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[Tenacious-V]

Okay, we all know the mac mini is small, but damn did I underestimate how small it really is. It's a beautiful sight to see, even if you don't like Apple, the mac mini is a sexy machine.

Source: Anandtech

The side of the box simply states that iLife is included, and below that, it says that you can organize photos, compose music, create playlists, make movies and watch DVDs. This isn't the side of a computer box. This is the side of a consumer electronics device box; it's the side of a multifunction iPod's box. And this is where it hit me - what I was holding in the mini's box didn't feel like a computer. In fact, it didn't feel like I was unpacking a computer either. Apple has effectively made their computer into something that doesn't seem like one at all, perfect for those who are intimidated by computers, but definitely leaves those of us who aren't feeling somewhat strange - not in a bad way, and not in a good way, but just in a different way. If every other computer manufacturer in the world made their computers and boxes look like the mini's, then I'm sure that the feeling wouldn't be so strange; but the fact of the matter is, they don't, and the Mac mini is different - and you know that before you even hit the power button.

Holding one, once again, gives you the feeling that you’re not holding a computer, but a large iPod or something else.

Apple did a very good job with the mini, they effectively completed the transition of the entry level computer into a commodity. To the average joe the Mac mini isn’t a computer, it’s another iPod or DVD player, just a lot better and a lot more feature filled. It’s a DVD player that can edit and create DVDs and it’s an iPod that can make and play music and it’s a box that you can get your email on.

To the rest of us, it’s a small, quiet, stylish looking box that finally breaks down the price barrier to Mac OS X. As a second system for any PC user, the Mac mini can’t be beat.

This is exactly what Steve envisioned. Not to release a PC counterpart, but to release the mac mini as the ipod of computers, to draw the masses to it with its style. Running this thing without the 512MB ram upgrade = ass performace (as stated by anandtech) but once you're running with 512, it's smooth as silk. Apple definitely did their job of attracting the "casual user whose intimidated of computers" to the mac mini. Create it to be like another piece of electronics, like a camera, ipod, dvd player, and instantly the mac mini goes from just another PC counter, to a full fledged sexified piece of electronics. Color me impressed. 6.5" x 6.5" x 2" absolutely beautiful.

 

[Jak140]

What the hell is the point of making it that small? By the time you attach a monitor, keyboard and mouse, it'll take up more space than a laptop that has twice the functionality. Not to mention that a laptop is actually porrtable.

 

[bionic77]

What the hell is the point of making it that small?

It looks nice. Can't think of anything other then that.

Countdown to Shog appearance......

 

[DMczaf]

I've never owned a Mac (the only Apple made hardware I've ever had was my iPod I just got this last Christmas), but damn that Mac Mini is eating at me... :O

 

[Ecrofirt]

i want one

 

[Nerevar]

What the hell is the point of making it that small? By the time you attach a monitor, keyboard and mouse, it'll take up more space than a laptop that has twice the functionality. Not to mention that a laptop is actually porrtable.

meet ...

I've never owned a Mac (the only Apple made hardware I've ever had was my iPod I just got this last Christmas), but damn that Mac Mini is eating at me... :O

Making technology look "sexy" will invariably sell it to more people than more cost-efficient stuff will. Especially in regards to women.

 

[bionic77]

I've never owned a Mac (the only Apple made hardware I've ever had was my iPod I just got this last Christmas), but damn that Mac Mini is eating at me... :O

I would rather have a top of the line Apple laptop, those things are so freakin sexy.

 

[DMczaf]

I would rather have a top of the line Apple laptop, those things are so freakin sexy.

With a Jordan wallpaper?!

 

[Ford Prefect]

It certainly does look nice. Is this a perfectly fine altervative for your average PC? Or is it more of a machine for media management?

 

[bionic77]

With a Jordan wallpaper?!

DM, btw how much longer do you have to keep that avatar?

 

[DMczaf]

DM, btw how much longer do you have to keep that avatar?

Until the Super Bowl is over. It been 4-5 long months...

I'm almost free!

 

[Deleted member 1235]

That just fucking sold me. seriously. And my flatmate, and my other flatmate. They just sold 3 of those things to one house by being all sexy like.

