It looks ok, i may just have to get one of those, but the running vista part makes me want to wait and see what apple may make of the mini and apple tv in the future
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Look out Apple TV....here comes Dell
- Thread starter Jason Edwards
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The "optional" TV tuner is just a USB stick...nothing internal. I wish it supported dual monitors.
It looks reasonably good to me, but rather a lot of things are not included in the $500 price, and it relies on too many dongles and USB sticks -- the TV tuner uses one, the remote control uses a separate one, I think even the wireless kb/mouse use a third one? That's kind of ridiculous. In terms of included functions, I think it's kind of crazy that 802.11 is not included in the base price. A reasonable configuration with Blu-Ray is around $1000 (the slowest C2D, Blu-Ray, Wifi, wireless keyboard and mouse, 2GB of memory, Vista Home Premium).
I have a DVR already, but I would kind of like a small PC that can live on my television. And I have recently been thinking about the benefits of having a windows device at home... But....
I have been sitting on $600 for two months, waiting for Apple to release the "new" mini. Now Dell comes out with this and I have to say it's got some features I like!
I really like the little SD card slot in the front.
I am not looking for a home theater application so blue ray and hdmi are not a draw for me, but I certainly understand why people want them. I just want a nice little desktop for web browsing an a couple of not too complicated applications (Quickbooks, Word)
I'd still rather buy and Apple, so I will wait another few weeks for a ray of hope.
I really like the little SD card slot in the front.
I am not looking for a home theater application so blue ray and hdmi are not a draw for me, but I certainly understand why people want them. I just want a nice little desktop for web browsing an a couple of not too complicated applications (Quickbooks, Word)
I'd still rather buy and Apple, so I will wait another few weeks for a ray of hope.
Dell's Mini
I saw on my CNET RSS that Dell has come out with a new mini that is very similar in spec and size to the Mac Mini. It has been pretty competitively priced with Mac's design. The configuration below has wireless N added, 4GB RAM, 250 GB HDD, card reader, HDMI and comes stock with a keyboard and mouse for $879 before taxes. Even the chip set includes the Intel x3100 integrated video. The big difference is the stock software: MS Works vs iLife.
Hopefully, Apple can improve their next iteration and keep the price similar to the current models.
I saw on my CNET RSS that Dell has come out with a new mini that is very similar in spec and size to the Mac Mini. It has been pretty competitively priced with Mac's design. The configuration below has wireless N added, 4GB RAM, 250 GB HDD, card reader, HDMI and comes stock with a keyboard and mouse for $879 before taxes. Even the chip set includes the Intel x3100 integrated video. The big difference is the stock software: MS Works vs iLife.
Hopefully, Apple can improve their next iteration and keep the price similar to the current models.
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I think this is a great product for dell. They lack the content delivery of AppleTV, but the functionality of AppleTV is severely crippled by the absense of a tv tuner.
I'd love to see Apple give the MacMini a tv tuner option and make AppleTV optional software.
I'd love to see Apple give the MacMini a tv tuner option and make AppleTV optional software.
Slight aside, but when this device or other PCs like it have HDMI, do they include digital audio on the HDMI port?
There's an additional audio device for the HDMI. I've noticed this under XP and Vista.
My Guess is that Apple is going to put the upcoming modile Core Quad in the Mini. Put still . . . I would take iLife anyday over MS Works. I mean seriously . . . I don't even know anyone that uses MS Works . . . I know a ton of people that use iLife
-iGrant
I think a quad in a mini is very over-optimistic, we can hope for specs similar to the current macbook range..
Or if we are very, very lucky a complete montiva update of the range including the mini.
Speaking of which. it's more or less a year since an update of the mini. woe.
Or if we are very, very lucky a complete montiva update of the range including the mini.
Speaking of which. it's more or less a year since an update of the mini. woe.
My Guess is that Apple is going to put the upcoming modile Core Quad in the Mini. Put still . . . I would take iLife anyday over MS Works. I mean seriously . . . I don't even know anyone that uses MS Works . . . I know a ton of people that use iLife
-iGrant
I wish but I don't see any chance of that happening within the next 3 years.
Quality, customer service, and respect for the customer would be nice, too...
I think(/hope), that quality is improving at last, maybe not in terms of bloatware that you receive, but generally dell is definitely exploring new designs, something they haven't done in years...
but yeah, customer service and customer respect are at the same levels...
Well, I would have purchased one of these but the additional $250 for Blu-Ray sucks. I think getting a PS3 is my best option at this point.
If Apple would let us buy HD movies that would greatly help me!
If Apple would let us buy HD movies that would greatly help me!
I don't understand what everyones fascination is with these dell new small computers. They look like they are made out of cheap plastic (as are all windows pcs) except the bamboo one. The mac mini or appletv looks 100 x better. And who wants to deal with windows anymore?? What am I missing?? Whats the point?
Lates
Lates
What the ATV has over the Dell is Interface, Interface, Interface.
It all comes down to how easy it is to set up and control and ATV wins Hands down. I guess even after all these months the understanding of this product still mystifies me. The ATV is not a DVR, it's not a DVD or Blu Ray Player, it's a device for existing Itunes Users to get their Content into their living rooms without having to worry about unsightly wires, drives and computers. They have made signicant upgrades to the FW to allow for better delivery of Content. The ATV will never be what is described above. For me it fills the niche I'm looking for and sits next to my Existing DVR and Blu Ray player.
It all comes down to how easy it is to set up and control and ATV wins Hands down. I guess even after all these months the understanding of this product still mystifies me. The ATV is not a DVR, it's not a DVD or Blu Ray Player, it's a device for existing Itunes Users to get their Content into their living rooms without having to worry about unsightly wires, drives and computers. They have made signicant upgrades to the FW to allow for better delivery of Content. The ATV will never be what is described above. For me it fills the niche I'm looking for and sits next to my Existing DVR and Blu Ray player.
This is exactly why the public isn't buying it like Apple's other products. It's too niche and they need to make give it more features.
Glad you like it, though.
As a home theater pc enthusiast (or used to be), I gotta say the whole HTPC concept is a waste of time. I spent so much effort, time and money on getting my HTPC to be otpimal. Computers crash.., you can't get all the channels you want, computer has to be on 24/7 days a week, and then I saw the light. After years of playing around with media center and various other HTPC software, I decided to buy two tivos. One for the bedroom and one for the living room. I can transfer recordings to my pc to put on my ipod/iphone, can transfer shows from each of the tivos, and you know what? Neither of my tivos has had a single hitch.. never. No reboots, no scrambling, no need to upgrade my software. I can actually just sit there and watch TV now. For my other stuff, videos, music, appletv is by far the best interface.. nothing beats it.. not even these little dell computers which look cheap.
Thanks
Mo
Thanks
Mo
You know.... now that Dell has caught up to the Mini, time for Apple to up the ante
This could be GOOD for us! LOL!!
This could be GOOD for us! LOL!!
You know.... now that Dell has caught up to the Mini, time for Apple to up the ante
This could be GOOD for us! LOL!!
I really hope so!!!
I completely agree. Adding other features would likely increase the cost of the device and put it further out of many people's reach.
The Apple TV should not become a glamorised DVR IMO.