Mac Mini in need of Revision already?

[MacSA]

VERY surprised at the speeds the new MacBooks have come in at... although Appleinsider predicted all dual core I wasn't totally convinced - I expected a solo in the low end model. The 1.83 and 2 ghz dual core chips are impressive and perhaps the big price cuts had something to do with that?

Which brings me on to the Mac Mini and the core solo version in particular. I was thinking about this model as my first Mac - but the more I look at it, the less impressed I am, particualarly in light of these MacBooks specs as the two often had been very close.

What do you think the odds are of the Mini getting a revision sometime soon? The MacBook Pro has now had two revisions since it ws introduced. I think a 1.66 dual core would be best and a 1.83 in the superdrive version.

 

[MS bulldog]

VERY surprised at the speeds the new MacBooks have come in at... although Appleinsider predicted all dual core I wasn't totally convinced - I expected a solo in the low end model. The 1.83 and 2 ghz dual core chips are impressive and perhaps the big price cuts had something to do with that?

Which brings me on to the Mac Mini and the core solo version in particular. I was thinking about this model as my first Mac - but the more I look at it, the less impressed I am, particualarly in light of these MacBooks specs as the two often had been very close.

What do you think the odds are of the Mini getting a revision sometime soon? The MacBook Pro has now had two revisions since it ws introduced. I think a 1.66 dual core would be best and a 1.83 in the superdrive version.

in the same boat as you. i'm waiting a while to see if price drops or specs improve. i really want a desktop solution, but i could never justify the mini with the macbook hanging out there at that price/specs.

whatever i get, it will be on an apple education promotion like student union or cram and jam this summer/fall.

 

[wordmunger]

Well, the mini is still just about half the price of the MB. That's something. My daughter just bought a mini and it is a bit slow, but she loves it.

 

[milo]

I think it's worth the extra cash for a mini duo (or some other mac like the ones announced today). But apple needs to have something as cheap as possible for the inevitable dell comparisons and for people who don't care about performance.

Whatever you get, make sure you get a gig of ram, the minis and MB's in particular take a big performance hit with 512.

 

[p0intblank]

Well, the mini is still just about half the price of the MB. That's something. My daughter just bought a mini and it is a bit slow, but she loves it.

Does your daughter's Mac mini have 512 MB of RAM? If so, that's probably why you think it's slow. Bump it up to at least one gig and it'll seem faster.

I plan on getting a Mac mini within a week or so and I will definitely be maxing it out with the specs since I'll be using the education discount. The MacBooks seem VERY appealing, but I really need a desktop Mac in my room. My 17" PowerBook needs to be more mobile. And plus, I would literally use Front Row every night.

 

[thequicksilver]

The Solo mini sticks out like a sore thumb in the line-up, but I still feel the Duo offers a good mix of power and value.

For what is basically a Macbook without a screen, the Duo mini is a full £150 cheaper. The mini does have a slower chip (1.67 vs 1.83 in the Macbook) but does have two more USB ports. It's still a pretty good buy IMHO.

I can only imagine that the mini will get a silent bump in the next few weeks though, making any doubts moot.

 

[wordmunger]

Does your daughter's Mac mini have 512 MB of RAM? If so, that's probably why you think it's slow. Bump it up to at least one gig and it'll seem faster.

Yeah, 512. I think when it's running rosetta that pretty much slams the available memory. She wants to get a flat panel monitor before she upgrades the memory, so I think she's fine with the computer's speed (it certainly beats the Cube it replaced, but it's a dog next to my intel iMac with 1GB).

 

[MacSA]

I think i'm going to wait for the next Mini revision before considering one, perhaps it will come at the same time as an iMac revision?

 

[briansolomon]

With all the Core Duos and awesome price points it gives more reason to make the Core Solo model US$499