fishingshrimp Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 You know, the first and only thoughts coming to my mind while looking at the mac mini specs at apple.com were: hmm same thing using own hardware with more ram und larger hdd would cost a lot less! i'm working for a business that's in the computer parts selling industry and calculated not more than 400-500$ for a box using your own components that might do at least the same. so this is it - no mac mini for me. the design of the box is nice but i still like mac os for the operating system, not design only. the other reason not buying a new intel apple mac yet is adobe. since adobe announced they won't be releasing universal binary versions there's no reason to upgrade. we recently bought cs2 premium suite for a lot of money and i think it's a shame... i'll stick with my self-made-osx86-mac (still waiting for that dvi-extension card and the new 945-board) for as long as nothing better comes from apple. hey, and it's fun. we technical junkies need stuff like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firebush05 Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 You know, the first and only thoughts coming to my mind while looking at the mac mini specs at apple.com were: hmm same thing using own hardware with more ram und larger hdd would cost a lot less! i'm working for a business that's in the computer parts selling industry and calculated not more than 400-500$ for a box using your own components that might do at least the same. so this is it - no mac mini for me. the design of the box is nice but i still like mac os for the operating system, not design only. the other reason not buying a new intel apple mac yet is adobe. since adobe announced they won't be releasing universal binary versions there's no reason to upgrade. we recently bought cs2 premium suite for a lot of money and i think it's a shame... i'll stick with my self-made-osx86-mac (still waiting for that dvi-extension card and the new 945-board) for as long as nothing better comes from apple. hey, and it's fun. we technical junkies need stuff like that Care to list out parts and prices for anything that comes remotely close? Remember to fit it all into 6.5 x 2 inches. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacSpaces Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 The mac mini price tag is not good at all. no mouse/keyboard and monitor for 799? i know is bring your own but the average user dont even know what usb or ps/2 is.. i think they are overpriced pieces of {censored}-i love the form factor but i dont see me buying a mac mini, i would feel like i was suckered into buying something not worth its value. and people a tivo like computer by apple will never happen-it would clash with itunes video store it would make no sense. and ohh yeah steve jobs go right ahead and throw away your stereo for that ugly low end piece of {censored} you call ipod hi-fi 33mhz lol? yeah hi-fi ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyrana Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Feel free to find anything even remotely similar in size for the same price as a mini (that also includes Intel Core CPU in it). While you're at it, please try to keep things nice in here. I think that caps, sentences, and no swear words is a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firebush05 Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 The mac mini price tag is not good at all.no mouse/keyboard and monitor for 799? i know is bring your own but the average user dont even know what usb or ps/2 is.. i think they are overpriced pieces of {censored}-i love the form factor but i dont see me buying a mac mini, i would feel like i was suckered into buying something not worth its value. and people a tivo like computer by apple will never happen-it would clash with itunes video store it would make no sense. and ohh yeah steve jobs go right ahead and throw away your stereo for that ugly low end piece of {censored} you call ipod hi-fi 33mhz lol? yeah hi-fi ok How can you possibly call this an overpriced 'piece of xxxx'?!? Have you looked into the amount of detail and design they have put into those little 'pieces of xxxx'? I fail to understand your logic. You also sound very angry towards Apple. Why? What did they do to you? Did they beat you ? Why such hostility towards Apple? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipstream Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 These boxes get pricey if you add more RAM or storage... since they are dual channel memory, if you go with 512 and then decide to upgrade later you have to buy 2x512 or 2x1GB and DIY. no no no.. there are 2 x 256 chips in there.. you pull one and sell the other and buy a single 1 gig chip from crucible or some non apple qusality ram manufacterer and you have 1.25 which would be perfect fo what i want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishingshrimp Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Care to list out parts and prices for anything that comes remotely close? Remember to fit it all into 6.5 x 2 inches. Good luck thought referring to "the design of the box is nice but i still like mac os for the operating system, not design only." would answer that one. of course I'm talking about larger size. besides the aopen case w/ special hardware needed (i.e. expensive motherboard etc.) i don't know of any other possibility. granted, mac mini is a nice piece of design. would I pay for that design and small size case? nope. so i guess i'm just not in their target audience. that's it. when talking of sth. cheaper but similiar I really was talking about performance, not design. and i like mac os because of it's performance (compared to