# New Stuff on 28th



## Quietly (Feb 28, 2006)

1) Mac Mini. Same form-factor, single & dual Intel versions.

Has Front Row which has new function - ability to share iTunes library through subnetwork. Oh, and Photots & Videos too!

2) As predicted, iPod HiFi. Oh, and iPod cases.

3) Er, there wasn't a number 3. That was it.


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## Mikuro (Feb 28, 2006)

Too bad it's more expensive than before.  Is the Mini going to go the way of the iMac now? (i.e., a cheap, basic system that slowly becomes an expensive, feature-rich beast.) Already I feel like Apple's created a void at the low end that they need to fill.


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## Quietly (Feb 28, 2006)

Here we go again. The mini goes up by $100 in the US, so what's the increase in the UK? That's right £80! That'd be $140 if you were wondering...


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## Mikuro (Feb 28, 2006)

Another disappointment: apparently it has no graphics card. They're pulling the same "shared system memory" nonsense that Dell's been doing for years. That can't be good. Or has Intel seriously improved their integrated graphics with this new generation?

I can't find any word on whether this support Quartz Extreme (I would assume so), Core Image (I hope so...) or the fabled Quartz 2D Extreme. If anyone finds this info, please share.


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## Convert (Feb 28, 2006)

Hey, $99 for a leather case?

One word: LOL!


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## ScottW (Feb 28, 2006)

I am slightly disappointed in the price and agree with the above in the aspect that a void still exists. 499 and 599 would have been great. I could live w/o the remote control... have no use for it.


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## simbalala (Feb 28, 2006)

Did they do anything about the speed of the internal disk access?


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## mw84 (Feb 28, 2006)

Isn't that top end mini now getting around the same price the Emac was but without the screen and peripherals?  I know it's supposed to be 4 times faster and have some flash new software but, eh I don't know. 

It would be nice if they introduced some 'low end' screen at around £250-300 to go with that mini. Either way all the prices in the range seem to have jumped up a bit, glad I got my Imac when it would still be considered cheap compared to what's on offer now. Does anyone think there will be a fall in these prices once the whole line is converted to intel?


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## Lt Major Burns (Feb 28, 2006)

an entire keynote to anounce basically a speedbump to the mac mini?

was there anything else?


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## Quietly (Feb 28, 2006)

Lt Major Burns said:
			
		

> an entire keynote to anounce basically a speedbump to the mac mini?
> 
> was there anything else?



Though to be honest, Apple haven't made a big deal of this announcement - they invited people at short notice and haven't publicised it. I guess it's just us all wanting something BIG, as usual


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## Trip (Feb 28, 2006)

How disappointing. That "boombox" doesn't even look like an apple product, more like a kid made it in woods class and put his iPod dock in it.

BUT, I have faith in Apple. They've found ways to shock and awe even the most loyal fans. Maybe they just did a "minor release" show to make us all feel crappy, but in a few days (weeks? months?) we'll all be out of our pants with excitement on something new.


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## nixgeek (Feb 28, 2006)

This is a MAJOR disappointment.  They upped the price on both the low and high end model of the Mac mini, and they've removed the discrete graphics from the devices.  MAJOR disappointment.  For something like this, I wouldn't pay more than 500 bucks for a Mac mini with shared graphics, and that's in reference to the dual-core CPU.  The Reality Distortion Field is losing its grip slowly and surely.  Usually I'm on Apple's side when it comes to their hardware, but this is ridiculous.

I'm hoping that the April 1st event will be a better showing, if there's anything to show.


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## baldprof (Feb 28, 2006)

Trip said:
			
		

> How disappointing. That "boombox" doesn't even look like an apple product, more like a kid made it in woods class and put his iPod dock in it.
> 
> BUT, I have faith in Apple. They've found ways to shock and awe even the most loyal fans. Maybe they just did a "minor release" show to make us all feel crappy, but in a few days (weeks? months?) we'll all be out of our pants with excitement on something new.




It could have been much worse. Just check out this.


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## Lt Major Burns (Feb 28, 2006)

the mac mini is now the same price as an ibook.  which does of course already have a keyboard, a screen and a pointing device, as well as a proper graphics card.