I can't wait to hook up my ipod mini and piss off my girlfriend by talking about how great this is.

And the PRICE in NZ that thing is going to retail for like 800 bucks. I can score a free monitor and keyboard/mouse. it's such a bargain.

EDIT: I haven't used a mac almost at all. Do they still have the freaky one button mouse? can you use a standard usb mouse on one of these things?

 

[bionic77]

Until the Super Bowl is over. It been 4-5 long months...

I'm almost free!

What football bet did you lose?

Football makes men do crazy things.

 

[DMczaf]

What football bet did you lose?

Football makes men do crazy things.

I bet FMT that Madden 2005 won't have online leagues. He put a Favre avatar up on the bet, I put a Panthers avatar up.

Oh well, I ended up winning $10 off of FMT during the Bucs/Niners game! 35-3, never forget!

 

[hobart]

That just fucking sold me. seriously. And my flatmate, and my other flatmate. They just sold 3 of those things to one house by being all sexy like.

I can't wait to hook up my ipod mini and piss off my girlfriend by talking about how great this is.

And the PRICE in NZ that thing is going to retail for like 800 bucks. I can score a free monitor and keyboard/mouse. it's such a bargain.

EDIT: I haven't used a mac almost at all. Do they still have the freaky one button mouse? can you use a standard usb mouse on one of these things?

OSX allows for two button mice usage.

I posted this in the gaming setup... but here was my MAC setup for Christmas of last year:

Things have changed since then (including the country that I live in), but you can get a general feel for the Mac lifestyle. I've since picked up an external, a 4G iPod, and an iSight. When it's put all together it really is a beautiful and wonderful setup.

A Mac Mini setup would not be much different... Monitor would remain on the desk along with the Mini... the rest follows suit. Comfortable, sleek and sexy.

 

[Tenacious-V]

It certainly does look nice. Is this a perfectly fine altervative for your average PC? Or is it more of a machine for media management?

It is a fine alternative to your average PC. You won't be able to game really (being an apple and it not sporting the best video hardware) but if all you really do is work, email, websurf, movies, music, video editing, etc. then you're completely fine with the mac mini. Just make sure you spend the extra 70bones to get the 512MB ram upgrade as the 256 that comes standard isn't enough for OS X to run smoothly. Other than that, this thing is pure sex.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

Barely two weeks past introduction, Apple has apparently lowered the cost of Build-To-Order components for the Mac mini. According to MacRumors readers, pricing for the Bluetooth and AE combo has dropped to $99, along with pricing for 1 GB sticks of RAM being reduced to $325.

Additionally, the superdrive option now offered for the Mac mini has been changed from the previously-offered 4x model to the newer, faster 8x model, and the cost for a hard drive upgrade has been reduced from $90 to $50.

I'm glad I waited and I'm gonna wait until summer to get one hopefully it comes with Tiger

 

[hobart]

I'm glad I waited and I'm gonna wait until summer to get one hopefully it comes with Tiger

I can't impress this fact enough: Wait for Tiger.

Also... I've played WoW on my 12" PB with very little problems (purchased last year with a G4 1Ghz Processor... and that includes my playing it on the track pad!!) Granted you certainly won't be able to game hard (depends on if you find WoW gaming as being "hard"... course I'm talking about those OTHER major PC games) but you certainly can get SOME fix where you need it.

I play poker just FINE on my Mac

 

[Dilbert]

Countdown to Shog appearance......

Not for another two days, thanks to his annoyance last night about -- coincidentally enough -- the Mac Mini.

 

[Pochacco]

I'm not getting a Mini anytime soon..
..but it's only a matter of time before I take the plunge and get an Apple computer.

 

[Macam]

Not for another two days, thanks to his annoyance last night about -- coincidentally enough -- the Mac Mini.

Thanks. Really, thanks.

Glad to see Anandtech enjoys the machine; it really seems to be garnering some critical acclaim, although I'm curious to see what the sales end up at for the end of the fiscal quarter. With any luck, they'll be strong and we'll be able to see future Mini upgrades down the road alongside more competition from the PC market with comparable sizes. I'd love to nab one, but it's essentially a shrunk down version of my PB, and I'm itching for the 5G iPods and G5 tower upgrades.

