At ~$100 more than the previous down grade option (2 X 2.0 dual core ) I hardly think so.
x3100 graphics would be a huge improvement but I'd still like to see a dedicated GPU in the mini and at least a 2.4 C2D option.
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Hole in Mac lineup?
- Thread starter TheMadBrewer
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At ~$100 more than the previous down grade option (2 X 2.0 dual core ) I hardly think so.
x3100 graphics would be a huge improvement but I'd still like to see a dedicated GPU in the mini and at least a 2.4 C2D option.
My guess is because the mobile CPUs run cooler and this allows Apple to use then in the smaller Mac Mini and iMac cases.
that thing is disgusting.... even worse that many of the cheaper PCs I have seen on the market.
I like the concept, but just give the mini tower guys and gals a Mac Pro with missing slots like the single core G5 of the day.
That would be nice, but seeing how much they jacked up the price for the modded MacBook I would hate to see them with a Mac Pro in their hands.
First off, I am not an Apple fanboy. I'm a Linux nerd. You need to chill.
OK, no technology itself is not slow to change. Consumer's minds are slow to change. That includes Apple people, PC people, and Linux people.
Take for example the MacBook Air. Everyone is in a tizzy because, heaven forbid, it doesn't have an optical drive. Apple was going for the portable factor over everything else. For people who travel, how often do people install software on the road? That's about all I ever use an optical drive for.
(And burning, but I don't take my spindle of blanks on the road to use either.)
Now, I don't think "Jobs can do no wrong." I think that's Apple's problem, that they scare people away -- the superdrive should not have been a hundred dollar add on, but rather included. Just like the way Apple needs a mid tower. It eases transitions and makes it easier to justify switching.
Take my roommate's girlfriend for example. She's a PC user. She says she just wants something that just works, no fuss. Even to her, the obvious choice is OS X. However, she already has a monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc, and cant justify spending the extra money to buy those items again (in an AOI.) Most apple fanboys would say she needs a mini. However, simply based on the mini's size, she wont buy it, because she has nowhere to put it. (She's got one of those computer desks, where the tower goes by her feet.) She doesn't want to put the mini down there, as she's afraid she'll break it. A consumer tower would be perfect.
Apple people are just as bad. Many think that if it isn't an all in one, it's garbage. That is not true. My Linux boxes that sit under the desk have far less clutter around them than my laptop (PowerBook G4, the battery's fried, so it's essentially like any AOI.) And since I can put the HDD's inside my Linux boxes, there's no clutter that way. If Apple would put those same trays that they use in the Mac Pro in a consumer tower, even people like my roommate's girlfriend would use internal drives --they're cheaper than externals too.
For the so stated "prosumer," a consumer tower makes great sense. It should allow the use of two matte screens, for any photo hobbyests that would rather spend their money on the camera than the Mac Pro to process the images. Additionally, many people use the mini as a media server. It's not really quite cut out to do that, mostly based off of HDD space, and expandability. The consumer tower would be great for people looking for a home server. (Again, those who do not want to go broke for an Xserve or a Mac Pro) And because it will be just as fast as any computer accessing it (for a while) it won't slow people down any more than the network.
Change is slow did not imply that Apple always does things first. It's saying that people want what they want. Apple can't dictate what consumer's want by only selling what they think consumers should want.
Now, Apple did get that chip for the MacBook Air first.
Now, apparently you didn't read the whole post, as I said I'd rather see it in aluminum, a la a smaller Mac Pro.
Look at the internals. They seem to represent the same internals as the Mac Pro, but fewer in number and a smaller board. That what I was getting at.
Bigger cases cost more money. If consumers will never fill up the case, why pay for all that extra aluminum?
Oh... I really didn't get that far. I opened the link, saw the first photo and was back to reply to it.
The specs are nice but I think three things could change.
Take out the second optical drive.
Take out two PCI slots, (leave only two).
Take out the $1000 price and replace it with a $1500 price tag.
That would be more reasonable.
Right, I'm not saying that thing is perfect, I'm sure market research would be necessary. The main thing I'm going for is to make the hardware ease of the Mac Pro available to the consumer.
Three and a half inch drives are so much cheaper (and faster) than the two and a half inch drives for the small form factors.
Yeah, two optical drives are unnecessary for most consumers. Maybe that second slot could be a slot for memory cards (One of my Apple pet peeves, they talk about reducing clutter and make everyone buy USB card readers).