windows) as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williedigital Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 there was a coupon available last ween for a core duo laptop from dell with almost exactly the same specs for $780. you just really can't justify the price here... I bet when they do a teardown of that boombox thing they are gonna find out apple's making $250 on each of those. The gma thing is a disapointment because of the lack on avivo stuff in the lineup now. I thought they would stick with 1x00 gpu's because of some upcoming killer app's ability to harness is for h264. Doesn't look like that's gonna happen though with the integrated chip in this machine. oh, and is it just me or is apple pushing the "style" aspects of their products more than ever now? reading the description of the new mini and boombox, it's just filled with stuff about how it's "cool" to have a mac. the section where they are talking about how to hook up the mini to your tv to "show off your digital life" and stuff like that. how you don't have to worry about hiding the ugly power brick on the boombox, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwinian Dude Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 I think the new mac mini is GREAT! GMA950 is better. Not much, but it's better. I might buy three 1) I will buy one to use with our home projector, (800x600) 2) Another to use in my car. Get a Xenarc fold out TFT LCD that fits in the top DIN space of my car, and put the mac mini in the bottom din space. People have even made a PSU to run the minis on 12V natively. Assuming the PSU is the same from the original. (that is, if the new mac mini can do custom resolution to suit that screen... hmmmm.....) 3) A Secret Project... details to follow I'm most excited about point 3 though, i'll do that first. Rowan Boombox... COOL it runs on batteries, we're back in the 80's!!!! BUT, as mentioned, dock connector is stupid. They need to have a flip out thing that the ipod slips into, that sits flush when closed... like a casette deck. I'm serious. Seen how much old boomboxes go for on eBay? huge collector market. Nothing decent these days has line inputs, decent sound, and battery power. But, how much heavier is it having the build in power brick??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUBMarcos Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 I think the new mac mini is GREAT! GMA950 is better. Not much, but it's better. I might buy three 1) I will buy one to use with our home projector, (800x600) 2) Another to use in my car. 3) A Secret Project... details to follow I'm most excited about point 3 though, i'll do that first. Why is the mini great? you just say and assume everyone understands why is great. GMA950 is better to you, but you do not say why... It seems like you just come out of the blue with random opinions that make no sense. If you buy three mac minis (assuming you meant the mini, you actually spoke lastly about the GMA950) are you planning on to use a computer on your car? what is it for? If it's to play music why not just purchasing a music device which is much cheaper and lets you drive properly? Please write properly; i.e. giving proofs for your claims. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwinian Dude Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Does the IntelMacMini use notebook or desktop sized DDR2 667 ram????? dimm or sodimm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipstream Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 I'm going to take a wild guess and bet the MacBook (iBook replacement) and whatever machine replaces the PowerMac will also remain 99% the same in appearance and bear core duos under the hood. Apple's creativity is somewhat lacking. This is deliberate.. they want them to look exactly the same for several reasons. 1) You still immediately recognise it and you cant tell the difference between the ppc and intels. Not by looks at least. This way current Mac users feel more comfortable with the switch.. "Hey it looks the same so it must be still as good and reliable (or whatever they think) as their old one" 2) Not being able to tell at a glance makes it easier to slip an intel inside model next to the PPC on the shelf beside it and sell them both happily without Joe Average realising and going "Hey! that's the old model cause it looks different" Once the new Intel models are established and people (particulalrly current Mac faithfuls) are happy and content with the new models because the bugs are gone and they realise that "hey it is better than the older models" Then and only then will they change the way they look. You can really tell this with the imac as pulled apart there is a ton of spare room in there compared to the PPC models They could now make them a ton thiner and make it look like just a screen by removing the white section from the surrent models which drops below the screen. This is very clever cunning work on Apples part.