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Unboxing and Disassembly Photos of the New Mac Mini

It's such a shame that nice little compact 'mini' design is ruined by the clunky power supply that sits awkwardly alongside it.
 
I don't see anyone mentioning that the mini will speed up considerably it seems once Snow Leopard is released. The nvidia graphics are better now, but will be considerably better once the new OS comes out, no?

It's not a kick-you-in-the-teeth update exactly, but I'm really happy with it. The graphics update alone is a big deal to me-- and firewire 800. And the ability to drive a large display with this tic-tac box.

It's a mini. It's not an iMac or a Mac Pro. Apple's great at upselling. So, save for what you want, or get what you can afford. Such is life.
 
Price

The original mini was $499 and the revision after that raised it to $599. What was the "main" difference? The Airport card was included. Apple, get rid of the Airport card and BT and sell the low-end mini for $499.
 
amac4me said:
Would have been nice to see the Mac mini entry price fall back below $500 - back to $499 given the economic backdrop.
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The economy had NOTHING to do with my desire for lower priced Mac products - the SPECIFICATIONS warrant the lower price! This is silly that Apple would put out a 'desktop' so far below what can be had for that price. I hate the PC comparison but a C2D Dell 2.66GHz with 320GB HD and all the standard stuff WITH a 19" monitor was on sale from the Dell e-mail list to small business owner for $399. Yes indeed - $399 for a computer that has nearly TWICE the specifications of the Mini AND a Dell 19" 16:10 LCD monitor. What a shame Apple has given up on the Mini.

I was surprised to see the iMac go UP in specs but stay the same in price. I would have liked to see the price DROP but given this is Apple I guess I should be happy with small victories.

D
 
jnc said:
Too bad there's no MacBook that can power two external displays. I have a Wacom Cintiq 12WX and a Dell 2709 that powers my Mac, PS3, and Wii. I'm using a MacBook Pro early 2008 atm an though it has one built-in DVI, It's a real PITA to swap between the Dell and the Wacom. I previously used a Mac Pro to perform this simple as hell function. Now I can use a Mini. Yay!
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Funny,

I'm doing the same!! ha ha ha. I have the MacBook Pro just before the updated versions came out. PS3 and some other stuff. My MacBook Pro runs well, no problems at all.

I was hoping for a MacMini with some oomph... that's all..

Also, I didn't know it could power two screens at once... that's worth remembering.
;)
 
3.1416 said:
How else did you want it to look? It's as small as it can be while keeping the optical drive. The specs are a solid upgrade; the 9400M is *far* better than Intel's integrated graphics, dual display support will help a lot of users, and FW800 finally allows fast external storage.

Or you can buy the base mini, add RAM and a 24" LCD, and still be under $1000.
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Oh yeah that's a pretty good solution!

Thanks for brining that to my attention. I assume the drive is the same size as the previous one? Then I can stuff a Blu-Ray burner inside of it like planned.

;)
 
theBigD23 said:
I wish it was cheaper. 120GB HD and 1G of RAM, I don't think I can justify purchasing it.
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Yeah, me too. If you had to buy a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and AppleCare then you might as well buy an iMac.
 
Mr Maui said:
You'd think people would be happy that the thing was updated (after all the complaining about that) but then there is always a complaint about price.

I've heard complaints about the price being lowered because of the tough times ... would people seriously say it was OK to raise the price when the times got better? Not a chance. Once a price is lowered, it would pretty much be stuck.

Remember, the mini is designed to be a low-end "intro" computer to get people familiar with the ease and functionality of Apple computers. It is NOT designed to be a computer to compete with low-end PCs.
Click to expand...

Then why price it like one - actually why price it OVER one? You can get a kick-ass PC (yes, I know - with Windows) and run Linux on it for WELL UNDER the cost of the Mini. I love my Apple products but with the recent rash of 'updates' and 'refreshes' I may go with X86. Works fine on my Acer netbook - yet another market Apple will not enter because they will not be able to keep the margins high enough - even though I think they would sell twice as many as the entry level MacBook.

