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New Mac Mini Announced! [MERGED]

joemama said:
I ask this question seriously:

Why would someone get a Mac Mini over an iMac?
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Ok, so for arguments sake let's say I'm getting a 2.66GHz Mac Mini with 4GB and 500GB direct from the store. That's close to the 21.5" iMac spec-wise and it's £932.

(I'll personally be getting a 2.66GHz 2GB 320GB, £772 - install RAM DIY later and daisy chain external 800 drives)

Yes, there is a $500 difference but the iMac has so much more. Faster, more memory, more hd space, a monitor, etc.
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If we look at the £969 21.5" iMac's specs, you get 500GB, 4GB of RAM and 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo.

I'm a 2D artist using CS5 DP. I have a specialised monitor called a Wacom Cintiq I draw directly onto. I have a small place, and I physically do not have the room for iMac plus this display of mine that I need, so iMac's screen would offer me no extra benefit, it'd be a nuisance actually.

So for £37 less I lose out on 400MHz on the CPU. Plus an iSight and mic, and speakers. And a screen I don't have room for anyway. and keyboard/mouse (admittedly that would be a nice pack-in with the Mini, but my Cintiq acts as a mouse and I'm still rocking a white bluetooth apple keyboard from 2005 so I'm ok!).

I understand the iMac's a deal. I'll have to live I guess because it's just not compatible with how I live. Everyone uses Macs differently after all

People seem to be excited over the HDMI connection on the mini. Why? Would this be a computer that would stay next to my TV? Would it act as the monitor? You can't stream 1080p from iTunes, so you wouldn't watch movies from it, would you?
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Good lord, you're naive as all hell if you think iTunes is the only method of viewing video on a Mac. And its size makes it perfect to sit next to a TV and get that content.

Bascally, you know if you need a Mac Mini. It's not like Mac Mini customers don't know the iMac exists, they are aware and for whatever reason the Mini is a better fit. Perhaps they have a display they wish to continue using, or the Mac Mini's form factor appeals based on how they work. Not everyone needs a computer integrated into a display. I remember taking my G4 mini travelling around the States and Canada in 2005, plugging into people's monitors as I went. it'd be even easier to do now. (Though now the iPhone exists so I wouldn't need to as much!)

Hope you understand, at least for my little scenario, why I'd go Mini over an iMac right now, or any Mac for that matter. MacBook was out of the question as I wanted to move to a Mac with FW800, and as the MacBook I use at the minute spends all its time connected to my Cintiq so when the Mac Mini was announced today, I suddenly decided against a MacBook Pro 13". I think I'll be just fine with an iPhone 4 and Mac Mini.
 
g4cubed said:
They took the mini out of the school discount/promo. That sucks too as I would have gotten one.
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Give them time - it will be back.

As for the mini - li looks beautiful. Another carved out one piece of AL defining elegance. The design alone is worth the extra $100 for me.

Actually, I'm still saving up for a huge iMac. They will probably hit 30" before I can afford it. :)
 
Anuba said:
I mean paying more for less as in paying more money for less power, less connectivity, zero expandability compared to a tower. When Apple dropped the "switcher bait" strategy they went looking for demographics who would pay more for less, and found SFF junkies + treehuggers. The latter are willing to pay tons extra for eco-food and wimpy cars, so naturally they'd pay extra for a wimpy "green" computer as well. I'm not knocking people who use it 24/7 and want to save power... this was in the context of Apple's shift in strategy for the Mini, nothing more.


If you're looking for less clutter around your desk, then surely a laptop or an iMac is the way to go. The Mini requires extra cables that you won't need with any of those two. That cable mess is something that Apple used liberally in iMac advertising...

imackeyboard_4_20070807.jpg


I guess you could buy a Mini and an Apple Cinema 24" to get the white cables and the built-in USB hub and the iSight, but then you've only bought yourself an underpowered and componentized iMac for more than the real thing costs, so I don't see the point.

As far as I'm concerned, the only place for the Mini is as a server or a HTPC. I'm using a 1.83 GHz/512 MB RAM/80 GB HD Mini with my TV, playing video via Front Row off my NAS drive. I barely ever use the keyboard or mouse, I just wake it with the Remote. It's great. But hell will freeze over before I pay $800 to replace it. The old one has all the juice I need for this menial task, the smaller size is irrelevant (it's behind dark glass so all I see is the white power LED anyway). I'd be willing to pay $500 or even $600 for a new glorified Apple TV, but $800? No sir.
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And that picture is older because now the iMacs only have the powercord. The keyboard and mouse are bluetooth standard now. But even with those cords far less junk. Loved that when I traded my PC for a 27in iMac.
 
newfoundglory said:
This is *not* the usual USA/Europe price difference. Its nothing about the usual excuses of tax not being included, import costs (a lot of things are built in the EU), higher labour costs. Its all rubbish.

The reason, is that EU currencies no longer convert to big $$ for Apple and therefore prices have increased. And Apple wants to make more on top. We're talking about, in real terms, at least a US$200 difference for the same product where the Mac mini is concerned. Well i'm sorry, I'm not buying any more Apple products from the UK until Apple sorts this out.

