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New Mac Mini Announced! [MERGED]

Wow, what a pathetic computer and ridiculous price tag. $700 for such low specs, really Apple?

I used to be interested in a regular desktop tower from Apple, but I honestly don't care now. Windows 7 is good enough and you can buy a PC with far greater specs than this mac mini for basically the same price. I'm talking a Core i5, 8gb RAM, and a pretty good dedicated video card.
 
BobHail said:
Putting Blu-ray in Macs would only bring the price up and nobody wants that. Blu-rays are useless. Only fools would buy them anymore. All physical media is dying fast.

Buy your own Blu-Ray players, why is that so hard? But soon they won´t even sell those.

So no need to ruin perfectly good Macs with technology that´s going out very very soon.



p.s. SSD and i5 is what we need in there.
Click to expand...
Interesting theory... but I'm sorry - you are wrong sir. Physical media will be around for at least five more years. I'm sure a lot of people and certain companies out there (um, :apple: for one) would love to see digital media adopted faster, but the infrastucture will not be there to support it sooner than five years. Besides the infrastructure, there are a lot of people that are not easily willing to give up on buying a physical product. Especially if they have built up a library of blu-ray movies - which a lot of people are doing now. There will be an adjustment period for many to adopt.. how long that takes is anyone's guess. For now, :apple: needs to get with it and offer BR at least on a machine that they are marketing as a HTPC. IMO, It's almost ludicrous that BR isn't included for that reason alone. They might as well not incude a drive at all.
 
thebez said:
He's not. He is shopping for an affordable Mac.
Click to expand...

Then he has plenty of choices. The Mini, base iMac or Macbook are all affordable.

The fact is, you can't compare a full sized desktop computer with a Mac Mini without throwing in the small form factor. It doesn't work. The small form factor is very much included in the price and it is very much a feature, no matter how much you don't want it to be so.

milo said:
The problems with this machine were that it was underpowered and too expensive. It was already smaller than it needed to be. So what does apple do? They "fix" the one thing that wasn't broken, keep lousy specs, and raise the price? Could the company be any more tone deaf to what consumers want when it comes to this model?
Click to expand...

This is why you and every other Mini whiner fail, not Apple. You're not asking for this model. This is Apple's SFF offering. You're all asking for this :

pmg4mdd.jpg


That's the point though, Apple doesn't make that anymore. Get over it. The Mini is not there to replace the cheap PowerMac. The Mini is what it is. It's not underpowered or overpriced, it's a SFF computer, one of the most powerful on the market (most others use Intel's Atom processor or the AMD equivalent) and it is offered a competitive price compared to other SFF computers (like the Dell Studio Hybrid/Zino, Acer Revos, etc...).

End of story. You can whine and bitch all you want, the mini isn't even the product you want. Why should Apple take a successful product like the Mini and cannibalize it for a few whiners ? Have you ever seen how fast the Minis disappear from the Refurb store ?

macbookpro13 said:
Wow, what a pathetic computer and ridiculous price tag. $700 for such low specs, really Apple?

I used to be interested in a regular desktop tower from Apple, but I honestly don't care now. Windows 7 is good enough and you can buy a PC with far greater specs than this mac mini for basically the same price. I'm talking a Core i5, 8gb RAM, and a pretty good dedicated video card.
Click to expand...

At least one guy here is honest about his lack of intellectual prowess. The Mac Mini isn't a regular desktop tower. Comparing it to regular desktop towers is nonsense. You're not in the market for a SFF, we get that. Why even bother looking at the mini ?
 
KnightWRX said:
Then he has plenty of choices. The Mini, base iMac or Macbook are all affordable.
Click to expand...
Those are the most affordable Macs, but that isn't saying much.

You can get into a PC for half the price.

The fact is, you can't compare a full sized desktop computer with a Mac Mini without throwing in the small form factor. It doesn't work. The small form factor is very much included in the price and it is very much a feature, no matter how much you don't want it to be so.
Click to expand...

For people who don't want diminutive laptop components in their home computers, they are not a feature, they a detriment. They have less function (lower capacity, lower speed) for a higher price.

So what are people supposed to compare that want regular desktop components in their desktop? The Mac Pro?
 