 

[arter_2]

Its sooo easy to up grade the ram in the machine apple uses regular pc ram in the mini so u can add a gig of ram no problem and for cheap. Plus the mini uses a laptop hard drive and that can easily be upgraded to a 100 gig drive no problem. man i want a mini it would be a sweet multi media machine to bring to college just to do some minor editing and dvd watching. Its like a sweet little add on to a nice laptop purchase for college.

 

[Robert-GCA]

I could possibly see this going the same direction of the Apple Cube. That thing bombed so hard, and people talked it up like it was the next best thing too.

 

[SteveMeister]

I could possibly see this going the same direction of the Apple Cube. That thing bombed so hard, and people talked it up like it was the next best thing too.

There's a huge difference between the cube and the Mac mini.

Around $1200.

 

[Manabanana]

I can't impress this fact enough: Wait for Tiger.

Weren't they handing 10.3 discs out to pretty much anyone who walked in at its release? I could be wrong.

 

[Lil' Dice]

Now all they need is actual software/hardware support.

 

[Tenacious-V]

Now all they need is actual software/hardware support.

.......

The only thing Apple doesn't have is the game library and even then the high profile games come out for it. Other than that, I'd take a mac over windows any day. Software support is great for Apple and the OS is rock stable. If the games were there, I'd say fuck you PC and go Mac only. I only game on my PC, my Apple laptop gets all other use.

 

[impirius]

I could possibly see this going the same direction of the Apple Cube. That thing bombed so hard, and people talked it up like it was the next best thing too.

Sure, it bombed... but it was a thing of beauty.

 

[DopeyFish]

i want one and i detest macs

omg.

 

[BioFan]

i want one and i detest macs

omg.

you aren't the only one...

 

[hobart]

Weren't they handing 10.3 discs out to pretty much anyone who walked in at its release? I could be wrong.

Rumor has it that it has been in a "working" state for some time now (if you are resourceful... you could actually have a working copy... THIS I do not recommend at all). However, Tiger still has yet to have a SOLID release date (their website, as well as the keynote, merely stated the FIRST HALF of 2005... uh).

Aside from that... Tiger's OS number will be 10.4. It's worth waiting for as it will also come with the latest incarnation of Quicktime (7) as well as the new iLife '05 (which, yes, is currently being included in all new Macs).

For more info on Tiger and it's plethora of new details... watch Steve Jobs in action by viewing his two hour long keynote! or simply head over to Apple.com and click OSX... there is a rather large preview section that goes over the new additions and improvements of Tiger 10.4.

 

[Macam]

Tiger will come with iLife '05? That's news to me and just saved me $80 if so; I presume you were referring to the OS upgrade and not just iLife '05 coming pre-installed on new Macs. That would certainly help ease the cost of the upgrade and will let me nab iWork in the meantime to tinker with it.

 

[soundwave05]

Apple should rather have made this into a product more tailor made for being hooked up to your television IMO.

Like giving it more specific TiVo type functionality and say the ability to edit movies right on your television for your family.

 

[Macam]

Apple should rather have made this into a product more tailor made for being hooked up to your television IMO.

Like giving it more specific TiVo type functionality and say the ability to edit movies right on your television for your family.

That's an entirely different market -- and one that would require specialized hardware changes that would raise the cost in all due likelihood. Moreover, the media center market, despite growing in popularity with the release of Windows Media Center, is still a niche market. Right now, Apple needs to get out of their high end niche and expand their marketshare before they attempt something like that.

 

[tedtropy]

There's a huge difference between the cube and the Mac mini.

Around $1200.

Yeah, the Cube was aimed at an odd (and ultimately wrong) market. It should've been the simple, affordable home machine that the Mini looks to be. Instead it was priced at Apple's usual luxery rate. It really was a beautiful system though. Looks better than the Mini to me...

 

[Great King Bowser]

Wow, colour me intrigued. Seriously consider picking one of these up, how's compatability with MACs these days? Bearing in mind the only time I ever touch a MAC is the MAC G4 (?) in the Media Studies editing suite at college. Am I gonna be able to take work home from college/uni which'll most likely be Windows?

