No on Mac mini

I decided to stop waffling and move on to something important in life...like enjoying a good cup of coffee.

Of the two new Mac mini offerings, the lesser CPU is on the one with the DVD burner. Interesting design...or anti-design if the company doesn't want ripping and wants you to buy content online. LOL A more powerful CPU is better for burning but the Mac mini doesn't offer the i3, i5, or i7. My output is not on plastic very often.

While the integrated graphics is faster than the previous model, twice mediocre is still mediocre.

The integrated power supply eases clutter but heat is still an enemy of silicone.

Which brings up paying more for Applecare in case something does go wrong. The design looks like it would last five years which is a couple of years past what affordable repair would be.

The obvious use of the Mac mini as a home entertainment center is of limited value to me. Only a person with 300 pieces of movie plastic or someone with high bandwidth streaming capabilities could make use of it. No surround sound from the Mac mini. I am going to move to a flat screen TV now though.

For those who care, the US$100 bump in price was not a factor.

Not wanting something is for wimps. The joy of computing means doing things and making things. That means taking a look at the nettops again.

I do a lot of content building. My current keyboard and browsing setup work fine for what I do. I can post graphics online or display them through work systems. The reports I generate can be handled by my netbook. The best part of using what I have is there is no additional cost involved. LOL

If I really wanted the OSX interface I could put the software on my netbook but I am actually pretty satisfied with Win7 and my apps.

Even though I'm not jumping, that's not negative toward the Mac mini. I'd like to hear from anyone who has computing needs that the mini meets. Or, netbook meets since I carry one every day.

[ThisIsNot]

FYI - I moved this post as it has absolutely nothing to do with the Acer nettop.

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by netbooking

I'd like to hear from anyone who has computing needs that the mini meets.

I have a Mini I got in Sep 2007 immediately after the refresh. I bought it for a reasons:

1)I wanted to try out a mac
2)I already owned a killer 24" monitor
3)I got a corporate discount but it was still meager
4)I had given up on movie editing in the Windows world (and my PCs lacked firewire) and heard so many great things about iMovie and iDVD...all in all, the Mac is pretty slick at editing videos for us video-editing-novices
5)I found out that iPhoto is actually a pretty nice and integrated program...the wife absolutely loves it...however, again, you can't blame Windows because it's just an app that nobody (as far as I know) has done just as nicely in the Windows environment
6)It is super small and extremely quiet


That's about it. Apple has always been expensive. If Apple is ever serious about me buying another Mac...ANY Mac...the prices will have to fall at least 20%. I ain't paying $700+ for a Mac Mini with lackluster performance...nor $1100+ for a machine that forces me to use it's own monitor (iMac). Gimme a decent $600-$700 desktop that truly competes (on tech specs) with a Dell $600-$700 desktop and I'm all ears. The Mini has it's following and extreme niche (I think it would sell 4x if they sold the darn thing at $500 instead of $599 and now the price increase to $699) but I'm giving up on it. I'll simply spend $100 and add 2 more GB of ram to mine and swap out the turtle 5400RPM drive for a 7200RPM (and larger storage).

-Eric

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

FYI - I moved this post as it has absolutely nothing to do with the Acer nettop.

I'm good with the move. Whatever.

I have Macs. Nothing new there. I brought that up in the Acer thread. You brought up the power efficiency of the Mac mini as a full time server in the Acer thread. When the new mini came out. I waffled over it as a server. LOL

Dare I mention that now I have discarded the Mac mini as a server I am really considering the Acer?

Thanks for keeping the forum on some kind of track.

[ThisIsNot]

I really don't know what to say. Seriously, how am I supposed to respond to that. You didn't mention anything regarding the Acer nettop in your post centered on the Mac Mini. You never referenced back to it, said you were contemplating between the two, nothing. All you did was make a post about how you don't like the redesigned Mac Mini. The point of my thread was to review my Acer nettop purchase, not the Mac Mini. I didn't want it to skew as the iPad thread did so I split the topics.

Let me say this again: your post had NOTHING to do with the Acer nettop. You weren't referencing back to it, saying that you were contemplating it, nothing. You simply said that the Mac Mini was not for you and then ended with one of your traditional "so how do you use a netbook" questions.

You only referenced back to the Acer in your most recent post where you tried to insult me. I really don't know what else to say. I rightfully split the topics so move on.

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

The point of my thread was to review my Acer nettop purchase, not the Mac Mini. I didn't want it to skew as the iPad thread did so I split the topics.

