Got to say totally underwhelmed. And the pricing of it, just don't see where in the market it leaves the computer.
New Mac Mini
- Thread starter cram
- Start date
John Duncan
Well-known member
Yeah, the dearer one is a nice machine but it's, well, dearer. If they stuck a bluray drive in it though, it'd be a hell of a media centre.....
Agreed - Apple have really missed a chance to make a media centre for people who want more than Apple TV has to offer. Can still do a lot with it but at those prices there is just too much competition.
Alec
Well-known member
John Duncan
Well-known member
John Duncan
Well-known member
Agreed, but as an Apple TV replacement they make a bit of sense, seeing as they support VOB format video. The missing HD drive flaws it as an all-in-one media server though.
I like the Mini over ATV because it will play many more video formats (Perian), still has Front Row, it rips, can take external storage, output 24/96, and much more.
However, at £500 at up they're getting a bit pricey. The fore-running model was sometimes available in the Refurb Store for £329, which was a perfect price, IMO.
However, at £500 at up they're getting a bit pricey. The fore-running model was sometimes available in the Refurb Store for £329, which was a perfect price, IMO.
chebby
Well-known member
It's not really £500.
That only gets you a derisory 120GB HD (and 90 days support + limited one year warranty)
To get 320GB HD and Apple Care will make it £775 and you still have to find a keyboard/screen/mouse for it.
A 20" iMac still looks better value with 320GB HD/decent 20" Apple screen/keyboard/mouse as standard. (Although it tops £1100 with Apple Care and a remote control)
Anyway, no-one buys Apple because it is cheap. (Even 2 years ago, our fully specced-up iMac 20" with Apple care was over £1100)
That only gets you a derisory 120GB HD (and 90 days support + limited one year warranty)
To get 320GB HD and Apple Care will make it £775 and you still have to find a keyboard/screen/mouse for it.
A 20" iMac still looks better value with 320GB HD/decent 20" Apple screen/keyboard/mouse as standard. (Although it tops £1100 with Apple Care and a remote control)
Anyway, no-one buys Apple because it is cheap. (Even 2 years ago, our fully specced-up iMac 20" with Apple care was over £1100)
John Duncan
Well-known member
chebby:
It's not really £500.
That only gets you a derisory 120GB HD (and 90 days support + limited one year warranty)
To get 320GB HD and Apple Care will make it £775 and you still have to find a keyboard/screen/mouse for it.
A 20" iMac still looks better value with 320GB HD/decent 20" Apple screen/keyboard/mouse as standard. (Although it tops £1100 with Apple Care and a remote control)
Anyway, no-one buys Apple because it is cheap. (Even 2 years ago, our fully specced-up iMac 20" with Apple care was over £1100)
...but if the Mini is for media centre use one assumes that the owner already has a plasma, and it can all be controlled by Apple IR Remote. A cheap USB keyboard or Screen Share or VNC could be used for rare admin.
It's not really £500.
That only gets you a derisory 120GB HD (and 90 days support + limited one year warranty)
To get 320GB HD and Apple Care will make it £775 and you still have to find a keyboard/screen/mouse for it.
A 20" iMac still looks better value with 320GB HD/decent 20" Apple screen/keyboard/mouse as standard. (Although it tops £1100 with Apple Care and a remote control)
Anyway, no-one buys Apple because it is cheap. (Even 2 years ago, our fully specced-up iMac 20" with Apple care was over £1100)
...but if the Mini is for media centre use one assumes that the owner already has a plasma, and it can all be controlled by Apple IR Remote. A cheap USB keyboard or Screen Share or VNC could be used for rare admin.
manicm
Well-known member
JohnDuncan:Well I certainly didn't buy it for an intuitive operating system
Nor for its glaring lack of knobs...
I honestly think Arcam stole the Mac's design for the Mini, just imagine the Arcam's slot on top...
Nor for its glaring lack of knobs...
I honestly think Arcam stole the Mac's design for the Mini, just imagine the Arcam's slot on top...
Eddie Pound:but if the Mini is for media centre use one assumes that the owner already has a plasma, and it can all be controlled by Apple IR Remote. A cheap USB keyboard or Screen Share or VNC could be used for rare admin.
I think that is the problem though - what is the Mini for? Previous pricing put it in a bracket to tempt PC owners over to the Mac without sacrificing their existing investment in monitor etc. Looking at circa £700 now i can't see people doing that. Which means the only thing the mini has got going for it is the form factor (admitedly nice). But there's nothing really new in the revised spec to tempt me. A blu ray player would have done that.
I think that is the problem though - what is the Mini for? Previous pricing put it in a bracket to tempt PC owners over to the Mac without sacrificing their existing investment in monitor etc. Looking at circa £700 now i can't see people doing that. Which means the only thing the mini has got going for it is the form factor (admitedly nice). But there's nothing really new in the revised spec to tempt me. A blu ray player would have done that.
I still want to see one of these to hooked up to a arcam solo mini. they would look so nice together and would for a really nice mini htpc system witha smallish TV. can someone please find a pic of these togther!
Certainly agree with the posts on here re the lack of Blu Ray drive.
It's a huge, missed opportunity and Apple's pricing makes it hard to justify buying it as you could spec up a fully fledged all sining all dancing HTPC for that money with more power.
I did just want to say though that you could use Bootcamp, install Vista, hook up an external BD Rom drive and have your BluRay playback. If no HDCP handshake exists via the Displayport output then AnyDVD will solve that problem... just shame that's this solution is still further expensve and another box - though still a small footprint.
It's a huge, missed opportunity and Apple's pricing makes it hard to justify buying it as you could spec up a fully fledged all sining all dancing HTPC for that money with more power.
I did just want to say though that you could use Bootcamp, install Vista, hook up an external BD Rom drive and have your BluRay playback. If no HDCP handshake exists via the Displayport output then AnyDVD will solve that problem... just shame that's this solution is still further expensve and another box - though still a small footprint.
The_Lhc
Well-known member
I was in the Apple store in Exeter yesterday looking at one (eventually, walked past it three times cos some lardy chav was standing in front of it...), it'd look great sitting next the Sonos ZP90 on my rack but then for £649, maybe not, I'll get a twin drive NAS of some sort and have more storage and redundancy I think.
What does the Apple Time Capsule do? I glanced at one briefly but didn't take it in, only started thinking about it later.
What does the Apple Time Capsule do? I glanced at one briefly but didn't take it in, only started thinking about it later.
John Duncan
Well-known member
the_lhc:What does the Apple Time Capsule do? I glanced at one briefly but didn't take it in, only started thinking about it later.
It's an expensive, pretty backup device.
It's an expensive, pretty backup device.
Pleeeeeezze, forget the new one. Pointless. Bang on about Blu-ray? - DVD is still too much the big guy I'm afraid, and will be for some time. Mac Mini is one of those things that shouldn't be good, but is.What operations do you see a machine like this performing? Exactly. I want it to sit next to my TV looking particularly pretty compared to the alternative PC response, in the knowledge that I bought a Mac Mini for the same price a stoopid Apple TV costs.
I can clearly see how you can mock the new prices but the Mac Mini has a place. The Apple TV is a drone incomparison.
I can clearly see how you can mock the new prices but the Mac Mini has a place. The Apple TV is a drone incomparison.
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