New Mac Mini - with HDMI

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There was I bemoaning the lack of HD support on the Mac Mini and lo and behold, this morning: the new Mac Mini - with HDMI. Already on the Apple Store in the US: click

Faster processor, 8x SuperDisk DVD/CD combo drive, but no integrated BD drive.

Interestingly, the Apple TV has disappeared from the storefront...

EDIT: Here is the link for the UK Apple site: click - from £649 £510, £929 £816 for server version without optical drive

EDIT2: New feature - removable bottom panel, giving user access to upgrade the DIMMs for more memory.

EDIT3: Price changed to reflect updated (reduced price) on UK site - undone as website now changed back!

 

[AlmaataKZ]

Interesting!

Would access be easier for replacing the HDD with SSD? that would be a nice quite server!

 

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AlmaataKZ:
Interesting!

Would access be easier for replacing the HDD with SSD? that would be a nice quite server!

The cover off photo in the gallery shows the the easy-to-access single dimm slot (so throw out old memory, get new to upgrade).

Not much sign of disk access and SSD not an option on Apple store for Mac Mini...

 

[AlmaataKZ]

Just checked out your links, thanks for the heads up.

Looks very nice! Slimmer than before, SD slot (useful).

 

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Yes, it does look pretty nice. SD slot is very useful.

Wonder if this is a nail in the coffin for the Apple TV, in its current form, as this seems to subsume most of its niche...

Wonder if Apple have missed a trick with no BluRay support - or wonder if this is coming later. Or maybe they're just trying to push people to online iTunes-base HD movies download (blurb seems to suggest this). That way they get a bigger cut of the (apple) pie - which is what they seem to like and be so good at doing. I suspect, they may well be parking their tanks on the movies download lawn...

 

[AlmaataKZ]

Indeed...

What I would love to see from apple (or anybody else) is a MacMini with SSD options, full (not just firewire) support for high sampling rates (192) and auto sample rate switching in itunes and option for full-rez ALAC from itunes store! That woudl be really great!

 

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Update: The price has changed on the UK Apple store...

Mac Mini now quoted from £510

Mac Mini server from £816

(Things moving fast... will edit original post)

Edit: Apple! The front page on the UK store quotes from £510 or £816 for server, but clicking on the online store puts the price up to my originally quoted figure of £649 or £929... Not sure which is right now!

 

[SnowyJohn]

How are you seeing that scene!? Do you have a secret portal to the apple store to bypass that 'updating our website' page us mere mortals receive?

 

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SnowyJohn:How are you seeing that scene!? Do you have a secret portal to the apple store to bypass that 'updating our website' page us mere mortals receive?

No, I wish I did! I think Apple are getting themselves a bit tied up, as the Apple Store seems to be going up and down like a yo-yo. The price on the Apple UK Mac Mini front page has returned to £649 and £929 again... I think they're are having fun working out exchange rates and versions of the website, so keep taking it down to update...

 

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Aah - I see that WHFS&V has got their news story up now: click

OK - I think this covers the over bits I hadn't mentioned to date (NVidia graphics card, built in Airport Express wireless N, Core 2 duo)

This states the price as £650 / £929, so it seems as if the £510 / £816 were to good to be true stuff ups on Apple's part....

 

[SnowyJohn]

£510 would have been a treat.

 

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SnowyJohn:£510 would have been a treat.

Agreed - would have definitely considered instead of a WHS-based PC for ripping at that price (might even have have coped with lack of BluRay disc!)

Stupid $ to £ exchange rates again... $699 = £649 and $999 = $929 - that's a rate of about £1 = $1.08, hmmm.

 

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BTW: Apparently the Apple UK store is/was down as everybody was trying to pre-order their iPhone 4s...

 

[Anonymous]

Looking at the specs this had two RAM slots that can take up to 8Gb and it has optical in and out. Put sSongbird on this and Hi-Res FLAC and you have a humdinger of a front end. I already have the optical out of my Mac Laptop hooked up to the DAC and playing 24bit FLAC from B&W's Society of Sound sound magical - plus you get to browse the web through your Hi-Def TV - excellent!

 

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Yes sounds interesting. Still a shame there's no Bluray - would rather spoil its looks to put an external one on it.

(Oops - missed the 2nd Ram slot when looking at specs earlier)

I'm seriously considering this for a ripper / media streamer... Shame you can't get an SSD for it, to really ensure it's quiet...

 

[WishTree]

Just ordered one on impulse. Should be getting the delivery, hopefully, by Friday. Will write my impressions once I get it.

Tired of PS3 as well as Apple TV lack of full support to various AV formats, fan noises etc. I hope to get all the issues sorted out with Mac Mini + Front Row.

 

[landzw]

Just a thought on using a mac mini and being able to play stuff of itunes on your tv . Why aren't apple willing to let all itunes users to download HD films for our viewing ? All films are still embedded with a DRM and even if you remove the DRM codec your account is embedded to the download so they can check on you if you start to do things you shouldn't .

So why Apple will you not let us download HD movies of itunes ? Just think you would sell lots more films

 

[Anonymous]

landzw:
So why Apple will you not let us download HD movies of itunes ? Just think you would sell lots more films

Depends on the deals they can strike with the movie studios. At the moment, the studios are content to allow HD (720p) rentals via iTunes, but not many are willing to let Apple provide purchases.

