What do you expect from the next Mac Mini?

[generik]

Rev B intel Mac Minis!

What'd you expect to see from these?

Blueray DVD writers, 64 bit Merom CPU, and a $1000 price tag?

 

[DeSnousa]

I would actually like to see a new line that is in-between a Mac Mini and a PowerMac. Something with power, that is not over the top, i.e. a headless iMac.

 

[miloblithe]

Unless they add new functionality to FrontRow, I'd expect nothing in the next revision other than a speed bump. They did just redesign the thing.

 

[Cabbit]

i would like to see a couple things along these 3 specs.

$499
1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo 64bit processor
2MB L2 Cache
667/800MHz Frontside Bus
ATi X1400 128MB dedicated
1GB memory (800MHz DDR2 SDRAM)
80GB Serial ATA hard drive
Superdrive DL
Built-in AirPort Extreme X2 and Bluetooth 2.0
HD TV tuner (optianal)
Apple Remote + FrontRow enhanced(2)
OS X 10.5

$599
2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo 64bit processor
4MB L2 Cache
800MHz Frontside Bus
ATi X1700 256MB dedicated
1GB memory (800MHz DDR2 SDRAM)
120GB Serial ATA hard drive
Superdrive HD (blueray or HD DVD)
Built-in AirPort Extreme X2 and Bluetooth 2.0
HD TV tuner
Apple Remote + FrontRow enhanced(2)
OS X 10.5

$799
2.33 GHz Intel Core Duo 64bit processor
4MB L2 Cache
800MHz Frontside Bus
ATi X1700 256MB dedicated
2GB memory (800MHz DDR2 SDRAM)
160GB Serial ATA hard drive 7200rpm
Superdrive HD (blueray or HD DVD)
Built-in AirPort Extreme X2 and Bluetooth 2.0
HD TV tuner (cable/satleite HD able)
Apple Remote + FrontRow enhanced(2.0)
OS X 10.5

 

[gekko513]

babyjennifer, you're living in a dream world with those prices.

 

[Cabbit]

babyjennifer, you're living in a dream world with those prices.

not really the first to models are the same price as the last gen g4 low and mid range mac mini. and there spec give or take the processor speed and type isnt to out there. for arround about jan 07 when the next mini rev is due

 

[Bobajobbob]

I'd like to see Wifi that actually works

 

[ke2000]

Rev B intel Mac Minis!

What'd you expect to see from these?

No more Intel graphic chips.

 

[dr_lha]

No more Intel graphic chips.

Question: Have you actually experienced using the Mini with the Intel Graphics chip? I have and I'm very satisfied with the performance. Sure its no games machine, but I've noticed that stuff like Google Earth runs much smoother/faster on my Mini than on my wife's iBook despite her machine having a ATI 9550 and Google Earth running under Rosetta on Mini.

'd like to see Wifi that actually works

This is already the case, the airport issues widely reported only affect some new Minis. As usual the people with issues are the most vocal however, and make it look like all Mini's have crap airport. I can report that my Mini airport has better reception in my office than my Powerbook does, and has excellent transfer speeds.

To get back on thread, I'd expect to see some CPU bumps, perhaps dropping the Core Solo at the low end. Things I don't expect to see any time soon:

High end graphics card*
Any sort of TV tuner

*Unless Apple really caves into the misplaced negativity about the Integrated graphics and shoehorns a GFX chip in there.

 

[redAPPLE]

I'd like to see Wifi that actually works

i beg your pardon, but, what does that actually have to do with the mac mini??

honestly speaking, i don't have a mac mini with airport (i have the rev. a).

a wifi setup has "many" components (that could also go wrong). it might be a set of issues that made you state what you wrote above.

back on topic. what do i expect from the next mac mini? i expect not to expect a lot. the mac mini as it is right now, seems to be really tight in there. if the mac mini still uses 3,5" drives, then the next gen could use 2,5" and there would be more space.

if i could wish, a dvr software would round up the mac mini nicely.

 

[EricNau]

A real media center mac mini.

 

[BlizzardBomb]

1) An X1300
2) A slightly taller form factor to accomodate a 3.5" Hard Drive
3) In late 2006/early 2007 with the launch of Leopard, 1GB RAM standard on all Macs.

