Mac mini

[oldsk00l]

Looks interesting, EXCEPT that it uses an ATI GPU, yeeuucch!!!

I might pick one up anyways though.

[Clay]

link? :p

[saturnotaku]

Yes, need linkage. I hope this is something like an OS X-based handheld. If it is, I would buy one in a heartbeat.

[oldsk00l]

http://www.apple.com

Click on the mac mini link in the lower right.
Afraid not handheld, it's a $500 desktop...er...mini desktop.

Decent software bundle, no kb/mouse/monitor though.

[nVidi0t]

Looks really nice. Definately a good way to test out a mac.

The new iPod looks really ****e though. Functionality wise great, but it's just ugly.

[oldsk00l]

Considering I already have a spare mouse, keyboard, and monitor....this is a great deal. I'm going to get it w/superdrive and perhaps some extra RAM. I can't wait till they ship. Great move on Apple's part to start getting into this market segment, they really have loosened up quite a bit to let a machine like this out.

Another aspect of this is that these things could make a great misc fileserver too, small and can be placed anywhere it seems.

[CaptNKILL]

Looks like one of those tins that you get peanut brittle in...

I like peanut brittle...


:|

[oldsk00l]

I wish it was mod-able to run nVidia though. "Whoever's responsible for Apple partnering with ATI should be flogged and castrated in public"

That's back when the G3 had just launched.

Hey, it beats tissue holder though.

[GamerGuyX]

Damn those things are awesome! I want one soooooo bad! :D

http://images.apple.com/macmini/images/designoptical20050111.jpg

[oldsk00l]

The new ipod shuffle is looking really quite nice too, just what I need for my music stuff.

I'll be picking one of those up for sure, and using it with my new mini when I get it

I like how it just plugs directly into USB port, very nice design.

[jnd3]

I wish it was mod-able to run nVidia though. "Whoever's responsible for Apple partnering with ATI should be flogged and castrated in public"
But my PowerBook has a chip from Nvidia in there (FX5200Go) ... so they're not COMPLETELY ATI, just for the really low-end stuff. :p

[einstein_314]

But my PowerBook has a chip from Nvidia in there (FX5200Go) ... so they're not COMPLETELY ATI, just for the really low-end stuff. :p

I think they just switch between them. But yes, they do rely on nvidia for the high-end (6800 ultra and GT models). I don't think they have an ATI chip faster than the 9800 Pro.

I think the iPod Shuffle is going to do amazingly well in the market. Probably unbelievably well. I would buy one, if I didn't already have an iPod. :) And that mac mini looks awesome. So small. In my opinion, when it comes to having awesome designs, Apple is the best out there.

[Nitz Walsh]

Wasn't expecting the shuffle to be so cheap. $99? That's like $30 more than just a _usb key_ for the same amount of memory. The lack of LCD is a bit of a bitch and it is a little larger for a flash device than I would like, but it's going to be a great effect in the marketplace. Scramble, Creative - scramble! Sucks to have competition huh? Can't buy them out like Aureal...

Who cares about the 9200? With a G4, it's not like you're going to be running modern games (those that are available) anytime soon with decent performance. Considering that Nvidia drivers on OSX don't allow forcing of aniso,aa - or anything else - a Nvidia chip in an OSX system is actually somewhat of a drawback.

The iMac mini is crippled, yes - but price out a stylish mini-ITX system, and they're actually quite comparable - with the ITX using Transmeta processors which is a large drawback. I may just pick one up later this year myself, probably going to wait for Tiger though.

[saturnotaku]

This would be something fun to play with that doesn't take up the space of a desktop and doesn't cost as much as a notebook. The mini is something I could jam under my desk and just switch out my monitor, mouse and keyboard between it and my primary Windows machine. All I would need to add would be one of those Airport Extreme cards so I could surf the web and so forth.

[jlee24219]

or just hook it up with a kvm switch and switch pc's and macs on the fly.

[oldsk00l]

Actually Apple talks about doing KVM on the mini until you eventually switch to the mini, then (Apple HOPES anyway) you upgrade to a full desktop or at least an imac.

I tell you what though, getting a mini and a kvm switch would sure beat pearpc :D

and I am DEFINITELY ordering an iPod shuffle.

The design of the small unit, and its usage ideal is really tough to beat. Creative had better scramble, they are getting their asses kicked.

Besides all that, I've been using iTunes on Windows and on my powerbook, and it's the only thing I can think of using to rip CD's and get music. Normally I'd just pirate, but the sheer convenience, speed, and usability make it worth the convience for me to use their services. Given the limitations Apple is under, they are doing itunes all right.

Another thing to consider though, one of these things wouldn't make a bad server or hell even firewall/mail server. Just stick Yellowdog Linux on it, and just leave the ethernet port plugged in and shove it somewhere obscure and don't worry about it. That's what I'm most likely going to do with my Mini once I get it in.

Way to go Apple!

[Yonkers]

I like peanut brittle...


:|

.

[r2d2d3d4d5]

It has no VIVO and no sound inputs. Isn't video editing one of the main selling points of the Mac? The CPU is also half the speed of their flagship products.

I might consider one if I could definitely use it with a KVM switch but I still think it's too expensive for the hardware you get.

[r2d2d3d4d5]

Another thing to consider though, one of these things wouldn't make a bad server or hell even firewall/mail server. Just stick Yellowdog Linux on it, and just leave the ethernet port plugged in and shove it somewhere obscure and don't worry about it. That's what I'm most likely going to do with my Mini once I get it in.

You could probably built a comparable PC for less money.

The only advantage for me is OSX and the Apple software and I'm not convinced that the mini is powerful enough to run them satisfactorily.

[ragejg]

I just can't believe they're plugging MacHalo in the graphics area of that webAdvert for the miniMac... um, really, can a 32mb 9200 really handle OpenGL Halo at any resolution? Is specular even used in teh OpenGL version?

[ragejg]

The only advantage for me is OSX and the Apple software and I'm not convinced that the mini is powerful enough to run them satisfactorily.

I've seen plenty of G3 iBooks running OSX just fine, I don't think there's any reason to worry about that...

... I don't think so anyway :p

[GamerGuyX]

You could probably built a comparable PC for less money.


But I already have a PC. I want to try out a Mac.

[oldsk00l]

You could probably built a comparable PC for less money.

The only advantage for me is OSX and the Apple software and I'm not convinced that the mini is powerful enough to run them satisfactorily.

I dunno about that dude, I just priced out some components and it looks like about $400 with no software. I think it's quite reasonable, and with alot more perks than the PC for the price range.

[oldsk00l]

I just can't believe they're plugging MacHalo in the graphics area of that webAdvert for the miniMac... um, really, can a 32mb 9200 really handle OpenGL Halo at any resolution? Is specular even used in teh OpenGL version?

Yes, it's what we call a slideshow, the eh..."frame by frame" edition of Halo

;)

[jnd3]

Here's a comparison (http://www.systemshootouts.org/shootouts/desktop/2005/0111_dt0600.html) of the Mac mini and a similarly-priced PC from Dell. There are plenty of other interesting shootouts on the site as well.

And as the owner of a 1.33 GHz G4 PowerBook (and the spouse of the owner of a 800 MHz G4 iBook), let me just say that the G4 at GHz speeds can run OSX just fine. Heck, I even ran the UT2004 demo (at low resolution and with most of the bells and whistles turned off) on the iBook, which has the ATI 9200.