Will The Mac Mini Win You Over?

[Kent Pribbernow]

http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/macmini.jpg

With all the talk yesterday around the Mac Mini, I was wondering what your impressions are of this little box. Will it convert you to the Mac platform? Will you be buying one to dip your toes in the Mac waters? Or would you sooner buy an expensive doorstop? :wink:

[Zack Mahdavi]

No option for, "I'm already cool since I own a Mac"? ;) I'll select this answer.

[wesley762]

for the Price of these things I am just going to pick one up and see what I can do to turn it into some type of media center but I am sure that I am not the first one to think of this at that price.

[mcsouth]

At this kind of price point, this is looking very attractive as a second (well, actually fourth!) PC for our household - specifically for our oldest son to use for homework. I'm sure he'll be ticked that it isn't a full-on gaming unit, but I think this could be a really nice unit for most computing tasks.

I could see this being a popular PC for college folks also.....

[dean_shan]

I want to get one, I already have a PowerBook G4 but having a Mac Desktop would be nice. I priced one out and with the student discount I can have it for $800. Not a bad deal.

[Kent Pribbernow]

Well I ordered the $599 model today, but according to Amazon it won't arrive until late March? 8O 8O 8O 8O

[butch]

Anybody knows a USB-to-PS/2 for it? I already have a KVM! Or is there a cheap 2-port USB KVM that work with a Mac?

The MAC mini is cheap, but still cost the double of a comparable cheap Dell (exept for the size of course!)
Before X-mas I got myself a Dimension Celeron 4 2.4Ghz, 256MB 40GB HDD, Modem, 100 base-T, (XP home) for 299 cnd$ I use it as a small linux sever, I got speakers, keyboard and mouse with it that I don't need since I already had a 2-port KVM... plus with Cygwin all I need connected to it is the power and network....
The Mac Mini is 629$ cnd, but if I need to get a new USB KVM (and keyboard I guses since my 1st gen MS natural doesn't have USB) it would be too much for something I don't really need... :?

[Kent Pribbernow]

I just cancelled my Amazon order and went directly with Apple. Instead of the standard $599 model I switched to the low-end model and opted for a SuperDrive. According to the order stats, mine should ship "On or before Feb. 11"..but I won't be holding my breath.

FYI: There is only one DIMM slot and it's not user upgradeable. That means if you don't order the Mini with more RAM now, you'll have to take it to an authorized Apple support center and have them install a new stick.

Oh..and the Hard drive is a lowly 2.5" notebook spinning at 4200 RPMs. That can be replaced, I think.

[Kent Pribbernow]

Anybody knows a USB-to-PS/2 for it? I already have a KVM! Or is there a cheap 2-port USB KVM that work with a Mac?

The Mac Mini is 629$ cnd, but if I need to get a new USB KVM (and keyboard I guses since my 1st gen MS natural doesn't have USB) it would be too much for something I don't really need... :?

Try Iogear. I'm buying this one for myself:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001BVXI6/qid=1105588210/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/103-9494658-1773453?v=glance&s=electronics

[Phoenix]

...FYI: There is only one DIMM slot and it's not user upgradeable. That means if you don't order the Mini with more RAM now, you'll have to take it to an authorized Apple support center and have them install a new stick.

:roll:

Oh..and the Hard drive is a lowly 2.5" notebook spinning at 4200 RPMs. That can be replaced, I think.

Now that more things are being revealed about it, this offering is just sounding better and better all the time. I just need to make sure I keep telling myself that over and over again. :? I mean, the product is intruiging on some levels, but geez.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Well, for that size, it's clear they're using notebook parts.. hmm, ibook leftovers! There'll be a new ibook this year! You heard it here first! =P

[klinux]

Kent:

Are you sure you do not want to wait for the other Mac sites/people to see how user replaceable the memory is?

The thing is compact and the DIMM slot is jammed somewhere in there but I am sure it can be replaced just like how people figured ways to replace the HD in iBooks, optical drives in eMac, etc.

[Zack Mahdavi]

Kent:

Are you sure you do not want to wait for the other Mac sites/people to see how user replaceable the memory is?

The thing is compact and the DIMM slot is jammed somewhere in there but I am sure it can be replaced just like how people figured ways to replace the HD in iBooks, optical drives in eMac, etc.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. The DIMM isn't soldered onto the board.. instead, it's placed in a standard DIMM slot. Once the Apple service manual turns up (just a matter of days, imo), there will be detailed instructions as to how to replace it. It may be hard to replace (just like replacing a hard drive in an Apple laptop), but I'm sure it's do-able.

[butch]

FYI: There is only one DIMM slot and it's not user upgradeable. That means if you don't order the Mini with more RAM now, you'll have to take it to an authorized Apple support center and have them install a new stick.

Wrong... the RAM and even the Bleutooth/wifi modules are user-replacable :-)
http://www.tuaw.com/entry/1234000917027372/

[mrkablooey]

The poll questions don't pertain to me as I already have three Macs (one is my wife's Titanium Powerbook, in addition to the two listed in my sig). I love my Cube and though I don't use it much anymore (laptops all the way!), it's "only" a 450mhz G4. It's still great for pretty much everything I can throw at it (I upgraded the HD to 80GB from 20GB a year or so ago, and added a GeForce video card around the same time to upgrade that). I've been wondering about a replacement with a bit more speed to it, this might be the thing. I've already got everything to hook up to it, so wouldn't need to worry about that. I'd add Airport/Bluetooth and DVD writer, so it would be just up to $1000. I can hold off on that for now since I use the desktop so little, but might be worth adding another option to the poll. :wink: If I used the desktop more, it would be a good option for "now".

[jlp]

I really believe this machine is aimed at first time buyers who've heard about the Apple's ease of use and some of whom bought an ipod as their first digital device.

They love the ease of use, the great styling and the bundled software has no equivalent as a suite in any of the lower priced PCs.

I think it will be a success like the iMac and the iPod...

I bet Apple's next "coup fourré" will be a digicam (they already had a few models a long time ago but it was too early). They might rebrand an existing device, OEM one or design their own.

I think it's the logical next step...