 

[dr_lha]

i beg your pardon, but, what does that actually have to do with the mac mini??

He's refering to the much reported Intel Mac Mini airport issues, which appear to stem from a couple of things:

1) There is a bad firmware version, although this seems to affect MacBook Pros and iMacs more than Minis.

2) Some Minis have been shipped with disconnected Airport antennas giving them terrible Airport receptions.

As I said above, this isn't a problem with all Minis, mine for example works flawlessly, its just moaning from a small number of vocal people who are rightfully pissed off that their Intel Minis have bad Wifi. Still, that's what warrenties are for, eh?

 

[generik]

Certainly hope the next rev comes soon so I can have an excuse to upgrade

I just discovered that it has trouble handling 2 eyetv streams at once

 

[i.Feature]

babyjennifer, you're living in a dream world with those prices.

I tend to agree. Those specs arn't "crazy" by any means but with the 1gb of memory and the hd tuner apple would probably charge +$100 minimum on each configuration.

 

[dr_lha]

I tend to agree. Those specs arn't "crazy" by any means but with the 1gb of memory and the hd tuner apple would probably charge +$100 minimum on each configuration.

All rather academic really because Apple will NEVER EVER put a HD Tuner into any of their computers.

 

[Josh396]

the mac mini as it is right now, seems to be really tight in there. if the mac mini still uses 3,5" drives, then the next gen could use 2,5" and there would be more space.

The mini has always used 2.5" drives. I wish they would switch to 3.5" drives so I could hook it up to my TV and rip my entire DVD collection to it and just watch whatever I wanted via Front Row.

I have to agree with gekko though, there is no way a mac mini will ever see the specs that babyjennifer listed, especially at that price.

 

[Bubbasteve]

babyjennifer, you're living in a dream world with those prices.

Yeah I dunno about them apples babyjennifer.... but I hope you're right

 

[princealfie]

A much better graphics card so that it can run Aperture and Final Cut Pro better!!! more RAM too.

 

[milo]

This is already the case, the airport issues widely reported only affect some new Minis. As usual the people with issues are the most vocal however, and make it look like all Mini's have crap airport. I can report that my Mini airport has better reception in my office than my Powerbook does, and has excellent transfer speeds.

Some work, some don't. The problem does seem to be pretty widespread though, and is present on ALL models of intel mac.

As I said above, this isn't a problem with all Minis, mine for example works flawlessly, its just moaning from a small number of vocal people who are rightfully pissed off that their Intel Minis have bad Wifi. Still, that's what warrenties are for, eh?

That would be great if the warranty could get the problem fixed, in many cases it hasn't and people are either stuck with the problem or have returned their minis. I've seen reports online of people who have had the minis replaced three and four times, with the same problem showing up on the new boxes.

It's not a good sign that even in the Apple stores they have the minis hard wired with airport turned off while many other models use the airport for internet.


I also agree that jennifer's list is completely unrealistic for the price. Just adding up the cost of the ram, the cpu and the drive approaches the prices she has listed.

And I suspect that most people complaining about the graphics have never used a mini. The duos run pretty great, you can play many games although some require using low settings. Other than games, graphics perfomance has been excellent on every other app I've run.

 

[Cabbit]

The mini has always used 2.5" drives. I wish they would switch to 3.5" drives so I could hook it up to my TV and rip my entire DVD collection to it and just watch whatever I wanted via Front Row.

I have to agree with gekko though, there is no way a mac mini will ever see the specs that babyjennifer listed, especially at that price.

