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Will the future Mac Mini be smaller in size to its predecessor?

anti-microsoft said:
I know the Mac Mini is sorta dying, but can it possibly get any smaller? I say yes.
Click to expand...

I just hope there is a future Mini.

I don't think there's any practical value to it being any smaller. Is there somewhere it doesn't fit? I could stick the thing between my TV and the base of its stand, for gosh sake.

All I want is a video chip update... sigh....
 
I'm still surprised they didn't update the case at the last update. The white iMac and white Mini matched, but now it's the Mac Pro and iMac that match, with the Mini looking a bit out of place.

I expected a black glass top to the revised Mini to be honest.
 
anti-microsoft said:
I know the Mac Mini is sorta dying, but can it possibly get any smaller? I say yes.
Click to expand...

Have you had a look inside one?

27.jpg


I don't see how they could make it any smaller, all the space inside seems to be used as it is.
 
OllyW said:
Have you had a look inside one?

I don't see how they could make it any smaller, all the space inside seems to be used as it is.
Click to expand...

Where theres a will theres a way, just look at the AppleTV for inspiration:

appletv_inside.jpg


Perhaps a new version with no optical drive (comes bundled with an external one)? This is apple's strategy after all.

My prediction is there won't be a new MacMini, as Apple seems to be moving further away from this sort of product.
 
joshysquashy said:
Where theres a will theres a way, just look at the AppleTV for inspiration:

appletv_inside.jpg


Perhaps a new version with no optical drive (comes bundled with an external one)? This is apple's strategy after all.

My prediction is there won't be a new MacMini, as Apple seems to be moving further away from this sort of product.
Click to expand...

One thing is for sure is that apple is not going to add an external Optical Drive to its computers.
 
anti-microsoft said:
One thing is for sure is that apple is not going to add an external Optical Drive to its computers.
Click to expand...

I see this as a temporary future for laptops...with an ultraportable (often a second machine) an optical drive takes up tons of space and is barely used by most people. Including an external in the box, until optical drives are obsolite or at least not the major distribution manor for a lot of media, is practical...
 
psychofreak said:
I see this as a temporary future for laptops...with an ultraportable (often a second machine) an optical drive takes up tons of space and is barely used by most people. Including an external in the box, until optical drives are obsolite or at least not the major distribution manor for a lot of media, is practical...
Click to expand...

Steve said no to external optical drives during the iBook G3 intro.
 
Bring It On!!!!

I think it would be GREAT

A smaller Mac = Smaller PRICE.
A smaller Mac = LESS WATTAGE (my mac mini uses 32 WATTS Imagine how long a UPS could run a NANO)
A smaller Mac = Sub price PC market share

I could see it looking about the size of a 3.5 external HD “just square”. I became an APPLE fanboy after I got my mac mini. I was going to use it a web browser at best if I was disappointed with my purchase. BOY WAS I WRONG. I can’t express how surprised I was. So if they make a NANO I can only see if the price is right it going into schools more. This means more children will learn and know MAC OS, The best OS IMHO.

The question would be WOULD it have Core 2 Duo 64 bit processors to keep it in the running for the leopard features and take advantage. I think it would be able to play a 1080p quick time file from the web if it did have Core 2 Duo no matter what graphics card. New games maybe not so good, But I think it could play just about anything made before 2007. Could you imagine a two kid family connecting 3 of 4 machines with Xgrid and rendering a resent trip on video in imovie.

So Dream spec’s
Size and weight
Height: 1.4 inches
Width: 4.5 inches
Depth: 4.5 inches
Weight: 1.9 pounds
Leopard
Front Row (with whole house audio synch from iTunes multiple speaker options, I hope this is coming)
iLife ’08
boot camp
AirPort Extreme 8011.n
Built-in Bluetooth
Graphics (I don’t know)
Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit
One FireWire 400 (I like daisy chaining firewire)
One FireWire 800
Two USB 2.0

PRICE
299 80 Gig 2.5 HD
399 100 Gig 2.5 HD
The optical drive is what’s got me how do you load software and CD’s (ripping to iTunes).
 
A smaller Mac = Smaller PRICE.
Click to expand...

It doesn't work like that though. The cheapest way is the buy off the shelf and shove them in a big box (ie. a PC). The smaller the machine, the more difficult it is, the more custom components you need and the more R&D you need.
 
I don't see how shaving 1/2 an inch here or there is going to make a huge difference in sales. It certainly won't lower the price, quite the opposite. Now if the made it slightly bigger, they could put in a desktop drive and fit in an MXM video card. Now that would be an improvement!
 
flopticalcube said:
I don't see how shaving 1/2 an inch here or there is going to make a huge difference in sales. It certainly won't lower the price, quite the opposite. Now if the made it slightly bigger, they could put in a desktop drive and fit in an MXM video card. Now that would be an improvement!
Click to expand...

Agreed.. Thats much more my idea of an improved mac mini. For the benefits, who would really care if it was an inch deeper? (Except perhaps that folks that fit them into car stereo din slots).
 
Smaller? To heck with smaller, get a 3.5" drive to fit in there instead of these crappy notebook drives. And while you're at it lower the price already Apple!
 
I like the size and form of the Mini. It stacks well and looks classy. Anything smaller would just look rediculous. I also agree about the external optical drive, it would need to be in he same form factor and they might as well throw it in. Just makes sense. I do not think they will change the size as they have used at least the length and width in the AppleTV and the AEBS. They have companies like Belkin making hubs that match the size. If I could find a Hub with a media card reader in the mini format I would be so happy and a horizontal dock that I could simply slide the iPod into to sync since I dont need to see the iPod when it is plugged into the computer.
 
people always say it couldnt get much smaller. They say that about all technology, I think smaller aluminum casing, with a black gloss would be awesome. I want a mini so bad. Its too bad I want an iphone so bad, because mac mini would be the next purchase.
 
They still have to be able to load CD's.. With the current Minis being a tad bigger than a normal CD, I doubt they'll get much smaller (maybe 1/4 of an inch or so)
 
Why would you need it smaller? You need to put another pack of gum on your desk :D

I see little advantage to reducing the footprint. I agree with a couple posters above. Toss in 3D video, maybe even make it a tad larger to fit in a PC size HD, keep the price the same, and I'll buy one today.
 
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