New Mac Mini Announced! [MERGED]

[motulist]

I was talking about in Europe...

But whatever.

Well in the comment that you were responding to, the topic seemed like it was pretty clearly stated as being about the US, but just use the link that I included to look it up, and you'll see that the urban/rural demographics for Europe are nearly identical to the US.

Europe:
http://i.imgur.com/8am3B.png

 

[SeaFox]

With electronic distribution via iTunes, the Mac will never have bluray. Apple looks at the optical drive as a whole as obsolete, much less a format they don't want to compete with.

There. Fixed that to make it more accurate.

 

[BobHail]

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.

For "lot of disk writing" there´s external hard drives. SSD would be killer for OS. So we wouldn´t actually need even more than 64GB, even that might be too much, maybe 16GB would be even enough, so wouldn´t even cost that much.

 

[jnc]

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.

Well, even better.

For "lot of disk writing" there´s external hard drives. SSD would be killer for OS. So we wouldn´t actually need even more than 64GB, even that might be too much, maybe 16GB would be even enough, so wouldn´t even cost that much.

How effective would the SD card slot be for speed vs the internal HD? Or is it just an onboard USB SD reader?

 

[tmofee]

Thank you, im glad people are realizing that Internet is not perfect worldwide. Download limits aren't the best all over the world. For me and a lot of Australians the best way to watch hi definition films and television without blowing our cap each month is bluray. Maybe that will change in the future either by a wonderful new compression format, or better internet deals (I'll believe it when I see it) but for the meantime digital media is not going to take over the world. Especially in the day of dead cheap DVDs as well - sometimes it's cheaper to go to your local big w/target/k mart and pick up a 10 dollar DVD rather than purchasing it for 17 on the iTunes store. And don't get me started on half of the prices for tv series seasons on iTunes, scrubs for example, 25-30 dollars in stores. 70 dollars last time I checked on iTunes...

 

[chickenninja]

i wish they still had a power brick, i worry about the heat internal power management will create, and the noise the fan will make expelling the heat. to top it off my over clocking fantasies just got circumcised. love the hdmi and SD slot, bottom panel is a nice touch too. perfect timing since starcraft 2 is on the horrizon.

 

[tom.bcn]

Mac Mini, Blu-ray and MR

Well I think the new Mini looks great. The price isn't amazing but then again, a lot of tech products these days seem worryingly cheap sometimes. I think the possibility of having an acceptably powerful, full OSX experience on my HDTV, with PLEX (or something similar) and all the other advantages and coolness that a Mac brings... €800 is a lot, but it's not insanely expensive. I will, in other words, probably get one.

The Blu-ray debate is the one I've spent most time reading on here, as it has meandered from 'Why no Blu-ray' to the debate on available bandwidth in various regions and countries. I've got to say, I might spend more time responding to BobHail's points if he hadn't made them using such a boorish tone.

Anyway, Blu-ray may well be the last physical format that we use for video. But for the moment, for most people, it seems to be the only viable way of getting real HD video and uncompressed audio in the living room. Here in Barcelona, I'd be lucky if I could get something resembling a 20Mb/s connection. There's constant talk from Telefónica (phone company) about improving infrastructure, rolling out high-speed internet etc, but nothing ever happens. And this is in a well-connected part of the country. Cuts to government infrastructure investment here will not speed this process up.

So for the moment, and I'm talking probably at least 5 years, I'm going to be using Blu-ray for the purpose of watching high quality video with great sound. And I think lots of other people will do the same. I'll happily use my PS3 for that, but had the Mac Mini included it as an option, it would have made it even more attractive.

PS - Apols for length. Long time lurker, love these forums, and this is my maiden comment.

 

[maconservative]

Merge

For the love of all things holy, please merge the TV and Mac Mini and add a Blu-Ray drive and be done with it. This is getting damn annoying.

 

[Plymouthbreezer]

Really happy about this update. Perhaps my favorite Apple design since the Cube!

 

[KnightWRX]

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.

SFF use laptop components for both power consumption and size. That Gateway doesn't. Not to mention the size of it. It's far from SFF.

As for your other comment, I'm not concerned with people wanting a cheap Mac. There is no such thing. There are affordable Macs, and they all come with "features" that people might not want like :

- Portability
- built-in screen
- Small Form Factor.

Them's the breaks kiddo. Apple doesn't make a cheap tower computer anymore. You either fit one of the above into your needs or you go elsewhere. There is nothing overpriced about Macs if you don't try to fit them in categories they do not belong to.

