and considering that someone wants to use their monitor as a clone/expander,
the imac would be the perfect computer for them
I'd just love a Mini with a decent BTO option video card, but that's unlikely to happen. But I'm so tired of waiting for an updated Mini, I've started bidding for a matte screen, white iMac on eBay (so far unsuccessfully).
I guess I really need some fresh "redesigned Mini to be released" rumours to keep me on track & I need them soon. Links anyone?
I guess I really need some fresh "redesigned Mini to be released" rumours to keep me on track & I need them soon. Links anyone?
imowill wait till the internet 'chatter' on the new iMac's dies down a little before releasing the new mini .
That's what I keep telling myself and I am starting to believe it
One ,two , maybe three more Tuesdays at the most
You're probably right & thanks for stopping at "three more Tuesdays at the most". I can live with that... just about.
Apparently sellers like John Lewis & PCW have been out of Mini stock for weeks now, so Apple must be doing their damnedest best to get them out as soon as possible. Just can't imagine what's taking them so long if the spec bumps are merely what many have assumed they will be (ie. X3100, etc). Anyway, lots of people waiting for these updates & Mac market-share is bound to rise considerably on release. Just hope we're not waiting past May.
said before I know but a mini tower maybe ??
for sure ....
I've got my legs, my arms & my fingers crossed too
Many doubt this will happen, but if it's a completely "redesigned" Mini (as claimed by at least one article), it could well be, or something else fairly surprising, for eg. dedicated video cards. Sure would explain the delay.
I'm tempted to say almost any changes would be welcome, but... just hope it's not a nano version minus optical drive.
I'm tempted to say almost any changes would be welcome, but... just hope it's not a nano version minus optical drive.
Actually I'd be quite happy to see that, if only because it would widen the gap that much more for the minitower so many of us are pining for.
I feel that if a nanomini where to appear then the collective we would never see a mini tower at all... that said , thats my opinion , how do you see that the gap would be there for a mini tower?
It would be nice however to have more offerings from
at the lower end of the price scale as I ( and I'm sure many others) don't require the processing power of a macpro etc or want an 'all in one' having already purchased a nice (matte btw) screenIn this scenario, I too would welcome it & snap up a mini tower fairly sharply. Just wish there was some indication of this from any of the usual, so-called "reliable sources" as quite often these things have a way of leaking out to the public, but the pointers just aren't there. I'm inclined to agree with marbles on this, but hope I'm wrong. - (Time for me to retire, so goodnight to all.)
Well there's already this gap between the high-end mini and the low-end Pro - $1500 difference and a whole lot of power/flexibility/capability. Some would argue that the iMac fills that gap, but I think I speak for a fair number of Mac and potential switchers who don't want an all-in-one for various reasons. So for us, I think there's a serious gap in the lineup. If the Mini were to go Nano, there would likely be that much more of a gap (at least in power) between the two headless desktop offerings.
That said, I'm not holding my breath!
I wouldn't have thought previously that Apple would be likely to add another desktop to its lineup, except that I thought the same thing about the laptops, and now we have three instead of two. Given the fact that the iMac, while an excellent option for many (I'm on mine at home right now) doesn't really fit into a progression of desktops, Apple really only offers the Mini and Pro, as many people have said.
Now that Apple market share has expanded notably, perhaps they've hit the threshold to offer a third desktop option. I'd personally love to see the Mini bumped down to an even cheaper entry-level option, and the introduction of a new consumer to prosumer (depending on configuration) range desktop with a decent video card option, upgradability to 4GB RAM, and two hard drive bays.
Price wise, maybe bump the Mini down to $399/$599 (low/high models), and the new tower at $799/$999? That'd give them a nice range like they've developed with iPods...$399 (low-end Mini), $599 (high-end mini), $799 (low-end tower), $999 (high-end tower), $1199 (low-end 20" iMac), $1499 (high-end 20" iMac), $1799 (low-end 24" iMac), $2199 (high-end 24" iMac), and $2299+ for Mac Pros (downgraded to quad-core).
Now that Apple market share has expanded notably, perhaps they've hit the threshold to offer a third desktop option. I'd personally love to see the Mini bumped down to an even cheaper entry-level option, and the introduction of a new consumer to prosumer (depending on configuration) range desktop with a decent video card option, upgradability to 4GB RAM, and two hard drive bays.
Price wise, maybe bump the Mini down to $399/$599 (low/high models), and the new tower at $799/$999? That'd give them a nice range like they've developed with iPods...$399 (low-end Mini), $599 (high-end mini), $799 (low-end tower), $999 (high-end tower), $1199 (low-end 20" iMac), $1499 (high-end 20" iMac), $1799 (low-end 24" iMac), $2199 (high-end 24" iMac), and $2299+ for Mac Pros (downgraded to quad-core).
Along those lines, I think Apple could drop the 4-core option on the Mac Pro line, leaving even more room for that midrange prosumer Mac. I'd actually like to see it more in the $1200-$1800 range with a 4-core option.
I'm waiting until June to see what happens, but if nothing comes I'll likely buy a Pro, despite the fact that it's more power than I need for more money than I want to spend. The iMac is a wonderful machine, but just doesn't fit me.
$1200-$1800 seems like a pretty huge jump from the current Mini prices of $599 and $799. It would also put it exactly in price comparison to the iMac. So I'm not sure how something in that range would fill the gap.
Also, at that price range and with a quad-core, you're basically talking about a previous-gen Mac Pro. I think refurb and used is a better way for you to go at that point. You might want to consider that if no better options emerge by June when you want to buy.
The 2.5" disk is in my opinion a good choice for the mini. It is especially more silent. I have a mini and an external 3.5" disk. I put the external disk on the ground because it vibrates too much.