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How can this be a Mini killer. They can sell notebooks for $349.99 but the price and supposed feature don't deter someone who know what they are doing from buying a Mac. Having the features and a low price does not mean it is better. My iMac runs so much quicker that computers I have seen with way better specs. Difference being a nifty little thing called OS X...:apple:
 
yes of course osx is better and faster then windows 7 , but nobody buys a mini or a dell zino because he wants a fast computer or? in most cases they run both windows 7 most of the time nowadays :eek:
 
The question is, how capable is the (top end) GPU? With the AMD processor and this GPU, could one consider this a decent backup gaming platform.... key word being decent??

That could turn me into a possible buyer.....

Older games like Quake 3 and Starcraft, etc.... yes.

New games on a computer with a smaller form factor than an XB360 or PS3? Doubtful - you can't fit the necessary GPU/Cooling system in there...
 
How can this be a Mini killer. They can sell notebooks for $349.99 but the price and supposed feature don't deter someone who know what they are doing from buying a Mac. Having the features and a low price does not mean it is better. My iMac runs so much quicker that computers I have seen with way better specs. Difference being a nifty little thing called OS X...:apple:

If what you are doing is wanting a solid computer with a great customer service record, get the reasonably priced mini. I love mine.

However, if your only goal is the buy the least expensive small mini type computer the Dell will probably be just OK. As for OS X, there are ways, on this site in detail, where you can install it on any PC. Of course, you lose the support of OS X in any PC or Mac clone. And when you add the price of OS X with the Dell mini type machine, then the savings does not look so dramatic. It then comes down to bragging rights among geeks that can say, "I have a mini type computer from Dell that I put OS X on, and the thing runs great and I did it cheaper than any company out there."

At this price range, go with the Mac mini. But I can see somebody wanting an often described netbook for limited purposes with OS X as has been hashed out here on Macrumors.
 
Honestly, I thought the new 21.5" iMac is the mac mini killer. That Dell looks pretty good though for people who want to set up a computer to the TV. Why pay for design and development when you can steal Apples.
 
sales..?

from a sales point of view it is likely that this is already a mac mini killer.

Apple only sell roughly 4m desktop computers worldwide per year..split between minis imacs and pros.

lets keep some perspective.
 
Dell Inspiron Zino

Seriously, a single core 1.6ghz desktop machine for $430 in this day and age? Are Dell customers retarded? Why would anyone ever consider buying that piece of 2002 technology? :confused:

This is exactly why Apple refuses to sell a sub-$500 machine, they are piles of cr@p.
 
I am waiting for Black Friday to buy a Mac Mini base model for my living room to use as a HTPC. When I saw the Dell I seriously considered about getting one. I already have a bluray player so I only need something that is powerful enough to handle Hulu. Zino starts from little over $200 but to configure it for my needs rises the cost to something in $500-$600 range. Even then I won't be able to use it with my Logitech Harmony universal remote since it doesn't have an option for IR sensor.

Nowadays most people buy those mini desktop PCs to use as HTPCs and for that purpose Mac Mini is the best option on the market. If you go with Dell you'll either end up buying something very underpowered or something as expensive but still underpowered. And in either case you will end up keeping a bluetooth keyboard and mouse on your coffee table (and of course, not having OS X or Plex or iLife).
 
their processor choice leaves me scratching my head.

why??? They are equivalent to the single and dual core Atom CPUs with the Nvidia ION chipset. I know they're not as fast as those in the Mac Mini, but it also costs half (if not less) as much and can act as an HTPC just fine! I think it's a smart choice.
 
There have also been other attempts to 'kill' the Mac Mini... but few have been at all successful. One that comes to mind is the Shuttle X100 and X200... they were, in many respects, superior to the mac mini, but they were also more expensive.

I think the Dell Zino HD has the best shot at giving the Mini some real competition.
 
your assumption the atom and the amd`s are equal is only partly true , ok the middle amd is just a notch better , but the top model is quiet a step upwards and comes with ati graphics
and not the nvidia ion onboard ,but then the price is nearly equal to the mac mini (basic model full upgrade that is ) ,
and for people who want blue ray and windows 7 there is no choice as the top zino offers this as standard,
but for people like me who see windows only sometimes unavoidable the mini is the better choice

(still have my old windows 2000 which does what i may need windows for, have it installed under Q as a guest pc on my iMac g3 600 which works fine for me :rolleyes: )
 
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