Would anyone in the US pay almost $1000 for the basic Mac mini??????!!!!
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No....but then I wouldn't pay almost $10 for a gallon of gas or a pint of beer :rolleyes:
 
alphaod said:
That looks really nice.

I like it. Included HDMI is nice as well for HTPC use. Love the lack of the bulky power brick.
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Yeah but to make it really useful as a HTPC this thing should come with 802.11n and bluray (despite Steve's seemingly religious war against it - Flash redux) out of the box ... as per usual Apple never fully addresses the needs of its customers
 
I don't know how people are saying this is the new apple tv.. Unless they mean they'll redesign the next apple tv much like this version, people aren't going to pay that much for something to add onto their tv... I'd l Ike to see a performance boost so the iTunes store to offer some 1080 videos, but we'll see...
 
Options Prices

The mini is just overpriced. Here is a Mac to Mac comparison. Try adding up the options to make it comparable to the low end iMac. In the end you have the same price as an iMac without a monitor. And it still has a slower processor and slower 5400 RPM hard drive. Once the iMac gets updated this year the pricing will really be out of whack. Please Apple fix the mini pricing.
 

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legalnut said:
Yeah but to make it really useful as a HTPC this thing should come with 802.11n and bluray (despite Steve's seemingly religious war against it - Flash redux) out of the box ... as per usual Apple never fully addresses the needs of its customers
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It does come with 802.11n..........:confused:
 
djellison said:
It's better quality than iTunes.
It's often cheaper than iTunes.
It's quicker to go to a store and buy a BR, than wait for iTunes to download semi-HD.
You can watch it on any number of hundreds of models of PC Laptops with BR drives.
And your PS3.
And take it round to a friends house and watch it there.
And watch the extras, and subtitles, and directors commentary.
And lend it to a colleague for a weekend.
And your ISP will not cut you off for buying 10 of them in a month.

Infact, your statement is so wrong, it's ironic. There's nothing good about movies on the iTunes store. I see no redeeming quality about buying TV or Movies on iTunes at all. More DRM infested than anything else out there, poor quality, high priced. Where's the up side? I don't see a damn thing. Who's actually been hoodwinked here?

And if another person says 'Oh - but in the future it'll all be downloads'

That's great. In the future all our cars will be flying. We should close all the gas stations and demolish the freeways now, right? Because in the future, our cars will fly so we don't need them.

Pure blinkered idiocy - nothing else.

Here's a crazy idea... how about Jobs stops lying about the 'world of hurt', and gives his customers A DAMN CHOICE.

Put $100 on the price tag for a BR drive - and I'll buy it.

I'll never spend $100 on iTunes movies. Ever.
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Bravo!!! Well said.

BTW;

My bet is on the Flying Car happening first!! But I'm not taking "The Local" from the German Scientist ;)
LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MymPcoVQgjE&playnext_from=TL&videos=r0z_8YThqe0
 
MercenaryTX said:
The mini is just overpriced. Here is a Mac to Mac comparison. Try adding up the options to make it comparable to the low end iMac. In the end you have the same price as an iMac without a monitor. And it still has a slower processor and slower 5400 RPM hard drive. Once the iMac gets updated this year the pricing will really be out of whack. Please Apple fix the mini pricing.
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Of course they will fix prices. New iMacs are going to be more expensive, so Minis will be much cheaper than iMacs again! :(
 
Eidorian said:
I might just get an Xbox 360 to use as a media extender for Windows Media Center. The Arcade ones are getting stupid cheap.
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honestly, go with ps3 ...

you get the bluray built in, there's play tv for DVR and my NAS was instantly found on the network, no messing around at all.

the 360s win when it comes to games etc, but for all over media system, the ps3 is a gem...
 
Not enough of an upgrade from the 2009 Mini, but a wild upgrade nonetheless.

I'm looking forward to the 2011 model. I'd like to see a generational step forward on the CPU side of the house. I have a C2D 2.26, 2.66 isn't enough of a move to make me move.
 
tmofee said:
honestly, go with ps3 ...

you get the bluray built in, there's play tv for DVR and my NAS was instantly found on the network, no messing around at all.

the 360s win when it comes to games etc, but for all over media system, the ps3 is a gem...
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I live in the horrible place called the United States. Also you can't toss around a PS3 for $99.
 
Eidorian said:
I live in the horrible place called the United States. Also you can't toss around a PS3 for $99.
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oh crap. i forgot that play tv is still a no go over there. sorry :p

yeah, the ps3 is a little dearer, but hell, i like gadgets .. i have one of both (and wont be getting a 360 slim until theres something really cool with natal, or kinect :p)
 
tmofee said:
oh crap. i forgot that play tv is still a no go over there. sorry :p

yeah, the ps3 is a little dearer, but hell, i like gadgets .. i have one of both (and wont be getting a 360 slim until theres something really cool with natal, or kinect :p)
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No one has a HDTV around here either so the Blu-ray aspect is lost. The library doesn't loan out Blu-ray discs either so that's another lost source of media.

I can get a Xbox 360 for a nearly disposable price. Maybe I can convince a sibling to share in the expense. It's not a necessity either.
 
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