Nice upgrade for the server (7200 RPM drives, no power brick, possibly more power efficient?), but otherwise, this was an disappointing update. Apple basically raised the price $100 to improve the form factor.

No options for:
  • 7200 RPM drive on non-server models
  • no Blu-ray option

Apple could easily make a small box (albeit slightly bigger than the current mini or make a cube again) that'd handle two 3.5" drives, a better processor, and provide a Blu-ray option (and probably make more $$$ doing it) - but I post the same thing every time Apple updates the mini.

Basically everything coming out of Apple these days has to pass the Steve Jobs "toy test": if it doesn't look like something he'd want to play with - they don't sell it. Who cares about practicality or function when you have 100% control of the Mac OS market.
 
It looks like one of the best alternatives for Mac Mini right now is Gateway® SX2840:

sx2840-01.jpg


Here is how the two compare on specs:

____________Apple Mac Mini (spring 2010)_________Gateway SX2840
Price _________ $699 ____________________________ $559
CPU _________ 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ________ 2.93GHz Intel Core i3-530
Memory _______ 2GB 1,066MHz DDR3 SDRAM ____ 6GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
Graphics ____ 256MB (shared) Nvidia GeForce 320M __ 64MB (shared) Intel GMA
_______________ integrated graphics chip __________ X4500 integrated graphics chip
Hard drives _____ 320GB, 5,400 rpm _______________ 1TB, 7,200rpm
Optical drive ____ dual-layer DVD burner __________ dual-layer DVD burner
Networking Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g/n/ wireless ___ Gigabit Ethernet

CNET tested both systems and Getway showed better performance (in some tests 2x better)

And Gateway price includes a keyboard and a mouse :)
 
macbookpro13 said:
Wow, what a pathetic computer and ridiculous price tag. $700 for such low specs, really Apple?

I used to be interested in a regular desktop tower from Apple, but I honestly don't care now. Windows 7 is good enough and you can buy a PC with far greater specs than this mac mini for basically the same price. I'm talking a Core i5, 8gb RAM, and a pretty good dedicated video card.
Click to expand...

yeah they really dropped the ball on this one. Outdated CPU, only 2GB of RAM, no Blu-Ray drive..
 
I've been reading this thread and participating for a day and I still don't get why we needed a smaller already mini computer. And I can't figure out what is justifying the higher price! I'm sure the case is probably costs apple the same as the old one (the old case has metal also, maybe even the same amount).

It is not so much comparing a regular computer with a small form factor computer (although we really really need a mac computer that is not laptop parts and not server parts) but comparing the current mini with the generation old mini. The incremental difference just isn't enough for the higher price.
 
cubbieco said:
I've been reading this thread and participating for a day and I still don't get why we needed a smaller already mini computer. And I can't figure out what is justifying the higher price! I'm sure the case is probably costs apple the same as the old one (the old case has metal also, maybe even the same amount).

It is not so much comparing a regular computer with a small form factor computer (although we really really need a mac computer that is not laptop parts and not server parts) but comparing the current mini with the generation old mini. The incremental difference just isn't enough for the higher price.
Click to expand...
Everything must be smaller ... makes it magical (coming from a current mini user)
 
Mini Server: Can one install non-server OSX on it?

Hi,

Does the mini server support non-server OSX? I've got too many external drives kicking around. I'd rather have more internal storage than the optical drive. and I don't really need the server OS.

Any details on how to get (non-server) OSX on it would be helpful, if so.

TIA,
K
 
Just sent my feedback to Apple…
http://www.apple.com/feedback/macmini.html

The new mini looks beautiful, and I'm impressed that your team managed to get an internal power supply and STILL reduce the overall size. An amazing feat of design and engineering.

BUT I'm left wondering… why?? Why this obsession with such a small form factor at the expense of price? It's a desktop computer, and the only affordable desktop computer Apple offers for those who don't like an all-in-one design and/or glossy display. The Mac mini could easily be three times the volume it is now and if that allowed you to use desktop components and reduce the cost, I don't think many people would be complaining. As it is, people like me buy the mini, not because we want or need the tiny form factor, but just because there isn't anything else! If Apple made a slightly larger Mac with a better performance/cost ratio, I would be all over it.​
 
So aside from a SSD option, this is a MacBook Pro 13" with HDMI and 2 extra USBs, right?