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## mw84 (Feb 28, 2006)

For now. You can guarantee once the ibook is switched to intel the price will be stacked up, my guess is £899 (hopefully not with the same integrated graphics the new mini has).


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## fryke (Feb 28, 2006)

Hm. Maybe there'll be a Celeron version as the ultra-low-end Mac mini once Yonah-based Celerons become available? I guess they really just wanted to move the mini to intel as quickly as possible - but intel so far hasn't switched to the new core(s) for consumer-price products, really. Hence the 599 USD Mac mini entry point right now...

How is this the same price of an iBook, btw.?! I don't quite see that. Ah, you mean the _highend_ Mac mini. But that's quite a different beast processor-wise. So don't comare them just yet...

The boombox? Yawn. Not for me.


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## Lt Major Burns (Feb 28, 2006)

i've just realised... wasn't the iBook meant to be comparable to the iMac? and the powerbook comparable to the Powermac?

what happened?


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## eric2006 (Feb 28, 2006)

The boom-box is 349 for an iPod player and an input jack..

Does that seem a little much to anyone else?

I guess thats what you pay for high-quality sound.. but, hey, thats almost as much as the high-end iPod video! Even a low-end refurb mini, perhaps. Thats Apple for you..


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## symphonix (Feb 28, 2006)

I'm really quite unimpressed with the Boombox. I can't really imagine a market demographic that would actually buy the Boombox. Only one aux input? Can't be used as an actual iPod dock? Has the volume control as a couple of buttons? And as for "Hi-fi your home", well hardly. Don't most homes in Apple's potential markets have a TV set, a video or DVD player, and so on? I just think they haven't thought of what this *could* easily be. I also don't like how the iPod sort of perches on top, where it looks really vulnerable and out of place.

As for the Mac mini, its a nice update, thanks for the extra couple of USB ports, but come on Apple, you're supposed to be trying to bring the mini _down_ in price. Thats what the mini is _for_.


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## Ifrit (Mar 2, 2006)

> Intel GMA950 graphics



I am impressed that this device actually supports core image/video applications. (front row is using core image etc.) Shared memory, I'll pass this one up. Hopefully the next iBook model features "dedicated" video RAM.


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## Ripcord (Mar 2, 2006)

simbalala said:
			
		

> Did they do anything about the speed of the internal disk access?



No, it looks like it's the same hard drive unfortunately.  And let me tell you, that has a MAJOR impact on the perceived speed of the Mini.


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## RGrphc2 (Mar 2, 2006)

The Intel Graphics chip is actually a step up from the previous Radeon 9200 found in the G4 Mini's.

I think that the Intergrated Chip does suck.  But because of the form-factor/size of th mini it actually works out better, because now we can have a 2nd RAM slot and up to 2GB of RAM in it.

I'm trying my hardest right now not to buy one and smash my Dell PC.


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## Lt Major Burns (Mar 2, 2006)

smash the dell.  take photos of it.


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## Ifrit (Mar 2, 2006)

> No, it looks like it's the same hard drive unfortunately. And let me tell you, that has a MAJOR impact on the perceived speed of the Mini.



I have to agree. Yesterday I replaced the internal 40GB HD of my mac mini G4 with a Samsung 80GB 7200RPM HD. It really feels much snappier, most applications launch within one bounce and the additional HD space is a blessing. 

I just wonder why Apple insists to keep the 40GB HD. The new mac minis come with iLife, so give the user some space and performance to actually do something. The iLife suite already uses around 10GB and the OS most likley another 2 - 4 GB, so half of the HD space is alrady used up. 40GB just feels so 2002.


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## mdnky (Mar 2, 2006)

Ripcord said:
			
		

> No, it looks like it's the same hard drive unfortunately.



They did up it to a 5400 RPM model drive (was 4200 RPM).  The bean counters must have thought 7200 RPM models were too much extra cost.


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## RGrphc2 (Mar 2, 2006)

Lt Major Burns said:
			
		

> smash the dell.  take photos of it.



When i get my mac mini, i'm destroying it...worse than the dude who did smashmyxbox.com

my dell + baseball bat + roof + tire iron = smashy smahy

too bad i just got my Canon i9900 so i'm pretty much broke now for a time.  But when i do smash it i'll be putting it up on YouTube or Putfile


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