Penryn iMac and Mac Mini Updates Soon?

[octojay]

On the contrary, I hope they keep 1GB standard. Buy the upgraded RAM much cheaper from an online vendor, install it yourself.

Completely agree. I'm waiting for the new iMac's to get one. And I hope they keep the 1gb RAM standard in the 24". That way I can upgrade the processor and HDD to the same as the 2.8 C2E and upgrade my RAM later.

I just hope they don't have better GPU's in the top end ones, or that they have a BTO option so I can upgrade that.

Basically, I want the best system I can get, with as little RAM from Apple as I can get away with.

pSc

 

[Decrepit]

30" computer displays can be had for much less than $2000, so it's not much of a stretch to think a Mac mini owner might want one. In a year or two, 30" might be as common as 24" is today.

I'm using a Mac Mini and a 24" LCD.

For two reasons.

1: My KVM doesn't support 30" LCDs.
2: My Mini doesn't support 30" LCDs.

When those two limitations are resolved, I will be putting a 30" LCD on a Mini.

 

[solman]

Aluminum Keyboard Problem With Mini

Can the Alum. keyboard be used with the latest Mini's?

 

[OllyW]

Can the Alum. keyboard be used with the latest Mini's?

Of course you can.

 

[Quillz]

I'm in the same boat! I really hope the matte option becomes reality!

I like glossy screens. If anything, they should simply offer an option, like they do with the MacBook Pro. That way, everyone's happy.

 

[Decrepit]

Can the Alum. keyboard be used with the latest Mini's?

I bought one of the new aluminum keyboards for use with a current generation Mini when I got it for my mom.

It works very nicely.

 

[tuc]

Seriously, why is "small" so important to you, particularly in a desktop machine? I guess some people value it, but I'd bet that the vast majority of people would pick better performance or lower price (or both) over tiny size. Apple could easily do a machine with desktop parts and MUCH better value and probably not have to go that much bigger.

It's not so much the size as the silence. I can understand hoping for a slightly larger enclosure holding cheaper 3.5" drives (with the savings passed on to the buyer) but if that would raise the noise-level by more than a couple decibels I think I'd prefer to keep the 2.5" drives. It's the quietness, more the size and price, that has caused me to recommend the Mini to others.

btw, heat shouldn't be an issue since the new 45nm chips should run cooler. (The northbridge won't run much hotter, will it?)

i cant see apple changing the design or wasting any time or money re-designing a product they never fully embraced. I think if they cut the mini, would be a bad move since the Mini lures PC Windows users to the Mac world.

You have a good point, but there is anecdotal evidence that a lot of these potential switchers are getting turned off by the Mini's increasingly antiquated specs. That's the problem with leaving the design unchanged. It's hard these days to lure any but the most ignorant with GMA950 graphics.

 

[chillywilly]

I like glossy screens. If anything, they should simply offer an option, like they do with the MacBook Pro. That way, everyone's happy.

I'm a matte person myself so it would be nice to have it be an option which one to choose.

 

[Ironduke]

guys correct me if im wrong but isnt Penryn the only option for the mini if it is to be upgraded soon due to intel phazing out the other cpu's?

If so that means the only logical upgrade for the mini is

a 2.1ghz in the Baseline and 2.4ghz in the top line?

If so it could be a stonker on tuesday

I will be be buying tuesday for sure if the topline is
2.4ghz (if im wrong 2.2 will do)
2GB ram (dont care gonna crack open that little sucker and pop 4GB in from crucial)
160GB 5400rpm HD (double my current mini)
intel 3100 gfx (can play HD)
Leopard + ILife08
Wireless N!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
(omg why did I just do that im not a cowboy, infact I have never been to the U.S, Im a englishman)

 

[Evangelion]

You have a good point, but there is anecdotal evidence that a lot of these potential switchers are getting turned off by the Mini's increasingly antiquated specs. That's the problem with leaving the design unchanged. It's hard these days to lure any but the most ignorant with GMA950 graphics.

So, you are saying that anyone buying a computer wth gma950 is "ignorant"? What if you do not have a need for fast graphics? Fast GPU is practically useless with iLife, iWork, photoshop, web-browsing, email etc. Etc.

While the mini could of course do with updated specs, I think they should focus more on the price instead. When they moved to intel, the price of mini went up. Of used to be so cheap that buying one was not a big investment, whereas these days you need to really think about it.

What about mac mini with x3100, DVD-burner and silverthorne, prices starting at $399?

 

[steve_hill4]

How annoying it would be to burn a 50gb drive @ 1-2x.

1-2x Blu-Ray burning isn't the same as 1-2x DVD or CD burning. Compared to DVD, Blu-Ray at 1-2x is about the same as 4-8x DVD. A 50GB disc should take about 1.5 hours at 2x BD, DVD would be the same at 8x plus the time to keep changing discs. Not for everyone, but some would like as an option.