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwinian Dude Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 sorry, i'm at work, shoudn't post now, just excited! hense short replies... Have used a friends machine i built running 10.4.3 on an intel board with GMA950, it was very snappy and fine os wise. far more so than the original mini, but then they are a different machine. minis will be held back by notebook 2.5" drive speed too unless you use an external drive. http://www.mp3car.com/ check it out! I go on long trips in the car, and currently use a laptop etc in my lunch break at work, much nicer to be intergrated with the car. can read emails to you, voice activation, gps stuff... so much can be done. and yes, will do mp3's etc. Many people already have mac mini classics in their cars. WHat i'd like to do that i touched on in point 3 is this: get one of my old mac classic II machines, paint it a reflective white kind of colour, and tastefully rip out it's guts, drop in a mac mini and a small colour LCD behind the old facade. probably use a wireless keyboard & mouse. Mac Classic 2006. i have collections of old computers, and i'm strange that way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regularg0nz0 Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Everyone should keep in mind that these new Minis are going to be priced a little higher until the old stock is sold out. It wouldn't make sense to take a loss on the G4 Minis just to get early sales on the intels. And is everyone sure that there aren't any core duo desktops out there yet? I'd be really surprised to find out that my new HP pizza-box at work isn't dual core. I'll need to look into it a little more (haven't had the free time), but I get two CPU graphs under task manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacSpaces Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 How can you possibly call this an overpriced 'piece of xxxx'?!? Have you looked into the amount of detail and design they have put into those little 'pieces of xxxx'? I fail to understand your logic. You also sound very angry towards Apple. Why? What did they do to you? Did they beat you ? Why such hostility towards Apple? no im not upset at apple-i just think they are realeasing {censored} and overpricing it-if anything they already made the money they used to design the computer so why not at least-provide the ncesseitys with it? people always try to justify the fact that the mini is overpriced by saying the software blah blah....yeah i know thier software rocks but is the mini really worth 599 or 799? come on i love apple products but you know what, if they lied to their customers before im pretty sure on their agenda is to sucker people to buy products they know is not worth the price tag at the end of the day is like your paying for an apple logo on your computer.. THANK GOD FOR OSX86 till something worthy comes out- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compuguy1088 Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 *Shrug* from what I've seen with macs these days is that you allways pay more for the nice design, and the compact form factor also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regularg0nz0 Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Nevermind my ignorance above. Didn't realize that HT appears as 2 CPUs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takuro Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Compact is nice and all, but I've always liked towers better. So far the iMac, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and MacBook (iBook replacement) are well on their way with Apple's road plan to make the trasition to intel. Everything is pretty much kept the same as far as design, given a core-duo, and of course, comes with Front Row and an Apple remote (which it seems Apple has been adding to EVERYTHING.) Today wasn't really a disappointment, but it could have been much more exciting. I guess I'll have to wait until the PowerMac replacement comes out. That'd be the first Intel machine Apple rolls out that won't use integrated parts fitted for any type of compact enclosure. Hopefully Jobs will think of improvements that are a little more creative than just slapping a core-duo and Front Row in this like in the rest. As far as pricing, I think the Mini is fairly priced, all things considering. But I still think the boombox had a completely retarded turn-out and the price is very excessive. There are so many great third-party players that look (and probably sound) way better. People expected only the best from Apple, since they gave birth to the iPod. Next expo: Apple toaster, featuring core duo and Front Row for entertainment while making buttered toast... other than that, simplistic design with the bare minimum of inputs and outputs, including the lack of a power input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightalon Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 It's a mini - what where you expecting in the graphics department? Honestly, I would have hoped for a mobile ATI x1600 or x1300 chipset. I guess cooling that thing wouldn't be much fun though just like on DTR laptops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
non sequitur Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 well, on the whole i was quite disappointed with the showcase today. i was looking forward to a new iBook, and it didnt come. whats worse is that the mac mini and the iBook were basically one and the same machines (despite the fact that one isnt a portable), and i was looking forward to maybe having a good video card in an iBook. the old ones even had a video card that is outdated, so im sure more vram or a new card could be put in. personally, i think the mac mini is great. i just dont think apple should have devoted an entire presentation to it. speakers and leather cases dont deserve to be alone either. there should have been something bigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macintox Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 I just can't understand what the need of a "GeForce 7800 GTX" into a Mac Mini if only a few "3D hardcore" game titles are available (for mac). Maybe sometime in the future, but until now, the only one computer platform for gamers is the PC/Windows. For other uses, like very complex scientific jobs or massive 3D utilization (3D power animators), the Mac Mini will never be the right choice. For all the rest of people using Mac to work, "highend" 3D cards are (almost) useless. Even Shake, Motion and other "pro" softwares runs perfect with a cheap GPU that can do CI+QE/OpenGL, at least. I