Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Mac mini price quietly hiked to $599
What's the old phrase I'm looking for, the one that gets the point across that I'm submitting this particular piece of information without comment? Oh that's right, submitted without comment:
The new Intel-based Mac mini now starts at $599. The original $499 price point appears to be gone from the face of the earth (or at least the face of the Apple Store). Don't know what it means yet, therefore the lack of any comment. I'm sure plenty of you will take occasion to tell me exactly what you think it means, though.
While I'm at it, let me ask you Mac mini lovers this: coming into tday I heard a lot of speculation about set top boxes, television integration and more, but I don't see any of it. I just a price increase and a faster processor...and (finally) some extra USB ports. So was this the machine you guys were looking for today?
What's the old phrase I'm looking for, the one that gets the point across that I'm submitting this particular piece of information without comment? Oh that's right, submitted without comment:
The new Intel-based Mac mini now starts at $599. The original $499 price point appears to be gone from the face of the earth (or at least the face of the Apple Store). Don't know what it means yet, therefore the lack of any comment. I'm sure plenty of you will take occasion to tell me exactly what you think it means, though.
While I'm at it, let me ask you Mac mini lovers this: coming into tday I heard a lot of speculation about set top boxes, television integration and more, but I don't see any of it. I just a price increase and a faster processor...and (finally) some extra USB ports. So was this the machine you guys were looking for today?
Comments:
They also added gigabit ethernet, a remote, double the ram, and digital audio in/out...
Not too bad for 100 bucks
Not too bad for 100 bucks
# posted by 
: 12:29 PM
: 12:29 PM
Make that "integrated graphics". i.e. It shares memory between the system and the graphics processor: http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20060228103152918
# posted by : 12:40 PM
: 12:40 PM
"Not too bad for 100 bucks"
Yeah but the G4 Mini was still pretty cool. Whatever happened to that whole universal program with Apple? now they've got a piss-me-off program! I was saving up for one! Now I have to spend another 2 months!
Yeah but the G4 Mini was still pretty cool. Whatever happened to that whole universal program with Apple? now they've got a piss-me-off program! I was saving up for one! Now I have to spend another 2 months!
# posted by : 1:36 PM
: 1:36 PM
Actually for 100 bucks you get:
An Intel Core Solo at 1.5GHz with 2MB of L2 Cache onboard and a 667 Mhz Frontside Bus. (was a PowerPC G4 processor at 1.25GHz with 512K of L2 Cache onboard and a 167 Mhz Frontside Bus.)
A larger hard disk 60GB (was 40GB)
Bluetooth 2.0 built in (was optional)
WiFi G built in (was optional)
Gigabit Ethernet (was 100Mbit)
512 Meg RAM (was 256 Megs)
4 USB 2 ports (was 2)
Digital Audio Out(was headphone jack)
Digital Audio In (Totally missing)
Remote Control
Support for 2 Gigs of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) instead of 1 Gig of 333MHz DDR SDRAM (PC2700)
You give up:
ATI's Radeon 9200 with 32MB of DDR SDRAM for Intel's GMA950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory
An Intel Core Solo at 1.5GHz with 2MB of L2 Cache onboard and a 667 Mhz Frontside Bus. (was a PowerPC G4 processor at 1.25GHz with 512K of L2 Cache onboard and a 167 Mhz Frontside Bus.)
A larger hard disk 60GB (was 40GB)
Bluetooth 2.0 built in (was optional)
WiFi G built in (was optional)
Gigabit Ethernet (was 100Mbit)
512 Meg RAM (was 256 Megs)
4 USB 2 ports (was 2)
Digital Audio Out(was headphone jack)
Digital Audio In (Totally missing)
Remote Control
Support for 2 Gigs of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) instead of 1 Gig of 333MHz DDR SDRAM (PC2700)
You give up:
ATI's Radeon 9200 with 32MB of DDR SDRAM for Intel's GMA950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory
It's just a better deal. Of the Mini purchasers I know, only one out of three went for the $499 model, and that was a starving student. Apple has put a lot of cool new things into this unit and I think the potential purchasers will understand.
I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a $499 unit again once prices come down on the Core Solo. Apple will not be in a huge hurry to upgrade the CPU in the Mini again, as it was sufficient before and is doubly so now.
As for the media center talk, I think that is a little overblown. The new mini is suitable for hooking up to a TV, but that doesn't mean its purpose is to be a TV device. It's better to think of the Mini as a flexible "Modular Computing Unit", something that people can use in whatever way works for them. Apple will probably continue to add features that make the Mini appropriate for the living room, but people will continue to use the device in different ways -- as a family computer for some, a dorm room computer for others, and a little bedroom computer for others.
I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a $499 unit again once prices come down on the Core Solo. Apple will not be in a huge hurry to upgrade the CPU in the Mini again, as it was sufficient before and is doubly so now.
As for the media center talk, I think that is a little overblown. The new mini is suitable for hooking up to a TV, but that doesn't mean its purpose is to be a TV device. It's better to think of the Mini as a flexible "Modular Computing Unit", something that people can use in whatever way works for them. Apple will probably continue to add features that make the Mini appropriate for the living room, but people will continue to use the device in different ways -- as a family computer for some, a dorm room computer for others, and a little bedroom computer for others.
# posted by : 7:09 PM
: 7:09 PM
The mini on its own was never meant to be a TiVo like unit and it never will be. You simply cannot fit a big enough HD inside one, plus the required graphics card for HD capture would inflate the price too high and probably make it impossible to cool. Thats not to say in a few years it won't be possible.
However, I do see an interesting trend developing. If we assume Apple does not intend to allow their computers to record tv, just play it back from iTunes, they have a complete home solution already. It now comprises an iPod Hifi, Airport express, 30" cinema display and a 15" MacBook Pro. You could of course add in a 3rd party TV tuner to complete the picture.
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However, I do see an interesting trend developing. If we assume Apple does not intend to allow their computers to record tv, just play it back from iTunes, they have a complete home solution already. It now comprises an iPod Hifi, Airport express, 30" cinema display and a 15" MacBook Pro. You could of course add in a 3rd party TV tuner to complete the picture.
# posted by : 7:46 PM
: 7:46 PM