The problem for Blu-Ray is that you can get a 250 GB harddrive for less than a 5-disk pack of Blu-Ray disks.

At the moment. How much were re-writable DVDs when they first came out? How much are they now? Okay, so it would make more sense to wait maybe another year before the drives and disks are comparable to both DVD and hard drive writing, but don't completely rule it out. I would prefer to have an internal drive now than buy an external one later. I don't have to write with it yet, I could just stick to watching movies for now. Also, I can see those external hard drives being easy to post off to each other and store on your shelf, can't you?

That's because those beautiful 17" screens have 1920x1080 resolution. You are selling those laptops and oyu don't even know their specs?

Possibly, there will be BTO options for Blu Ray after June, in the next refresh only for the laptops which support 1080p specs and for Mac Pro. Unless Apple updates the whole ACD line and starts offering 1080p in iMacs and 15.4" Macbook Pro.

Right, so if you need 1080 lines for Blu-Ray, why does the Sony 15.4" FZ series have Blu-Ray and only 1280x800? Why does/did all but the top end Sony 17.1" AR series, (which you refer to), only have 1440x900 yet most ship with Blu-Ray now? All of these support 1080p out through HDMI, but Blu-Ray does not require it. HD requires 720 lines and HDCP enabled graphics cards and monitors/TVs. You can even output to SDTVs/monitors through other connectors. Before flaming others, double check your facts.

Granted it would be annoying, but I hope you're not confusing BD 1-2x speeds with DVD 1-2x speeds.

DVD 1-2x speeds = 10-21mbit/sec
BD 1-2x speeds = 36-72mbit/sec

False. There is no resolution requirement. You can watch it on 480i-1080p. Of course it'll look best at 1080, but it isn't required.

You beat me to it octojay, but thought I'd still post anyway. Best to remind people of the above.

 

[tuc]

So, you are saying that anyone buying a computer wth gma950 is "ignorant"? What if you do not have a need for fast graphics?

Well even though that's what I wrote, that's not quite what I meant. In my mind I was considering the subset of consumers that would be turned off by the antiquated specs (as mentioned previously in the paragraph) were they aware of them.

Certainly there are those of us for whom the GMA950 is adequate. For example, on this page Ironduke wrote "(can play HD)" about x3100, but HD video playback pretty much works even on the existing GMA950. I'm more worried about futureproof issues along the lines of this with respect to the GMA950. (Another futureproof issue is raising the RAM ceiling to at least 4GB.)

While the mini could of course do with updated specs, I think they should focus more on the price instead. When they moved to intel, the price of mini went up. Of used to be so cheap that buying one was not a big investment, whereas these days you need to really think about it.

Good point. But I think I'd rather pay current prices with upgraded components than cheaper prices with existing components.

I guess if it were cheap enough I could disregard futureproofing issues and consider it a disposable machine.

What about mac mini with x3100, DVD-burner and silverthorne, prices starting at $399?

But that would be upgraded components with cheaper prices. It would be nice, but I don't see it happening.

 

[harmonica01]

this is what I'm waiting on now, selling my MBP cuse i got the air as a laptop now, so just need something to handle final cut and photoshop well, I can foresee there being the 2.5, 2.8 and 3.0 chip available cuse better cooling allow-able if thats a word in imac than in the macbook pros

If they did make a larger than 24" screen I think it would ruin the effectiveness of the iMac at targeting its audience, They would be best in 3 screen sizes again maybe like a 19" 23" 26" give or take an inch or 2 on each - just my guess

 

[Macinposh]

this is what I'm waiting on now, selling my MBP cuse i got the air as a laptop now, so just need something to handle final cut and photoshop well.

It does it even now.
Just max the memory. If you really want to tinker,change the internal HDD to a 7200rpm model and connect a fast external FW HDD to it for scratch and you are sorted.
Runs PS CS3 and Lightroom just fine.

 

[elcid]

I don't even know why you all are even talking about BR. It won't appear in the iMac or the Mac Mini first. Mac Pro will get it first and that is that.


I really want an updated Mac Mini. I am about to graduate school and want to switch all my stuff to Mac, and a Mini would be quite the desktop.

 

[harmonica01]

It does it even now.
Just max the memory. If you really want to tinker,change the internal HDD to a 7200rpm model and connect a fast external FW HDD to it for scratch and you are sorted.
Runs PS CS3 and Lightroom just fine.

yea thats what they showed me at the apple store, I just can wait another month or 2 since I finished all my documentaries for April that are due already on the MBP Likesay, the mid-range spec imac update if there is one in March or April will be perfect for getting me through another 3-4 years I would think, I like using my warranties til their end date and lil beyond lol, was on a powerbook g4 til this time last year even hehe

 

[Electrolytic]

So, you are saying that anyone buying a computer wth gma950 is "ignorant"? What if you do not have a need for fast graphics? Fast GPU is practically useless with iLife, iWork, photoshop, web-browsing, email etc. Etc.