saw G5 with a GeForce FX5200 (a very cheap GPU) doing the job very well with Final Cut / Motion / Logic trio. So, I think the GMA solution perfect for the mini platform. And, off course, Apple will never put a 300 bucks or more graphics solution into a ~$700 machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compuguy1088 Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Honestly, I would have hoped for a mobile ATI x1600 or x1300 chipset. I guess cooling that thing wouldn't be much fun though just like on DTR laptops. Unfortuantly you have to account for the fact that there isn't that much room in the mac mini, to really fit one of these cards in, also theres the cooling factor, if the parts are too close together, a large ammount of heat will be produced and will require fans, making the mac noisy. For what the mini does and was designed for, intergated graphics will probibly work out fine. This announcement wasn't that ground breaking, but 2 decent products came out of this: the I-pod Hi-Fi, and the New mac mini. The only thing I question is that leather ipod case, it looks like the one that comes with the 5g, only in leather... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kikos Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Do you really think Apple would design it so poorly? Just to clarify, are you implying that this model is a step back from the older mini for performance overall (or just graphics-wise)? My point is that Apple increased the price on the mac mini without adding any substantial utility to it. Yes, there is now a faster intel chip in the mini. But there is still a weak GPU in it, which serves as a bottleneck for the system's true potential. Its weak GPU pretty much limits the intel mini to office, email, internet use when it could have been utilized as a media center or for decent 3d gaming. So the intel mini's application is essentially the same as the G4 mini's application, but at a higher cost. People love to justify the price of the mini by bringing up its small form factor and overall sexyness. I guess some people will pay more for style, but I think the more tech savvy people would pay more for substance (internal hardware) than style. I guess one can summarize this by saying that Apple markets its products to people who want a machine that "just works" and looks sexy while I want a machine that can run pretty much anything I want to throw at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firebush05 Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Unfortuantly you have to account for the fact that there isn't that much room in the mac mini, to really fit one of these cards in, also theres the cooling factor, if the parts are too close together, a large ammount of heat will be produced and will require fans, making the mac noisy. For what the mini does and was designed for, intergated graphics will probibly work out fine. This announcement wasn't that ground breaking, but 2 decent products came out of this: the I-pod Hi-Fi, and the New mac mini. The only thing I question is that leather ipod case, it looks like the one that comes with the 5g, only in leather... yep. Sure I'd love to have something like my 6600gt in a mini, but the card is almost the same size as the mini's motherboard. Also take into account that the more powerful cards require a large heatsink and fan. The mini's are close to dead silent, at least compared to my rig which sounds like a wind tunnel. The price of the new minis will drop once they sell off the old minis. I bet that in three months, the price will drop by $100 on both models. You guys need to give Apple some credit. It's an engineering nightmare trying to get that much bang into such a tight package with very little room for cooling. It's the perfect little computer for people who need a perfect little computer. It's not for me, becuase I have room for a bulky, noisy, power sucking computer.. and I do a little gaming. But, if I were back in college, or if I needed something small to stick in an entertainment center or on a kitchen counter.. this is really the only choice out there at the moment. Once we get windows running on 'em, I don't think near as many of you will be ripping on the minis... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipstream Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 My point is that Apple increased the price on the mac mini without adding any substantial utility to it. depends on who you are. as an audio guy these are the point i find great gigabyte ethernet means I can hook up and external gigabyte hard drive which is 25% more in bandwidth than firewire 800. 4 usb instead of 2. Audio In, 5.1 digital audio Out. A SATA drive and yes the video card is faster and does quite a few more functions than the older mini, 2 ram slots instead of 1 and 2 gig's of ram instead of 1 gig limit. Those are things that work for me and that adds up to alot. Other things such as front row now can access as well as share music and video accross the network (almost forgot that one) The Logic audio guys are going nuts because of the gigabyte network alone which means they can buy a rack of these things and use them as audio nodes for processing for addition instruments and effects such as reverb etc (oh yeah I forgot to mention the dual core which logic can currently take advantage of and ableton live 6 will be dual core enabled in a few months) Live with a single core has gone from 66% cpu usage to 30% and when the dual cores can be access with live 6 imagine the boost here. So for $300 for the dual core or even and addition $99 for the solo it is absolutely a no brainer for some people.. maybe not for you and thats fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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