Bored and Disappointed with Apple computers

[miniConvert]

By putting in much wider markers as it were in terms of performance and pushing you into buying a machine beyond your immediate requirements if you're at all unsure, Apple have more satisfied customers. It's pretty simple.

I think that's a pretty good point. I'd go even further and say that Apple have made their lineup so it's deliberately not about the hardware, but more what you can do with the machine. They pitch their products at different areas, be it iLife or pro apps, and make damn sure that the product is more than capable at excelling in that area.

The move to Intel has made it much harder to justify the hardware we're paying for in some instances, of course. But if we look at the whole product, as I believe most typical Apple customers do, then the particular chipset or processor used is very insignificant.

 

[PlaceofDis]

True but we've been hearing stories of a radical new industrial design. Give it a bit more depth and get the 'bigger bits" in is my thinking. How long has it been now.... 7 or 8 months without an update/price cut? Rumours persist in it being another 2 months before we can expect anything. this is scandalous. It's just like the PPC days.

scandalous? really? again, what're they supposed to update?
if they were to drop prices they'd just have to raise 'em again when the updates come, so rather than juggle the price they keep it set. makes sense there. and there currently is no better chip to go into the iMac/Macbooks/MBPs, the mini only has a CD and not a C2D, but again its not going to step on the toes of the flagship iMac.

Intel hasn't released new chips and you can't expect them to do so every 3-5 montsh or even every 6 months. its just unrealistic.

 

[Sesshi]

True but we've been hearing stories of a radical new industrial design. Give it a bit more depth and get the 'bigger bits" in is my thinking. How long has it been now.... 7 or 8 months without an update/price cut? Rumours persist in it being another 2 months before we can expect anything. this is scandalous. It's just like the PPC days.

Well think about it this way. In two months you'll be going "OMFG!!! I want it! It's so much better than anything else!!!!" regardless of the specifics of what is in it - as long as it looks very different and is a bit more up to date

And everyone else tries to do the same thing Miniconvert, but with the competition they don't have the luxury of being able to leave such gaps in the product lineup. And after all you should know all about being unsure what to buy then bitching about it later - you actually bought a Nocona Dell Precision

 

[Queso]

Well think about it this way. In two months you'll be going "OMFG!!! I want it! It's so much better than anything else!!!!" regardless of the specifics of what is in it - as long as it looks very different and is a bit more up to date

Normally when they change the form factor there's a big jump in internal performance too. Whether they will this time though remains to be seen.

 

[Henri Gaudier]

I stand by the scandal remark. Apple chose it's partners and their "Road Map" and the designs that wont house the innards of the present more powerful chips.

Since the advent of commercial computing, machine revisions bring more power and cheaper prices. Apple/Intel are putting on a poor show in this regard. The lines are long over due a refresh and there is none in sight. If they wait for Leopard it will be a year. Surely that's the longest wait there's ever been for a revision?

 

[PlaceofDis]

I stand by the scandal remark. Apple chose it's partners and their "Road Map" and the designs that wont house the innards of the present more powerful chips.

Since the advent of commercial computing, machine revisions bring more power and cheaper prices. Apple/Intel are putting on a poor show in this regard. The lines are long over due a refresh and there is none in sight. If they wait for Leopard it will be a year. Surely that's the longest wait there's ever been for a revision?

Apple chose Intel because well IBM was doing nothing for the PowerPC chips that Apple was using. otherwise we'd still be waiting to hit 3Ghz on the G5s with minute power reduction. the C2D chips that they use do a great job for their market. i don't see what the problem is. Santa Rosa is supposed to be released this month, iirc, so we'll start to see updates.

Intel is sticking to their roadmap and is doing a lot more than Motorola or IBM was doing. i don't see a problem.

i still don't know what updates they could do before now or before Santa Rosa starts shipping?

 

[Henri Gaudier]

Hi PlaceofDis,

The Mini? Well that's obvious ..C2D but not to the same spec as the iMac and for the iMac make the 2.33 optional extra the standard. Maybe OC just a tad.
ie. 2.1 and 2.4 machines. Put in 1 x 1gig RAM instead of 2 x 512 for environmental reasons and nip €50/75 off the price. Not a bad intermediate "tickle" to a line that may not see a revision for a year. Hard Drives are getting cheaper too so why not 250 & 320 rather than 160 & 250? If that had happened a few months ago they'd be receiving less stick now.

Anyway, enough! I've got work to do. Out of one window there's a cuckoo and out of the other I can hear a woodpecker. I can't think for all this peace and quiet and Mac discussions too. Now ... where was I?

 

[PlaceofDis]

Hi PlaceofDis,

The Mini? Well that's obvious ..C2D but not to the same spec as the iMac and for the iMac make the 2.33 optional extra the standard. Maybe OC just a tad.
ie. 2.1 and 2.4 machines. Put in 1 x 1gig RAM instead of 2 x 512 for environmental reasons and nip €50/75 off the price. Not a bad intermediate "tickle" to a line that may not see a revision for a year. Hard Drives are getting cheaper too so why not 250 & 320 rather than 160 & 250? If that had happened a few months ago they'd be receiving less stick now.

Anyway, enough! I've got work to do. Out of one window there's a cuckoo and out of the other I can hear a woodpecker. I can't think for all this peace and quiet and Mac discussions too. Now ... where was I?

with the MacMini, i can see and understand your points entirely. i think its too weak for its price. but like i said, its not Apple's flagship line and i think they use it more as a lure than anything else. or a starting point if you will.

i'm sure when the next proc revision comes for it you'll see a decent amount of those changes you mentioned incorporated too. but they won't be able to go that big with the drive, it has a notebook drive in there i believe. so that maxes out at 200gb right now.

 

[someguy]

Release machines with upgraded specs too frequently and people complain that they should've waited to buy, or do wait forever to buy and become bored and buy a PC.

Release machines with upgraded specs too infrequently and people complain that Apple is slacking, or focusing on less important products (funny that everyone seems to know what Apple should be doing - where is your billion-dollar business?).

Either way, some people are just never satisfied and will find a reason to bitch and complain.

I'm happy just being... well... happy with what I have. I guess everyone sees things differently.