Perfect timing. Was going for a a MacBook Pro next week but it would have just sat on a desk connected to my Cintiq and BT keyboard anyway.

Thanks for saving me some money Apple :D
 
jnc said:
So aside from a SSD option, this is a MacBook Pro 13" with HDMI and 2 extra USBs, right?

Perfect timing. Was going for a a MacBook Pro next week but it would have just sat on a desk connected to my Cintiq and BT keyboard anyway.

Thanks for saving me some money Apple :D
Click to expand...

Also, you can hook it to two badass displays (like 30" 2560x1600 + 24" 1920x1200), intstead of going 13"+something.

Also, you got separated audio input and output.

Also, it should be quieter, and it's just use a plain power cord, no bricks.

Downside: the HDD is more difficult to change than in the 13" MBP.

About SSDs, you could buy the server version of the Mini, take out one HDD and replace it with an SSD of your choice. You'd get the best of both world (HDDs and SSDs) but without voiding your warranty. On the 13" you have to remove the superdrive and do the optibay trick, thus (in theory) voiding your warranty.
You can then hook an external USB bluray drive to your server Mini, to rip your BR or play them in windows.
 
BobHail said:
Putting Blu-ray in Macs would only bring the price up and nobody wants that. Blu-rays are useless. Only fools would buy them anymore. All physical media is dying fast.

Buy your own Blu-Ray players, why is that so hard? But soon they won´t even sell those.

So no need to ruin perfectly good Macs with technology that´s going out very very soon.



p.s. SSD and i5 is what we need in there.
Click to expand...

1. I'm sure at some point physical data will go away. However, that day is years, if not decades, away.
2. What increase the price is the high margins that Apple demand on all products sold.
3, If Apple gave us true HD, at or above 1080p, then sure you might a good point. However, Apple hardware (Apple TV, iPad, iPhone 4) are stuck at the extended definition (ED) of 720p level.
4. Would like to have SSD in there as well. However, people typically use these as media centers, which means there is a lot of disk writing. Since MLC is the only SSD that this could use, and keep the price point reasonable, I could see why they would hold off. Add to this the capacity penalty incurred by going with SSD, and its clear why its not included.

jnc said:
So aside from a SSD option, this is a MacBook Pro 13" with HDMI and 2 extra USBs, right?

Perfect timing. Was going for a a MacBook Pro next week but it would have just sat on a desk connected to my Cintiq and BT keyboard anyway.

Thanks for saving me some money Apple :D
Click to expand...

Well, the Mac Mini handles heat better and is more quiet than a laptop, at least this is my experience in owning a MacBook, Unibody MacBook Pro and the now last gen MacMini.
 
Full of Win said:
1. I'm sure at some point physical data will go away. However, that day is years, if not decades, away.
2. What increase the price is the high margins that Apple demand on all products sold.
3, If Apple gave us true HD, at or above 1080p, then sure you might a good point. However, Apple hardware (Apple TV, iPad, iPhone 4) are stuck at the extended definition (ED) of 720p level.
4. Would like to have SSD in there as well. However, people typically use these as media centers, which means there is a lot of disk writing. Since MLC is the only SSD that this could use, and keep the price point reasonable, I could see why they would hold off. Add to this the capacity penalty incurred by going with SSD, and its clear why its not included.



Well, the Mac Mini handles heat better and is more quiet than a laptop, at least this is my experience in owning a MacBook, Unibody MacBook Pro and the now last gen MacMini.
Click to expand...

Physical Media is not going away until the internet is reliable and FAST. (No, the USA doesn't count. It has to be world wide)
 
Bytor65 said:
Those are the most affordable Macs, but that isn't saying much.

You can get into a PC for half the price.



For people who don't want diminutive laptop components in their home computers, they are not a feature, they a detriment. They have less function (lower capacity, lower speed) for a higher price.

So what are people supposed to compare that want regular desktop components in their desktop? The Mac Pro?
Click to expand...

Apple doesn't make a regular desktop. If people want that, they shouldn't be shopping at Apple to begin with.

That's the point. Know your needs and shop accordingly. Don't go dissing a product if that's not the product you need in the first place. People who don't want diminutive laptop components in their home computers don't shop for the Dell Studio Hybrid, why are they shopping for the Mac Mini ?