While the mini could of course do with updated specs, I think they should focus more on the price instead. When they moved to intel, the price of mini went up. Of used to be so cheap that buying one was not a big investment, whereas these days you need to really think about it.

What about mac mini with x3100, DVD-burner and silverthorne, prices starting at $399?

You know what Apple could do that & make money at the same time but they won't for some reason. Can you imagine how many people would buy & switch? It would be huge hit.

 

[Evangelion]

But that would be upgraded components with cheaper prices. It would be nice, but I don't see it happening.

Not really. Silverthorne is a slower CPU than C2D is. But it's also a lot less power-hungry (it might even run fanless) and cheaper. The Mini could become the fanless computer Cube used to be, while being cheap (as opposed to being a premium-product like Cube was). That would mean re-targetting and re-defining the Mini, but I don't think that would be a problem.

Like I said, Apple should make the Mini so cheap that the price of switching is so low that people don't really have to think twice about it. $599 is not that price. $399 or even $499 would be a lot closer to that threshold.

Besides, DVD-burners are probably cheaper than regular DVD-players at this point, so Apple is paying more in order to offer a crippled machine.

 

[maccritters]

My very first post here at MacRumors.
Here is the mockup for 30" iMac compare with 20" and 24".

Enjoy...

 

[mogzieee]

Wow.. a 30" iMac... that would just be mind blowing!

 

[ABM]

What a ugly thing...

I hope they think of 30'' widescreen (like ACD) if they ever plan to do the 30'' thing.

 

[iheartapple]

wow, a 30" would be amazing.
Might be a little too much, haha.
But still amazing.

I can't wait! I need a new imac.

 

[dentaldoc]

Mac Mini: Critical to the Line

I use several Mac Minis in my office. We have found them to be quite reliable and because of the size, can be used nearly anywhere. It is also a major advantage to be able to upgrade to a more powerful model without having to buy a new display, especially since we must use expensive Apple Cinema Displays.

However, during the past six to ten months, several of the medical x-ray and CT software packages we use have been upgraded; These upgrades give much more sophisticated 3D rendering, but also demand greater hardware resources. As a result, the 3D rendering of these programs is now very slow on the Minis. Two MB of RAM and the GMA 950 graphics processor are now totally inadequate for many, even modest, tasks.

I feel that Apple, for only trivial development cost, can bring the Mini up to date. Minimally, they should incorporate a faster Core2 Duo processor (at least 2.2 to 2.4GHz, or even a Core2 Extreme), the x3100 graphics processor, and at least 4 GB of RAM. The additional RAM is especially valuable for people in the medical professions where most programs must be run inside a virtual machine, like Paralles. These improvements to the Mini could be done with only trivial internal changes and probably no change at all in the case design, especially considering the Penryn's cooler heat radiation profile.

One last thing: Many medical (and other) professionals require large high resolution displays - being able to use the 30" Cinema Display would be critically wonderful. The profits from increased sales of this expensive display would probably more than pay for the engineering upgrade that would have to be made to the Mini.

I am convinced that these very modest and relatively easy upgrades to the Mac Mini platform can assure its continuance as a profit center for Apple. In fact, I feel that the Mac Mini is a critical piece of the Mac armamentarium.

I hope the rumors are for real!

 

[Brianstorm91]

My very first post here at MacRumors.
Here is the mockup for 30" iMac compare with 20" and 24".
Enjoy...

That just doesn't look right to me, that 30" iMac looks too big.

 

[macarjan82]

I hope (and guess) the updated mini's will have about the same specs as the new macbooks. That means:
- 2.1 and 2.4 GHz penryn
- 1GB standard (support up to 4GB)
- wireless N (I can not imagine apple would release new products without this, that would be plain stupid and a deal-breaker for me)
- 120GB and 160GB HD 5400 RPM (7200 just makes to much noise, IMO the mini is mainly an internet pc for in the livingroom, and I do not want a noisy computer humming all day long)
- still a combo drive on the cheapest model (although I hope not )
- X3100 (fingers crossed, but it must happen some time)
- The same 4usb, 1fw400, and dvi ports
- Free remote (what's up with paying 19 crappy dollar for a simple remote, don't be so cheap apple)

and the prices will be:
$549 for the 2.1/1gb/120gb/combo
$649 for the 2.4/1gb/120gb/superdrive
$749 for the 2.4/2gb/160gb/superdrive