Apple Store is down

Mac mini, $599/£499:
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB memory
120GB hard drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics

Mac mini, $799/£640:
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB memory
320GB hard drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics

+ iLife included in both models
 
The Mac Pro is using Nehalem-based Xeons, so that's definitely of interest. Other than that, it's just the same-ol' Core 2 Duo on the iMac as far as I can tell.

I do like that the Mac mini did get upgraded. It was WAY overdo for it.
 
The MacBooks also have been upgraded (new SSD options), as well as the MacBook Pro (new SSD options).

Also of interest is that the keyboards included with the iMacs are wired versions of the keyboard that lacks a numeric keypad. The Mac Pro's default keyboard is a wired keyboard WITH a numeric keypad.

Both keypad-less and keypad-full wired keyboards are offered as options on most Apple computers now.

Before anyone goes crying to mommy about this, be aware that you can "upgrade" your wired, numeric keypad-less keyboard to a wired keyboard WITH a numeric keypad for the low, low price of $0.00.

Still no wireLESS keyboard WITH a numeric keypad, though, for those who were wondering.
 
ElDiabloConCaca said:
The MacBooks also have been upgraded (new SSD options), as well as the MacBook Pro (new SSD options).

Also of interest is that the keyboards included with the iMacs are wired versions of the keyboard that lacks a numeric keypad. The Mac Pro's default keyboard is a wired keyboard WITH a numeric keypad.

Both keypad-less and keypad-full wired keyboards are offered as options on most Apple computers now.

Before anyone goes crying to mommy about this, be aware that you can "upgrade" your wired, numeric keypad-less keyboard to a wired keyboard WITH a numeric keypad for the low, low price of $0.00.

Still no wireLESS keyboard WITH a numeric keypad, though, for those who were wondering.
Click to expand...

Bummer on that last one.... :(
 
chevy said:
It cannot be worse than the mighty mouse... the idea was great but the realization is not perfect. Only the round mouse was worse.
Click to expand...

Well, and therein lies the problem with design as a whole. One man's trash is another's treasure.

I quite like the Mighty Mouse design -- it's comfortable for me, easy to use, feature-packed, and the scroll ball works quite well in my opinion. You, on the other hand, do not like it. So which one of us is "right?"

I'll tell you who's right: I am. ;)

...and in your head, you're right, and I'm wrong. So now we're back at square one. It's all opinion, and Apple can't please everyone -- but they do please the vast majority, which is what they should be doing. Pleasing only the minority isn't profitable.
 
I like the functionality of the mighty mouse. But I had lots of problems with the mini-ball until I found how to clean it with a simple sheet of paper. A good design doesn't let you think that you product is dead.

And the white style is just too old now that the Apple product line is aluminium and glass.
 
icemanjc said:
I was hoping they would go to a better design with the keys.
Click to expand...

There's something wrong with the keys? I think the KB on my 20" iMac 2.66GHz is the best KB I have ever had. Although I have been using a PC for over 6 years and am finally back to the Mac. Maybe I am missing something? :confused:
 
slrman said:
There's something wrong with the keys? I think the KB on my 20" iMac 2.66GHz is the best KB I have ever had. Although I have been using a PC for over 6 years and am finally back to the Mac. Maybe I am missing something? :confused:
Click to expand...

My problem is that they use the laptop keyboard keys. Which for me tend to brake off easily. That is why I preferred the old keyboard.
 
ElDiabloConCaca said:
I quite like the Mighty Mouse design -- it's comfortable for me, easy to use, feature-packed, and the scroll ball works quite well in my opinion. You, on the other hand, do not like it. So which one of us is "right?"

I'll tell you who's right: I am. ;)
Click to expand...

But do you really prefer the "virtual" second button? Maybe you really do like it, in which case you're exactly right, it's just opinion. But so far the best I've heard anyone say about it is that it's tolerable. "It's not that big a deal" or "you get used to it eventually". I've never heard anyone say "it's better than a normal button".

As for the scroll ball, I rather like it -- it's a bit small, but the precision is nice. I can understand someone not liking it, but it certainly has its advantages.


As for the actual updates, I'm very happy with the Mini update. FireWire 800 surprised me. And apparently it supports two monitors now (haven't confirmed that, just heard it elsewhere). Thumbs-up for me.

Edit: Yeah, the Mini does support multiple monitors according the the tech specs.
 
The move to the small keyboard (sans numpad) as _standard_ will be authorized resellers' hell, I'm sorry to say. While the small keyboard looks good in photos (makes the iMacs seem larger, heh...), my guess is that over 90% of people will prefer the numpad-version. Which means that people will want to change from the default which means CTOs. CTOs don't have stock protection (I'm sure Apple's own stores don't have that problem), which means that the _next_ time Apple changes the lineup, we'll either sit on old machines, lose money or we'll just have to buy standard machines and replace the mini-keyboards with bigger ones, which means we'll end up with tons of small keyboards that we'd need to sell those with Mac minis. But because Apple doesn't give resellers much headroom on the keyboards, we won't be able to lower the price for those much, which means that Mac mini customers will opt for the default keyboard as well. Darn you, Apple.

That said: We'll sell a lot of those inexpensive 24" iMacs now.
 
Not good from my point of view. Great for the average home user, but 24" iMacs still retail well over the £1000 mark here in the UK. Trouble for me is although it has slightly higher specifications the entry level Mac Pro I was considering is now going to cost me an additional £200.

While not disputing the quality of the hardware you would think in such economically troubled times Apple like all companies would be trying to keep end user costs down rather than pushing them up, and before you mention it I know the exchange rate hasn't helped, but we have historically paid more here in the UK than US users.

It is hard for me to persuade our corporation that a switch to Macs would be good when they see them cost 50-80% more than a PC when funding is tight.
 
Tommo's point about marketing more expensive products during a recession is valid. The basic Mac Mini has risen in cost in the UK by 25%.

However, the UK and Ireland have been rip-off states for many years. We pay more for consumables than most of our European neighbours.

Comparison with US prices for the new Mac Mini suggests that UK and Irish purchasers are paying 15% more than their US counterparts for the same product.
 
Hasn't that always been the case for _any_ countries outside the USA? Seems to me it's always been 10-20% above the price US Americans have to pay. The 599 USD Mac mini should be 705 CHF right now, but it costs 799 CHF. That's about 13% as well.

(They probably just go about it like this: "It'd be 704.50 CHF. But we can't make it 699 CHF or we'll lose more than 5 CHF per machine. 799 is a nice number.")
 
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