 

[Todd H]

Until U.S. cable companies can offer the bandwidth to give me the same quality video and audio as a blu-ray, I'm sticking with blu-ray for the foreseeable future. Plus, with most of the broadband companies moving to a download cap, it's probably cheaper to just buy the disc and be done with it.

 

[Porco]

Hahahah! I laugh at your face Blu-ray whiners! You´re so out of touch! It´s never coming to Mac! And it´s fading away elsewhere also. Better get used to the idea.

How can it be fading away when blu-ray sales continue on an upward trend?

 

[KnightWRX]

How can it be fading away when blu-ray sales continue on an upward trend?

Don't mind him, he's just jealous he committed to the "no blu-ray" camp and now that it's winning, he's finding out he committed to the losing side. Since he can't switch because that might involve admitting he's wrong, he now just throws out random comments with no basis in reality :

Judging by that graph, if BD is dead and on a downward spiral, then TV, Color TV, VHS, CD and DVD were all major failures...

 

[boz0]

Them's the breaks kiddo. Apple doesn't make a cheap tower computer anymore.

What rubs people the wrong way is that Apple doesn't make a cheap Mac Mini anymore, whereas they used to. For those of us living in Europe, the new Mini is about 45% more expensive than the previous model (YMMV, as there is a 30€ difference between some countries which is not entirely VAT-based).

 

[cubbieco]

Them's the breaks kiddo. Apple doesn't make a cheap tower computer anymore. You either fit one of the above into your needs or you go elsewhere. There is nothing overpriced about Macs if you don't try to fit them in categories they do not belong to.

That's the point. There is no elsewhere. Apple doesn't allow OS X to be on other hardware and they aren't filling a huge hole in their lineup (morso now that the mini jumped in price). That's why we're complaining. We want to stick with apple. We love OS X. So Why are they turning their backs on us?

I will not be buying the new mini on my next computer upgrade in a few months. Most likely I'll be building something that I can Hackentosh or I'll hope that Windows Movie Maker doesn't suck anymore (haven't tried since I fell in love with iMovie). However much that sucks Apple just isn't giving me much choice.

And No unfortunately paying a premium for an iMac isn't an option when I have a perfectly good monitor already. I'm not going to play that game.

 

[Bytor65]

SFF use laptop components for both power consumption and size. That Gateway doesn't. Not to mention the size of it. It's far from SFF.

You are flat out wrong. You are essentially arguing that black is white here.

When you continue to argue you something that is so flat out wrong (and easily checked) it makes anything you say unreliable. You are kind of a Bill O'Rielly character who just makes stuff up and indignantly defends it.

An SFF doesn't have to use laptop components. It isn't called LLCO (Lame Laptop Components Only). That is more Apples badge of Honor.

Shuttle practically invented SFF (The term originally stood for Shuttle Form Factor).
http://spa.shuttle.com/main/check?pageName=about_shuttle
"Since the first commercially-successful small form factor (SFF) computer – XPC launched in 1995, Shuttle Inc. is recognized as an industry leading designer and manufacturer of small form factor (SFF) computers and accessories. "

Read more here and also note that 20 Liters is considered the point at which something is SFF:

http://books.google.ca/books?id=jPG...MQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=volume of sff pc&f=false

Current Shuttle SFF designs are about 12 Liters and use many desktop components.

The Gateway Volume is 8.6 Liters. Way, way under the volume that anyone but you considers SFF.

So please stop talking smack when you have no clue what you are talking about. You only make everything you say suspect.

 

[raccoontail]

Why did they put the SD slot on the back??? A great many minis end up in Home Theaters. Who wants to reach behind and risk unplugging cables, etc. just to copy video/photos from cameras.

Apple usually thinks of these things... I'd gladly take 1/4" height increase to have a USB port and SD on the front.

 

[Dysfnctnl85]

That dilemma only applies to entry level laptop computers. Nothing is stopping Apple from adding a dedicated GPU.

Form factor. There can't be any room for a GPU in this thing.

Thus, the spat dictates their choice, right?

 

[lilo777]

Apple falling further behind PC competitors

To understand how far behind the PC competitors Apple is in the SFF domain, just take a look at AOpen MP57-D:

This is what a mini PC should look like in 2010. It has tons of options including:

• Intel Core i3/i5/i7
• 80-640GB HDD (5400 or 7200RPM)
• 32-512 SSD
• TV tuner
• eSATA port
• BluRay drive (I am guessing here, it's not clear from the specs but its predecessor MP45-BDR did have a BR option)

This thing is almost identical to Mac Mini in size - 6.65(W) x 1.97(H) x 6.65 (D) inch. It has the ports

It's not cheap - about the price of Mac Mini but it offers infinitely better hardware.

