OPINION- Thoughts on the New Mini

-awfully written post removed-

My eyes hurt.

Paragraphs please

Apple has never attempted to create a "cheap" product before..and the Mac Mini isn't meant for that..it was created for the segment of people who want to use it as a HTPC or a desktop when they already had their own LCD/Keyboard/Mouse..

The rest of the post is just ramblings...

Regards

Okay, fine.

I think it makes more sense now then it ever has. Now that it can be hooked up to an HDTV easily, and pass video and sound through the HDMI cable, it makes it a pretty tempting HTPC, and doesnt take up any room at all.

That being said, I think the price point just became too high for the unit. $500 seems right...but anything more then that is just too much...think of the PC you can build or buy for a HTPC with that amount to spend.

If your plans are to buy this unit to use as a Mac desktop...why not just spend the extra few hundred bucks, get a macbook, and then use the macbook as a desktop mac? At least with the macbook, you have the option to take it with you...then dock it when you get home..right?

Mac Mini is too expensive..

Ramblings or a troll one wonders?

Tower is the go ~ Mini and iMac are toys, glossy but toys!

I am almost positive I read that , but I have not one clue what it said.

Clay

Clay, same here

The new update is decent. I think everybody expected apple to eventually make the mini's enclosure a unibody aluminum casing while giving it same upgrade specs as its baseline macbook pro and macbook-- I can't say too much on upping its price 100usd though, but Apple will be apple, and will price its products aggressively as pure usual.

I think if they upgraded it and kept the price the same, apple would have been on to something, and could have seriously competed with other companies in the 'economic' barebone computer section. A quick glance at other companies' base towers still show intel celeron cpus and ati 3200s at around 400usd. The mac mini with a decently clocked core2duo and 320m for 599usd woulda been pretty competitive.

My eyes bleed. I hope you are happy. I tried my best to read it but it was just ramblings that didn't make any sense.

Sorry

Honestly I can not remember writing this. I think it was at like 3 AM. What I think I was trying to say was this:

1. Previous Mac Minis were not viable products as long as the iMac was being sold.

2. The Mac Mini is still not a viable desktop computer.

3. The Mac Mini would be a viable home server for media and file streaming.

4. Don't buy one for that purpose until it has reasonable hard drive space (4 TB)

Anyway sorry for that horrible written post

4tb is not reasonable, it's way too much. I bet the average person using a baseline computer wouldn't use more than 250gigs. Not to mention that external storage is pretty popular-- **** even a lot of recent iMac owners have been replacing the 1tb hdds that come with the iMac for a 80 or 160gig SSD for the added performance boost, while using an external drive for storage.

jpepperman95 said:

Honestly I can not remember writing this. I think it was at like 3 AM. What I think I was trying to say was this:

1. Previous Mac Minis were not viable products as long as the iMac was being sold.

2. The Mac Mini is still not a viable desktop computer.

3. The Mac Mini would be a viable home server for media and file streaming.

4. Don't buy one for that purpose until it has reasonable hard drive space (4 TB)

Anyway sorry for that horrible written post

Click to expand...

I didn't attempt to read your first post but if this second post is any indication of the first it just sounds like you are complaining that the Mac mini doesn't fit your needs. That's fair enough but you should realized that it fits many other people's needs. You are entitled to your own opinion though.

I've always thought of the Mini as the cheapest way to get a new Mac for switchers. It's not meant to compete with the iMac and most Windows desktop switchers already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse so they are ready to go without extra expenses. The price of the Mini was what encouraged my co-worker to buy one and try out Macs.

Computers are expensive so the lower cost of a Mini compared to other Macs makes it less of a financial gamble to switch. A lot of new potential switchers are apprehensive about switching and the higher prices of Macs is an extra roadblock for them. I know a lot of switchers who started with a Mini and then moved up to an iMac when they got comfortable with Macs.

The Mini isn't perfect and I personally don't have a use for them which is why I don't buy one but it fits many other people's needs. I do think that the hard drive should be easier to upgrade so that it can be customized more for other needs but it can be done.

but....

i guess if you have old mac hardware, the mini could be practical. And to be a good media server, you want plenty of disk space to hold HD movies and music.

jpepperman95 said:

i guess if you have old mac hardware, the mini could be practical.

Click to expand...

That depends on your definition of practical. For an average user who just surfs the internet and checks emails then a Mini is more than practical for them. As mentioned it depends on your needs and clearly the Mini doesn't fit your needs.

From the very first G4 Mini, Apple FLAT OUT stated it was for PC users who owned a Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse. They used the slogan "Bring your OWN Display, Keyboard and Mouse". It was a cheap way for PC users to test the waters and see if OSX was for them without buying a very old machine that was so slow it would really not give then the current Mac experience.

The Intel Minis up to this new model have been pretty much a Macbook spec wise without the monitor. My 2.16Ghz C2D mini is very fast. I use it for Video conversion and encoding and it's one of the fastest systems in my house and yes I have many Wndows systems here.

The new one would make a fine little computer for most people and a nice Media center system. I with they could have used a newer CPU but I would rather have that NVidia chipset with the C2D than an Intel Integrated solution.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=BYODKM

Based on what I've read, the new mini sounds like a pretty cool machine. My wife has a 1.83ghz mini that she still uses and really likes. It has a great footprint and with the faster speed cpu, faster ram buss speeds + expansion capability, and firewire 800 port, it sounds like a great box! I'd imagine pretty hard to beat at it's price point as well.