The studios make more money with Blu-ray, plus they're reluctant to throw their weight behind the whole 'internet fad' ! :-(

 

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Well I looked and thought about the new Mac Mini and after much thought, especially as the Mini has no BluRay - find that really hard to believe - and the price - typical Apple mark-up, I went for the Dell Zino. It arrived a few days ago and I haven't had a lot of time to play with it. It seems quite a good little PC and it cost several £100 less than the Mac - with a BluRay drive (+ CD/DVD re-writer)...

 

[SnowyJohn]

One deterrent for me is knowing how all OS X-based devices interact with one another very well and very easily, whereas the opposite is true for Windows based devices. Microsoft has been all over the place with their OS over the last decade and the lack on continuity has resulted in a lack of compatibility. Heaven knows what will happen after Windows 7... Windows Snow Leopard wouldn't surprise me.

Because I have an iPhone, Time Capsule and MBP and hate my windows based work machine, I have physiologically attached a value in sticking with the same brand of computing device... kinda like sticking with the a single-manufacturer combo for tv & blu ray. Or CDP and Amp...

 

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SnowyJohn:
One deterrent for me is knowing how all OS X-based devices interact with one another very well and very easily, whereas the opposite is true for Windows based devices. Microsoft has been all over the place with their OS over the last decade and the lack on continuity has resulted in a lack of compatibility. Heaven knows what will happen after Windows 7... Windows Snow Leopard wouldn't surprise me.

Because I have an iPhone, Time Capsule and MBP and hate my windows based work machine, I have physiologically attached a value in sticking with the same brand of computing device... kinda like sticking with the a single-manufacturer combo for tv & blu ray. Or CDP and Amp...

If i'd already got an iPhone/Pod/Mac I'd have probably gone Mac Mini - but I haven't, so I didn't.

Also I really, really like MyMovies + AnyDVD HD - and the lack of support for Back Row on the Mac Mini is another miss for me (along with the lack of BluRay).

 

[SnowyJohn]

... let me reiterate a point I was trying to make above, for fear of sounding too much like a 'fan boy'...

basically, my personal computer is an os-x based machine and will be for a long time if things stay the same. Throwing a windows based device (like a media pc) just makes things more difficult. As far as I can tell, OS-X has made a lot of effort in bridging the compatibility gap (as windows had the market share this is understandable), but Windows Vista could barely recognise a USB stick... I would imagine integrating with OS-X machines is far further down the priority list for Microsoft than the opposite for Apple.

 

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SnowyJohn:
... let me reiterate a point I was trying to make above, for fear of sounding too much like a 'fan boy'...

basically, my personal computer is an os-x based machine and will be for a long time if things stay the same. Throwing a windows based device (like a media pc) just makes things more difficult. As far as I can tell, OS-X has made a lot of effort in bridging the compatibility gap (as windows had the market share this is understandable), but Windows Vista could barely recognise a USB stick... I would imagine integrating with OS-X machines is far further down the priority list for Microsoft than the opposite for Apple.

I agree with you SJ, and don't worry, you don't sound like an "Apple fanboi", just a pragmatic person who has weighed up the options. If I'd got a whole load of OS-X kit, I'd have looked at another piece of OS-X kit to do my streaming...

 

[SnowyJohn]

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MyMovies + AnyDVD HD - and the lack of support for Back Row on the Mac Mini is another miss for me (along with the lack of BluRay).

what does all of this mean?

although I totally agree with the BluRay thing... I suppose, ATM BluRay disks are only really used for retail movies which doesn't necessarily mean it's required on a personal computer but seeing as the new Mac Mini has HDMI, which would suggest Apple are entering the media center market, then surely BluRay (or atleast the option) is a must.

I've been thinking about replacing my MBP with an iMac as my main computer, and apparently they are due a re-vamp - I can only hope a BluRay drive will come, although I highly doubt it. Seemingly, the only means of BluRay would be to settle with the iMac + KanXD + PS3.

 

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SnowyJohn:scene:
MyMovies + AnyDVD HD - and the lack of support for Back Row on the Mac Mini is another miss for me (along with the lack of BluRay).

what does all of this mean?

although I totally agree with the BluRay thing... I suppose, ATM BluRay disks are only really used for retail movies which doesn't necessarily mean it's required on a personal computer but seeing as the new Mac Mini has HDMI, which would suggest Apple are entering the media center market, then surely BluRay (or atleast the option) is a must.

I've been thinking about replacing my MBP with an iMac as my main computer, and apparently they are due a re-vamp - I can only hope a BluRay drive will come, although I highly doubt it. Seemingly, the only means of BluRay would be to settle with the iMac + KanXD + PS3.

Having looked at the Apple TV, I thought the Back Row software was a really good interface to your stored media, with bookmarks, etc. Front Row just didn't seem as good (IMO). However, having said that, rumours of a revamped Apple TV as pretty much a phoneless iPhone or padless iPad have re-surfaced again. Basically the Apple TV stripped down to be a pure media player, with an HDMI port, not much memory and (allegedly) a $99 price tag... Now that sort of makes sense as I can't see where the current version of the Apple TV fits with the new Mac Mini.

And I think Apple are studiously avoiding BluRay because they are parking the iTune tanks in the nascent HD film download garden...