 

[flopticalcube]

To understand how far behind the PC competitors Apple is in the SFF domain, just take a look at AOpen MP57-D:

This is what a mini PC should look like in 2010. It has tons of options including:

• Intel Core i3/i5/i7
• 80-640GB HDD (5400 or 7200RPM)
• 32-512 SSD
• TV tuner
• eSATA port
• BluRay drive (I am guessing here, it's not clear from the specs but its predecessor MP45-BDR did have a BR option)

This thing is almost identical to Mac Mini in size - 6.65(W) x 1.97(H) x 6.65 (D) inch. It has the ports

It's not cheap - about the price of Mac Mini but it offers infinitely better hardware.

Over $900 in a similar config to the base mini (w core i3). http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/myaopen/MP57.html

Not a great value either but it does at least have the potential unless its using Intels IGP for graphics, then its crap.

 

[lilo777]

Over $900 in a similar config to the base mini (w core i3). http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/myaopen/MP57.html

Not a great value either but it does at least have the potential unless its using Intels IGP for graphics, then its crap.

Well, you pay for quality stuff And as always with PC computers you'll get sales, discounts etc. and the price will drop in a month.

Mac Mini also uses IGP. BTW, CNET tested Mac Mini and Gateway SX2840 (which also uses i3 and Intel IGP) and Gateway computer performed much better (up to 2x in some tests)

 

[Jaro65]

Why did they put the SD slot on the back??? A great many minis end up in Home Theaters. Who wants to reach behind and risk unplugging cables, etc. just to copy video/photos from cameras.

Apple usually thinks of these things... I'd gladly take 1/4" height increase to have a USB port and SD on the front.

You know that adding extra ports and slots to the front of the device would look messed up in SJ's eyes. So here we are. Pretty? Yes. Functional? Not so much.

 

[KnightWRX]

That's the point. There is no elsewhere. Apple doesn't allow OS X to be on other hardware and they aren't filling a huge hole in their lineup (morso now that the mini jumped in price). That's why we're complaining. We want to stick with apple. We love OS X. So Why are they turning their backs on us?

Because there's not enough of you to justify getting back into that market. You think they'll put in R&D/marketing/support into something that won't make them money ?

Well, you pay for quality stuff And as always with PC computers you'll get sales, discounts etc. and the price will drop in a month.

Mac Mini also uses IGP. BTW, CNET tested Mac Mini and Gateway SX2840 (which also uses i3 and Intel IGP) and Gateway computer performed much better (up to 2x in some tests)

There's no GPU test in that review. The 320m is much, much faster than the Intel IGP, it's no contest. I3 isn't 2x as fast, it's a marginal increase over Core 2 Duo. The graphics alone is a very good reason for Apple to stick with Core 2 Duo.

You are flat out wrong. You are essentially arguing that black is white here.

Yeah, let's use facts from 1995 to justify what is the market in 2010...

My work Dell desktop is a full size Inspiron and it's not much bigger than the Gateway. Electronics shrink with time.. what a concept. What was small in 1995 is now considered huge.

 

[Bytor65]

Yeah, let's use facts from 1995 to justify what is the market in 2010...

Shuttle still sells computers in 2010, they are still bigger than the gateway, they are still considered SFF in 2010 by everyone but you.

Ever hear about Google. Try looking up what an SFF is before endlessly spouting incorrect nonsense. You know most people would actually check facts when it is pointed out they are wrong instead of getting more sarcastic.

But I guess when some people dig a hole so deep they think the only way out is to keep digging. Next Gem:

My work Dell desktop is a full size Inspiron and it's not much bigger than the Gateway.

Wow your powers of self delusion are almost as strong as your math skills and fact checking are weak:

Dell normal small tower Inspiron Volume: 29.4 Liters.
Gateway SX2840: 8.6 Liters.

29.4 Liters is MUCH bigger than 8.6 Liters, like more than 3 Times bigger.

Another nonsense, ridiculously incorrect statement from knight.

What nonsense are you going to make up next?

 

[KnightWRX]

Wow your powers of self delusion are almost as strong as your math skills and fact checking are weak:

Dell normal small tower Inspiron Volume: 29.4 Liters.
Gateway SX2840: 8.6 Liters.

29.4 Liters is MUCH bigger than 8.6 Liters, like more than 3 Times bigger.

Another nonsense, ridiculously incorrect statement from knight.

The only ridiculous here is you. The Inspiron comes in different flavors. Try the 545 Slim.

I guess I made that up too...