D
 
MacRumors said:
The retail box image of the Mini curiously only has 9 vents while the actual product has 10.
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I am seriously LMAO over this! :D

Look, some rumors are real and some are fake, but the bottom line is that it's nearly impossible to tell until it's too late.

I LOVE the folks who do Batman-style detective work on these things and then claim to KNOW if they are real images or not. You don't know. It's all just guesswork.

I had guessed that the images were real, but I would have been happy to admit if I were wrong. I knew that my guess was just a guess and nothing more. I'd never claim to be certain the way a good 30% of the people around here did the last few days.

(I seriously think Apple made the box "wrong" on purpose just to confuse folks like that! It really seems planned out, doesn't it?)
 
BTW said:
Yeah, me too. If you had to buy a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and AppleCare then you might as well buy an iMac.
Click to expand...

Um, doesn't this prove that the Minis are priced exactly right?

If they were cheaper, you'd claim that the iMacs were over-priced since they cost way more than a Mini, monitor, mouse and keyboard!
 
amac4me said:
Would have been nice to see the Mac mini entry price fall back below $500 - back to $499 given the economic backdrop.
Click to expand...

Clearly Apple disagrees because, in reality, they RAISED the priced of the new mini when you consider the remote is no longer included. It's a $19 option now.
 
ddTaylor said:
Then why price it like one - actually why price it OVER one? You can get a kick-ass PC (yes, I know - with Windows) and run Linux on it for WELL UNDER the cost of the Mini. I love my Apple products but with the recent rash of 'updates' and 'refreshes' I may go with X86. Works fine on my Acer netbook - yet another market Apple will not enter because they will not be able to keep the margins high enough - even though I think they would sell twice as many as the entry level MacBook.

D
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Size, power consumption. Even the budget Inspiron 530 is a beast compared to a mini.
 
macshill said:
I'd personally like to see them all whipped. WHILE they eat their own words.

Ah, another delusional epic fail from Apple. What would the world and the company be w/out it?

Read the typical Mac Mini update reader's (rightfully so) rabid comments:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/160608/mac_fans_fume_about_updated_desktops.html

So long as Apple stockholders stay rich ($$$).
Click to expand...

Oh wow... is that for real? And are the people quoted on that page weak in the head?

Steve: "Make no mistake. This really is the beginning of the end for Apple. These prices really are back to the bad old days and people simply will not pay the premium. I for one am, for the first time in 15 years going to buy a PC instead of a Mac."
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LOLOLOL.... yeah, tell that to their sales numbers... What jackasses :D
 
MasterNile said:
I believe so, it can run anything the MacBooks can, the MacBooks can run a 30" right?
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Yes they can, with the Mini DisplayPort -> Duallink DVI adapter.

What I'm wondering is if you can drive 3 displays at full resolution, by connecting one to the miniDVI port and using a duallink DVI adapter and Matrox Tripleheadtogo to power 2 off the mini displayport at 1920x1200.
 
KnightWRX said:
Size, power consumption. Even the budget Inspiron 530 is a beast compared to a mini.
Click to expand...

But is that what you want? An ultra-small 'desktop' with a silly large external power supply, no keyboard, no mouse and no display at MORE than the going rate for a much higher-end PC? I, as well as many, will pass. Bad move Apple.

D
 
Mr Maui said:
You'd think people would be happy that the thing was updated (after all the complaining about that) but then there is always a complaint about price.

I've heard complaints about the price being lowered because of the tough times ... would people seriously say it was OK to raise the price when the times got better? Not a chance. Once a price is lowered, it would pretty much be stuck.

Remember, the mini is designed to be a low-end "intro" computer to get people familiar with the ease and functionality of Apple computers. It is NOT designed to be a computer to compete with low-end PCs.
Click to expand...