so your saying parts that will be low to low mid range will be to much for the next mini. Well i think the HD tunner is perhaps just one of my dreams but everything else sould be pritty on track. the X1400 is due to be intergraded into intel motherboards its a intergrated laptop GPU. 1.82 Ghz is ment to be the lowest clocked Memron so i chose it as the base line. The base line price is in line with apples G4 base line mac mini and would return to haveing a mac under $500 the original intent of the mini. 1 GB of ram standerd on all specs comes with 10.5 . Airport Extream X2 is due with the new MacPro in june or whenever that is out and would be a logical choice to sell more Airport Extream X2's. FrontRow 2 isnt that daffty ether but mabey 1.5 if there on a slow week or the iMac is getting FrontRow 2 first but this was the reason i said a HD tunner as the ATi 550/600's are very low power and small and proberly a AIW X1400/X1700 could be intergrated onto the logiboard in the simaler space as a normal GPU just with a little creativity. 667 and 800 FSB and DDR2 800 are would be expected of it, perhaps a lower speed DDR2 to make it more a low end computer. A superdrive HD of somesort isnt a shot in the dark ether the drives are in development i just dont know witch one will be used. The hard drive sixes are just fine with 200GB 2.5 drives just hitting the market and new drive techs pushing down price. If they cant fit dedecated memory for the GPU they could use Hypermemory and only have 16MB dedecated and the rest shared form the system memory like the X300SE. The cache size is based on Intels roadmap. And the top model will be compeating agenst iMacs with conroe 2.33 Ghz(yes your not keeping the moble processor the conroe will fit in just as nicely)

 

[chaosbunny]

I would actually like to see a new line that is in-between a Mac Mini and a PowerMac. Something with power, that is not over the top, i.e. a headless iMac.

Yeah! Gimme a new Cube!!!!!

 

[milo]

so your saying parts that will be low to low mid range will be to much for the next mini.

No, we're saying most of the parts you are listing are high end, expensive parts.

HD burners will likely be $500+ USD

2 gigs of that ram costs about 250 right now.

The duo 2.16 is almost $700 just for the chip. The 2.3 is more. And the 64 bit versions will be even more than that.

A 2.5 inch 160 gig drive is $300.

So just for those four parts, you're looking at $1750 in costs for a machine you think can cost $799.

Sure, prices will drop. And we will likely see some of those in a mini eventually. But those specs are more likely 3-4 generations away, not next generation.

 

[Cabbit]

No, we're saying most of the parts you are listing are high end, expensive parts.

HD burners will likely be $500+ USD

2 gigs of that ram costs about 250 right now.

The duo 2.16 is almost $700 just for the chip. The 2.3 is more. And the 64 bit versions will be even more than that.

A 2.5 inch 160 gig drive is $300.

So just for those four parts, you're looking at $1750 in costs for a machine you think can cost $799.

Sure, prices will drop. And we will likely see some of those in a mini eventually. But those specs are more likely 3-4 generations away, not next generation.

LOL LOL ok forget any memron as they are starting at 1.83 so i guess the budjet chip is out the window. I forgot when Intel lanches it the yohan will stay the same price and the memron will just be another price bracket above that. I also forgot with 120 and 160 GB notebook drives due to be the norm for Q1 2007 with the new promised recording techs that a 160 GB drive in budjet laptops will make them what no longer budjet i guess. These are low end and mid range parts. The Macbook pro will be out with a 200 GB hard drive(by intels specs your supposted to have two in the guild line spec for 5 hours battery life) and 2.33 or greater memron. And i did the the CPUs can go up and down, so the low end could have a Yohan 1.83 and the mid have a memron 1.83 and the high end have a memron 2.0. Depends what AMD dose as well the Turon X2 mite be a real killer like the Athlon X2 is. If your so used to a .6 MHz speed bump so be it, but your with Intel now and possibly AMD nothings stopping that so if apple says the next power mac is a Conroe Intel 3.33 GHz then in 6 months you will get a quad core 3.8 Ghz or simaler and so on it moves a lot faster when you have compatition. AMD vs Intel is good for us it meens things like the specs i was on about are possible.

 

[dr_lha]

Some work, some don't. The problem does seem to be pretty widespread though, and is present on ALL models of intel mac.

Widespread in that there are a lot of people on the Apple forums having the issue. However we have to remember that those with problems make the most noise. I just like to keep things into perspective, reading some of the posts people could come away with the idea that Airport is shagged on all Intel Macs universally.

That would be great if the warranty could get the problem fixed, in many cases it hasn't and people are either stuck with the problem or have returned their minis. I've seen reports online of people who have had the minis replaced three and four times, with the same problem showing up on the new boxes.

Yes, those reports were worrying, but most people in the end end up getting a working computer. Its annoying, but I guess this is the price we pay for going with Rev A hardware, there are always going to be teething problems.