Well, then, I was clearly off topic in that off topic thread. Thanks for keeping the forum on track. You are absolutely right that I am more comfortable posting about netbooking uses. I'll move on to those and, hopefully, attract reader response.

[ThisIsNot]

It is perfectly acceptable that you want to discuss the new Mac Mini in the off-topic area, that wasn't the problem. The main issue is that you completely skewed the topic. It would be like me going into one of your many netbook related threads and start discussing the importance of hot air balloons. Furthermore, it is completely uneccaptable to try to insult someone when all they did was split your thread from another one.

Internet "bullying" is not tollerated in other forums nor is it here. That is all I am going to say here on that topic.

So feel free to continue to discuss the updated Mac Mini if you want, just don't get upset at someone and try to insult them. That only further expresses a lack of immaturity.

Personally, I think that the updated Mac Mini is rather nice but it still carries the typical high Apple price. The Core 2 Duo processor is only aobut 10-15% less powerful than a comparably clocked Core i5 chip so I really don't think that is much of an issue. Sure, it doesn't carry the new Core iX name or label but that shouldn't really matter when end performance is the final verdict.

The updated graphics seem OK. They are better than the Nvidia 9400 integrated solution and the 200 series Nvidia chips but still not up to snuff with their 400 series. The big "winner" here is the inclusion of HDMI. It is about damn time that Apple added an HDMI port to their computers instead of simply "supporting" it by allowing manufacturers to release mini display port to HDMI adapters.

The updated aluminum looks rather stylish and the overall body seems smaller though I don't know if that is an optical illusion or if it really is.

There are initial negatives that I see with one being a rather obvious mistake and the other being typical for Apple products. First is the SD card placement. I am sorry but that should be in the front of the computer. Look at desktops and nettops, they all have their SD card readers right on the front of the unit so that you don't have to turn them around every time you want to copy photos off of your digital camera. I am sorry but that is just dumb and I think it is a glaring mistake made by Apple.

The second is that this carries the typical high Apple price. I wouldn't be complaining about it as much if the Mac Mini came with 4GB of RAM and a wireless keyboard and mouse along with a 500GB hard drive but it doesn't. The updated model still carries the same lowly specs as the earlier ones in terms of RAM and hard drive capacity.

The server edition (the one that is $1000 and doesn't have an optical drive) seems like a waste to me. Yes, I know what Apple is doing in that they are trying to make a home server for the common consumer but they are failing with the high price especially whenever PC desktops (not servers) can be purchased for less while having 2TB of storage, 8GB of RAM, a quad-core processor, etc. Even HP makes dedicated home server units for around $500 with 2TB of storage.

I think the Mac Mini has the potential to be a companion to a home theater system but the SD card placement and high Apple price push me away from it especially when the competition offers up less expensive solutions. I know that Apple typically charges more for their products but they have kind of been changing over the years. The entry level MacBook actually has rather decent specs for a $1000 notebook including the 10 hour battery life. I actually don't think that you would be able to find a full fledged 13" PC notebook for $1000 with a true 10 hour battery life. Even the MacBook Pro line has come down in price over the years. It is still a "luxury" notebook line but the prices are more comparable to other "luxury" PC notebooks.

That being said, Apple still pushed the high price with the Mac Mini and that will likely be its downfall. Yes, its hardware is better than the run of the mill nettop but it is not better than similarly priced desktops.

[ericinboston]

My beef with the newest Mac is more along the way Apple has been creating products over the past 10 years:

1)updates/new releases once every 365 days or longer
2)updates are sometimes pretty weak from a technology standpoint
3)updates are sometimes the esthetics (which may or may not be important to you depending on the product line (Mac or iPod or iPhone etc))
4)pricing is always expensive


In the case of the new Mini:

1)Apple barely increases the CPU speed...200MHz, boy...after waiting almost a year that's all I get?! Moreover, the current CPU speeds Apple offers is embarassing. The fastest I can get is 2.66? Yawwwwnnnnn.

2)Hard drive size has barely increased. Yaaaawwwwwwnnnn.

3)Hard drive speed IS STILL 5400RPM. Slooooowwwwww. The system supports a 7200RPM drive yet Apple can't offer that?!...free or otherwise?! Seriously?!

4)As mentioned, not only do they waste space (see next point) with an SD card, but they put it in the back?! Tell me who enjoys EVER turning around their computer to plug/unplug something!