Gah, it's so sexy though. Any RRP for the UK?

 

[DonasaurusRex]

Theres no way that thing has a G5 in it, why in the hell would you want a mini G4 chip computer thats from like 2000 or some crap, just because its small? I swear apple is genius when it comes to clearing out useless inventory.

 

[Nerevar]

i want one and i detest macs

omg.

Can't say that I want one, but I sure as hell know what I'm recommending to my parents when they decide to ditch the spyware / adware infested PC they currently use.

 

[tedtropy]

Can't say that I want one, but I sure as hell know what I'm recommending to my parents when they decide to ditch the spyware / adware infested PC they currently use.

A copy of Spybot?

 

[DarienA]

The general public already has a preconceived fear of Macs... I don't expect this mac mini to make any inroads with those folks.

 

[The Chosen One]

It's a shame I bought a iMac last year... oh well, I'm sure I'll find some excuse to buy this as well.

 

[Nerevar]

A copy of Spybot?

You'd think the capacity to run a spybot and adaware would be well within their reach, but unfortunately they always forget and I spend half the holidays cleaning up their goddamn computer. It was one thing when I was in college and could spend the time doing it over the course of a month, but now this has to end.

 

[Tenacious-V]

Theres no way that thing has a G5 in it, why in the hell would you want a mini G4 chip computer thats from like 2000 or some crap, just because its small? I swear apple is genius when it comes to clearing out useless inventory.

The general public already has a preconceived fear of Macs... I don't expect this mac mini to make any inroads with those folks.

Apple also had no recognition in music electronics as well, then boom ipod came out and dominated the market. The fact is the mac mini isn't just selling itself as being small, it's absolutely, extremely stylish and cost effective. It's cheap and straight forward to use. It also doesn't really look like a computer either, so joe consumer will relate this thing to the ipod or a DVD player, not a PC. That eliminates the intimidation of "using a computer" and the preconceived view of macs. Mac mini is going onto the market from a completely differen't direction, it's coming in as a piece of electronics, which IMO is gonna make these suckers sell like crazy.

 

[DarienA]

Apple also had no recognition in music electronics as well, then boom ipod came out and dominated the market. The fact is the mac mini isn't just selling itself as being small, it's absolutely, extremely stylish and cost effective. It's cheap and straight forward to use. It also doesn't really look like a computer either, so joe consumer will relate this thing to the ipod or a DVD player, not a PC. That eliminates the intimidation of "using a computer" and the preconceived view of macs. Mac mini is going onto the market from a completely differen't direction, it's coming in as a piece of electronics, which IMO is gonna make these suckers sell like crazy.

My short counter argument is this. MP3 playing was an infant market, You can't compare and MP3 player to a PC. It doesn't matter what the PC looks like... when you fire it up it's still a PC. The only people interest in cool looking PC's are those folks who currently modify their PC's cases adding neon, etc....

Hopefully one of us will remember to revisit this in a year... mark my words, this is not going to make any inroads on the Wintel monopoly.

 

[Timbuktu]

Hopefully one of us will remember to revisit this in a year... mark my words, this is not going to make any inroads on the Wintel monopoly.

I don't know what you mean by inroads, but while I certainly don't expect the Mac mini to bring Apple out of a niche, even 1 or 2% increase in marketshare would still be a lot of sales. I think Apple has hit every note just right with the Mac mini, they brought out an affordable Mac without undermining their brand's image or the sales of other Macs.

 

[Agent Icebeezy]

It's not that I have an issue with Apple. They do their thing, it that the people champion them as some 'the shit' type thing. People clamoring for that Mac mini. That thing is a fuckin insult to anybody who's first PC that is. 32mb graphics card? Why in the fuck are they throwing 3DFX era cards in there. GC costs $99 bucks as well and performance wise, it's no comparison. They don't make money with iTunes, so they have to make the profit in the hardware. You can't do that selling cutting edge unless you sell a shitload. They take way outdated tech, repackage it and then Apple lovers act like they just created a drink that gives instant orgasm. That's the part that pisses me off. If ease of use or visual flair is the #1 claim to superiority, it's far from being superior at all.

