MacSA said:
This "most people dont need a fast chip" is nonsense, the core solo mini is just emabarrassing now, even Apple dont have ANY solo minis out on display in stores. All the reviews and tests showed hardly any improvement over the 1.5ghz G4 Mini. If they cut the price of the core solo mini £100 it might be worth it - MIGHT.
I didn't say "most"--I said "some"--which is the truth.
However, from the tests I have seen, single-core Yonah IS a very fast chip, faster than a G4 Mini. It depends on the task of course. But regardless, for low-end buyers, a G4 Mini was adequate power to begin with, and still is. (In fact, almost every Mac user I know has less than a 1.5Ghz G4--thanks to the long useful life of a Mac--and that includes some professionals doing graphics work.)
The point is that for SOME people, a cheaper Mac is more important than having dual processor cores. This is the model that sets the minimum entry barrier for becoming a Mac user.
So you really can't say that Core Solo is for nobody, or "embarrassing." Not many months ago, it could outrun most laptops in the world!
I'd recommend a US$499 Core Solo Mac in a hearbeat--and a lot of people (not "most") would gladly take it instead of a $599 or $699 64-bit Core 2 Duo--or even a $549 Core Duo Yonah. $500 is a magic price point in some consumers' minds, and I think Apple would do well to reach it again.
EDIT: I run my business from a machine slower than Core Solo--and I'm far from alone