Slurpy2k8 said:
Yeah.. your apologizing for Apple is pretty sad. You want us to profusely thank apple simply because this thing was 'updated' after 1.5 years? Really? 'Complaining' when its warranted is exactly what forums are for. As most people here are fans of apple (myself included) you'd think critical analysis wouldn't be looked on so spitefully from people such as yourself. And it's to Apple's benefit to upgrade their products- you know, so they can sell them? It's not some gesture they do out of the goodness of their hearts. Stop acting as if its some favor they're doing for us, and we need to thank them for it then shutup.

The truth of the matter is that as most rational people here have realized that Apple have managed to make the mini an even worse value than before- an impressive feat. One could argue the same about the iMac and the MacPro updates.
Click to expand...

First ... I'm not "apologizing" for Apple, nor am I "defending" them. I will however defend their right to run their business as they see fit, whether you agree with the business model or not.

Second ... I don't "want" you to do anything. The point of my reply was simple. People scream and whine that the thing has not been updated in however long. Then, once it is updated, they complain about the price, or the specs, or something else. I don't think I've ever heard a majority say that Apple actually produced a good product. All they focus on is the "shortcomings" compared to what is available for PCs. Here's my advice to those people. BUY A DAMN PC!!

Third ... I don't look at you "spitefully" or any other way. I merely voiced my opinion .. which may or may not differ from yours. My guess is I have been using Apple products much longer than you. I work in the graphics industry and work on them daily ... and I have for over 20 years. So don't talk about how you are more "anything" relative to Apple than I am. You know nothing about me. I recognize the majority of people here are Apple fans I've been posting on this site nearly 6 years longer than you have been.

Fourth ... you say it is to Apple's benefit to update their products. Of course it is ... an d they do ... on their schedule and with their business plan. It is also to Apple's benefit to maintain their profit margins ... which they do BETTER than any other computer manufacturer out there. Here's another little tidbit you may have overlooked. Apple is GAINING marketshare. Even Microsoft is OPENLY acknowledging this FACT. I guess that means people (unhappy or not about specs, price, etc.) continue to buy Apple products at whatever price Apple chooses to charge.

Fifth ... The Mac mini was designed to be an "affordable APPLE computer" ... NOT AN AFFORDABLE COMPUTER. It was not designed to compete with every low-priced piece of junk PC out there. It is the least expensive computer in the Apple lineup ... therefore IT IS an "affordable Mac" compared to other Macs. Don't spend your time comparing it to "cheaper PCs". Those computers are cheaper for a reason ... they ARE NOT a Mac.

Finally ... As for your "most rational people" comment ... I'm willing to bet that these new Apple computers of "worse value than before" will outsell the previous (implied) "better value" computers by a long shot, that they will continue to convert PC users to the Mac, will continue to improve Apple sales and bottom lines, and will continue to inspire ridiculous responses like yours in the future.

That is my simple opinion. Time will tell if I am right. Go Apple.


ChrisH3677 said:
Hear, hear! Well said.

And in Australia the bottom Mac mini has gone up AU$200!! That's just a smidge under 25%. Yes the dollar's worse, but it's been a lot worse and the Mac mini has never cost as much. I hate to say it, but I'm looking at hackintoshes now.
Click to expand...

I repeat the above. Please just buy a PC for $299. While I understand the desire of people to have Mac that are comparably priced to low-end PCs, Apple will never do that. If you really want your voice to be heard concerning the issue, convince 2m people per year to stop buying Macs. Then, and ONLY then will Apple hear.


ddTaylor said:
Then why price it like one - actually why price it OVER one? You can get a kick-ass PC (yes, I know - with Windows) and run Linux on it for WELL UNDER the cost of the Mini. I love my Apple products but with the recent rash of 'updates' and 'refreshes' I may go with X86. Works fine on my Acer netbook - yet another market Apple will not enter because they will not be able to keep the margins high enough - even though I think they would sell twice as many as the entry level MacBook.
Click to expand...

Again ... buy the cheaper PC and run Linux on it. Apple succeed in keeping the prices high and the margins large because no matter how many people complain about the hardware, Apple knows they will continue to pay (and even overpay) for the incredible operating system. Should Apple have maintained/raised their prices? You'd think not. But people will buy ANYWAY ... and therefore justify the higher prices.
 
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