 

[xsarien]

Wow, colour me intrigued. Seriously consider picking one of these up, how's compatability with MACs these days? Bearing in mind the only time I ever touch a MAC is the MAC G4 (?) in the Media Studies editing suite at college. Am I gonna be able to take work home from college/uni which'll most likely be Windows?

Gah, it's so sexy though. Any RRP for the UK?

Define "compatibility." Between Office for OSX and Pages, you should have zero issues running Word documents, and short of shit like AutoCAD, you're probably likely to find Mac versions - or counterparts - to any software package you may require.

As far as gaming goes, well, it's a Mac. Given the state of PC gaming as a whole, I can't imagine that the platform is a very high priority right now, Windows barely is either.

 

[Tenacious-V]

My short counter argument is this. MP3 playing was an infant market, You can't compare and MP3 player to a PC. It doesn't matter what the PC looks like... when you fire it up it's still a PC. The only people interest in cool looking PC's are those folks who currently modify their PC's cases adding neon, etc....

Hopefully one of us will remember to revisit this in a year... mark my words, this is not going to make any inroads on the Wintel monopoly.

But think of it from the average consumers view. They're gonna walk into a store and see mac mini in a tiny box, on the side all it shows is "iLife included" with a bunch of pics on the side.

People aren't going to think its a PC, they'll think Apple released something like a media HUB, then they'll see $499.99 and be impressed that it's cheap. Then they'll take the small box home, open it up and see this.

And instantly they'll think it's an extension of iPod or a DVD player. Once it boots up into OSX and not Windows they'll again veer away from the PC intimidation feeling and see a graphical beauty that is the OSX GUI. iLife launches and boom, the joe consumer feels like he/she only spent $500 for a stylish piece of electronics that does everything media. The standard tasks you'd do on a PC or Mac are secondary to Joe Average but being able to do everything you could on a PC on this tiny little box will impress them.

Apple is going into complete media integration. Apple isn't using ipod as a strict MP3 player, they're using it as directional marketing for thier Mac Line. It only started with the ipod, now that Apple has that taken over as the best and only way to listen to digital music. Then iTunes came, which gave the first indication of Apples new direction. Now mac mini with iLife which is total integration. The use of ipod to sell the new face of Apple is genius.

 

[SteveMeister]

It's not that I have an issue with Apple. They do their thing, it that the people champion them as some 'the shit' type thing. People clamoring for that Mac mini. That thing is a fuckin insult to anybody who's first PC that is. 32mb graphics card? Why in the fuck are they throwing 3DFX era cards in there. GC costs $99 bucks as well and performance wise, it's no comparison. They don't make money with iTunes, so they have to make the profit in the hardware. You can't do that selling cutting edge unless you sell a shitload. They take way outdated tech, repackage it and then Apple lovers act like they just created a drink that gives instant orgasm. That's the part that pisses me off. If ease of use or visual flair is the #1 claim to superiority, it's far from being superior at all.

See, you're coming at this from a gamer's perspective. PC gamers care about power -- high speed CPU's, tons of memory, and the latest & greatest video card. These people are unlikely to buy a $500 computer -- heck, they're likely to buy a $500 VIDEO CARD.

Outside of gaming, there are very few applications that absolutely require huge amounts of power or the highest end video card. And the Mac mini has PLENTY of power for the remaining applications. And believe it or not, gamers do not represent the majority of PC owners. So for the huge numbers of people who use computers, the Mac mini is plenty powerful enough.

Don't hate the machine because it's not targeted at you -- you do not represent all consumers.

 

[Manabanana]

You'd think the capacity to run a spybot and adaware would be well within their reach, but unfortunately they always forget and I spend half the holidays cleaning up their goddamn computer. It was one thing when I was in college and could spend the time doing it over the course of a month, but now this has to end.

It's like reading into a mirror! Or, uh...something. But yes, I'm in the same boat. My parents are getting either the Mac Mini or the eMac. I HATE having to co-ordinate tech support over the phone. "Look at the taskbar in the lower-right."
"What's that?"
"..."