5)4 USB ports. That's it? My keyboard is gonna eat 1...hard drive another...printer a 3rd...so all I really have is 1 free? There should have been 5-6 on here.

6)Apple INCREASES the price?! $100 increase (17% price increase)!

I believe Apple is/has lost touch with what the Mini is supposed to be and who (and why) is gonna buy it. Let's go through the list:

1)People who want it as some kind of media hub: expensive for what you get on the tech side. I'm not talking about size/cuteness...I'm talking about functionality. And besides what you may believe, there is a VERY SMALL percentage of consumers that know how to use/build a media hub (such as ripping all the movies, music, etc) let alone want one. Extremely small percentage of people. I am one of those people and I still have not bough a media hub because I feel they're not worth it (buying the system, converting all my stuff, learning a new system, and ultimately running out of space or having to upgrade for a variety of reasons). I'll use my simple $130 Sony bluray player and my ipod/netbook computer as my music source.

2)People who want to try an Apple Mac...so let's see...$700 + $100 for keyboard/mouse is $800...and no monitor...and a cheesy 1 year warranty...that's a pretty high price to try a computer platform that you want to try...whether you're a techie or a clueless dad. I compare it to buying an stick-shift car for $15,000 or trying an almost-identical automatic for $30,000+ and seeing what all the hype is about.

3)People who want a simple, basic computer for web/internet/email/photos. So either spend $800 + monitor as in Point 2 or buy an iMac for $1100+. For a basic computer. Meanwhile, for the past 8+ years you can buy a basic PC for $400-$600...which VERY LIKELY includes a monitor when you get to the $500 price range.

4)People who already own a Mac and thus a)own the keyboard/mouse and ALSO a keyboard/mouse KVM switch and b)are used to the Mac system...well, yes, if you've already invested all that money into the Mac platform, it's possible the Mini has some value...I'm just not sure what a $700 Mac with a 320GB drive and 2GB of ram is going to offer to someone who already owns a Mac(s). File server?...too small a drive. Print server?...(pretty expensive print server). Crunching machine such as for dvd/video conversions?...CPU is FAR too slow and the 2GB ram is a joke and the 5400RPM drive is a joke. So even in Point 4, I'm stumped to find a reason for a Mac enthusiast to dump $700 on a 2nd Mac system with the Mini's specs.

There is no doubt that Apple makes some very eye-candy desktop equipment...but a computer's ultimate purpose is to be useful...not sexy (ok, maybe laptops).

[ThisIsNot]

Originally Posted by ericinboston

My beef with the newest Mac is more along the way Apple has been creating products over the past 10 years:

1)updates/new releases once every 365 days or longer
2)updates are sometimes pretty weak from a technology standpoint
3)updates are sometimes the esthetics (which may or may not be important to you depending on the product line (Mac or iPod or iPhone etc))
4)pricing is always expensive

1) I actually don't mind this as it gives me an idea of when I can safely purchase on of their products without a new version being released within a few months. I hate that in the PC world in that I can plop down $800 on a PC with a quad-core AMD processor, 8GB of RAM, DVD+-R/RW DL drive, and a 750GB hard drive only for the same manufacturer to come out with an updated configuration 3 months later for the same price (or maybe even less) featuring a faster AMD processor (or maybe even Core i7), 1TB hard drive, Blu-ray drive, etc.

2) That is really annoying and it is more or less what the Mac Mini update falls under. The internals weren't upgraded all that much, at least not as much as a one year wait and $700 would imply.

3) Apple has focused a lot on looks over the years and I think it all goes back to 2003. Apple computers have always looked a little different than their PC competition but style was never one of their outright goals. It was with the G4 Cube and look how miserably that failed. Apple always tried to visually set themselves apart from everyone else but I don't think it was until 2003 when they sacrificed functionality over having a sleek player and that was with the 3G iPod. Apple made a slimmer model but that came at a price with having a terrible battery. Ever since then they seem to put looks pretty high up in their design category and now it seems as if they design the device first and then focus on the hardware and software.

4) As has been true with Apple for as long as I can remember. I was hoping that their switch to Intel would decrease prices as development and production cost for the PowerPC line of chips was rather expensive (especially since Apple was really the only major company to put said chips in consumer products). The prices relatively stayed the same after the switch to Intel and I don't really understand why. They are running the same internals as everyone else yet charge at least twice as much. Why? Mac OS X can't have that high of a price (especially when the latest upgrade was only $30). Is it to pay off the design engineers? It must be associated with something though and I wish I knew what it was.