Is this concept so hard to grasp ? Apple stopped making upgradable tower computers in the 1k$-2k$ price range long ago and vowed never to get into the low price, cut throat margin market. To compare them against offerings in both these markets is an exercise in ridiculousness.

lilo777 said:
It looks like one of the best alternatives for Mac Mini right now is Gateway® SX2840:
Click to expand...

That's not a SFF PC. It's not an alternative to the Mac Mini.

MorphingDragon said:
Physical Media is not going away until the internet is reliable and FAST. (No, the USA doesn't count. It has to be world wide)
Click to expand...

The USA doesn't count ? I'd say the USA is the most important country in the whole equation. A lot of countries in Europe/Asia have way better Internet service than 90% of the USA presently. Until the US catches up and gets decent bandwidth with no caps, physical media is here to stay.
 
KnightWRX said:
Apple doesn't make a regular desktop. If people want that, they shouldn't be shopping at Apple to begin with.

People who don't want diminutive laptop components in their home computers don't shop for the Dell Studio Hybrid, why are they shopping for the Mac Mini ?
Click to expand...

Several people have already answered you on this and you keep ignoring it. They were primarily interested in getting an inexpensive Mac. The only people I know who bought a mini, bought it for that reason, not because they wanted small. They wanted to try a mac and it was the cheapest way to go and cheap enough to give it a shot. But the price has been steadily climbing.

That's not a SFF PC. It's not an alternative to the Mac Mini.
Click to expand...

Say what? So now the only SFF are mini sized?? The gateway certainly IS an SFF computer. It is smaller than the Shuttles that coined the term, including the modern Shuttle XPC. It may be bigger than the Apple but it is still an SFF.

You seem to have some strange logic going on here that amounts to:
The only reasons for an interest in the mini are defined by you.
You can't compare anything to the mini unless it is exactly the same as the mini.
You can't criticize the mini because if you don't like it you shouldn't be thinking about it??

Newsflash, we can compare whatever we want to the mini. People who aren't buying because they want laptop component do exist.
 
KnightWRX said:
The USA doesn't count ? I'd say the USA is the most important country in the whole equation. A lot of countries in Europe/Asia have way better Internet service than 90% of the USA presently. Until the US catches up and gets decent bandwidth with no caps, physical media is here to stay.
Click to expand...

That is, until you go outside the major cities.

While I will say the only countries I've travelled to in the Europe/Asia area is France, Britain, Ireland and Japan. The only country which had reliable and fast internet outside major cities was Japan.
 
MorphingDragon said:
That is, until you go outside the major cities.
Click to expand...

But when you go out of the major cities, you're only talking about a minority of the US population. Around 80% of the US population lives in urban areas. Only about 20% of the population lives in rural areas.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/census/cps2k.htm

And that data is from the year 2000 census. For at least the past 50 years, the percent of the US population in urban areas has only grown and grown, while the % of the population in rural areas has continued to shrink and shrink. So when the 2010 census results come in, the US population will probably be even more than 80% urban.

http://imgur.com/SVL1d

(Source: The UN. Saved as an image because the United Nations website doesn't let you save and link to data search results)
 
motulist said:
But when you go out of the major cities, you're only talking about a minority of the US population. Around 80% of the US population lives in urban areas. Only about 20% of the population lives in rural areas.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/census/cps2k.htm

And that data is from the year 2000 census. For at least the past 50 years, the percent of the US population in urban areas has only grown and grown, while the % of the population in rural areas has continued to shrink and shrink. So when the 2010 census results come in, the US population will probably be even more than 80% urban.

http://imgur.com/SVL1d

(Source: The UN. Saved as an image because the United Nations website doesn't let you save and link to data search results)
Click to expand...

I was talking about in Europe...

But whatever.
 
Bytor65 said:
For people who don't want diminutive laptop components in their home computers, they are not a feature, they a detriment. They have less function (lower capacity, lower speed) for a higher price.

So what are people supposed to compare that want regular desktop components in their desktop? The Mac Pro?
Click to expand...

You underestimate such markets.

At least in New Zealand and Australia, there is notable demand for Uber tiny fully featured computers.

Honestly, the Mac Mini server would make a perfect home server/website host/media box.
 
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