Remember, it is most likely a Photoshop creation. They probably took a Mac Pro picture and made some changes. Removing those two optical slots would be rather difficult.
As for price, I'm sure a couple of options would be feasible (one aimed the switcher, with mini like specs, but dedicated graphics, and one for the home power user.)
We've got our mini on the counter top under one of these http://www.macessity.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=29785 it works quite well.
Sounds good to me.
I can live with that. Just dump the StuporDrive and use a tray-loader.
...standard is WAY better than "cute,"
LK
Amen! on the Media card reader for this thing. Even if the second slot is just empty and we can put a 3rd party one inside. That would be a great option for the mini tower and would appeal to some high end users wanting a second computer to backup their main workhorse Xeon..... like myself.
Yeah.... I would hope that Apple wouldn't (if they ever made a mini tower that is) put slot loading DVD drives in the case. They should be tray loading.... the fat ones.... the ones that can take any size DVD... etc and so forth.
I would hope that Apple would at least cut back on the cutsy design concept just a little bit and make some hardware that may not look AS good as the Mac Pro, MBP, MBA etc, but has the functionality of the many PCs out there.
I can get by with a reasonably heavy and fat MBP if it has all the hardware I need.
I also do agree... minutes ago I was browsing the apple website looking at all their computers (I have a Dell PC and am thinking about switching to mac...will be my first one). Anyways I really want a cinema display but want something a little more powerful than a mac mini, but definately not a mac pro. You see, here's the problem
Something.
So i've been thinking about something to fill the "hole" in the lineup. I would feel like something in the cube form factor would be most fitting of Apple. If you took most of the components from the 6"x6" mini and stuck them in the 8"x8"x8" space of a cube you would have more than enough space for a decent video card. Here are some imaginary specs.
Intel Core 2 Duo - whatever happens to be the speed at the time
4gb max ram - two so-dimm slots
2x2.5" 7200rpm Sata HD bays - modular like the mac pro
Slim-Slot Load Superdrive Standard
Onboard Graphics Standard - PCIe x16 for whatever card you want.
802.11n, bluetooth, usb whatever, firewire whatever.
My specs aren't that specific obviously. I think the most important aspects of a mid range mac would be video card upgradability and being able to have more than one hard drive. All this for 1300 to 1700 would be pretty awesome.
So i've been thinking about something to fill the "hole" in the lineup. I would feel like something in the cube form factor would be most fitting of Apple. If you took most of the components from the 6"x6" mini and stuck them in the 8"x8"x8" space of a cube you would have more than enough space for a decent video card. Here are some imaginary specs.
Intel Core 2 Duo - whatever happens to be the speed at the time
4gb max ram - two so-dimm slots
2x2.5" 7200rpm Sata HD bays - modular like the mac pro
Slim-Slot Load Superdrive Standard
Onboard Graphics Standard - PCIe x16 for whatever card you want.
802.11n, bluetooth, usb whatever, firewire whatever.
My specs aren't that specific obviously. I think the most important aspects of a mid range mac would be video card upgradability and being able to have more than one hard drive. All this for 1300 to 1700 would be pretty awesome.
No more cubes
The cube design is over rated
Apple won't move backwards with their design
There needs to be a mini tower.
but NOT in the form of a cube.
The cube design is over rated
Apple won't move backwards with their design
There needs to be a mini tower.
but NOT in the form of a cube.
No way! 2.5" drives are slow and low capacity (the mini's #1 weakness, IMO).
...OTOH, they are expensive,
LK
Right. I didn't catch that or the slot loading optical drive. No laptop parts whatsoever in the Mac Mini Tower.
A Mac with desktop parts, but not a Mac Pro. Is that so much to ask?
Hey, just call it a Mac. No iPrefix, no Pro suffix.
I know I'm beatin a dead horse here, but that "hole" would be filled nicely by a quad core 30" imac pro, with HDMI / Video INPUTs, BRDVD / FW3200 2 HDDs and Nvidia 8800 GPU.
Yeah, it's an iMac wet dream, but I still want it.
I'd buy it if an iMac was set up just like that.
I know I'm beatin a dead horse here, but that "hole" would be filled nicely by a quad core 30" imac pro, with HDMI / Video INPUTs, BRDVD / FW3200 2 HDDs and Nvidia 8800 GPU.
Yeah, it's an iMac wet dream, but I still want it.
no kidding...talk about the ultimate dream! I wish....