“A Mac mini update is ready for roll-out just two months after Apple bumped the RAM on the systems and added a SuperDrive model, Think Secret has learned. The systems, which are currently in transit to retailers, were originally slated to roll-out this week but may not appear until next week. No announcement is planned beyond a possible press release,” Ryan Katz reports for Think Secret.
Same prices, but (slightly) faster G4 processors, faster hard drives (finally!), better wireless capabilities and more are rumored by Think Secret.
Full article here.
I surely hope so.
I want a Mac mini but the demo models I tried at the Apple Store definitely felt sluggish even maxed out with RAM.
Only good for the most basic of functions. The G4 chip is just so old….seems like it came in when it was OS9….
Great to use when putting on a kiosk-type presentation running over and over…but just because the computer is so small and one can hide/protect/secure it easily.
But as a daily all-round computer? Nah. Its a toy.
the mini is an excellent low cost computer that does ALOT. i use it as a “daily all around computer.”
and the G4 is a good chip–much more efficient than the G5.
rumours regarding small speedbumps etc really aren;t rumours or even real news at all.
if i had said last week – ‘i think there will be a speed bump sometime in the future’ – well its just fricking obvious right?!?!
hey get this! –
I predict that one day computers will be faster! specifically mac will get faster! and they will add more ram! and hardrives will get bigger!!! and other things will happen!!!! they are bound to!!!!!
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!!!!
One expectation I have that was not mentioned by the rumor: Radeon 9550 w/ 32 MB VRam. I know it’s not a great card, but at least it’s Core-Image capable.
.08 Ghz faster at top of the line. Whew! Don´t strain yourself Apple in the speed bumps. Probably same chip just clocked em faster.
Wonder why they even do this?
Fixing some other glitch in the hardware perhaps?
The Mac Mini’s are great little computers for most normal people. I’ve given away three so far to my non-techie relatives. I made them buy their own (oh my gosh, DELL) monitors. Sometime I’m sorry I did because now the relatives are flooding me with emails and questions.
Hope this rumor is true. The best reason is that it’s good to see Apple updating a line just 2 months after bumping it up before. Apple needs to get off this cycle of waiting 6-9 months before updating a Mac line, especially if the update is relatively minor like more standard RAM.
Mac sales are on a roll, so Apple’s really going to have to step up with more frequent updates to keep things fresh. We all know the PowerBook G5 will probably never see the light of day, but come on. There’s still plenty of improvements Apple can make to the PowerBook G4, but it gets ridiculous when Apple takes 9 months or whatever to add more memory or put in a faster hard drive.
Every 2 months is probably too frequent, but once every 4 months for EVERY Mac product line would be nice. One major update a year and 2 minor bumps would be nice.
They still need a digital audio out on this thing.
MDN Magic Word is “modern” as in they need a “modern” audio connection!
“Sometime I’m sorry I did because now the relatives are flooding me with emails and questions.”
Been there done that. At least you were smart enough to give them Macs.
I made the good-intentioned mistake of giving my tech-challenged sister a cheap store PC a few years ago. It’s been hair-pulling ever since (i.e. “hey I downloaded a ‘screen saver’ from some obscure site and now my PC doesn’t work, help!”). If the Intel-Macs can indeed run Windows apps I know what her next computer will be (assuming her POC holds out that long).
macnut222 wrote:
“One expectation I have that was not mentioned by the rumor: Radeon 9550 w/ 32 MB VRam. I know it’s not a great card, but at least it’s Core-Image capable.”
Does anyone know if a Radeon 9200 would work? Or is the mini’s graphics non-upgradable?
Its a gimmicky unit IMHO…I’m glad to see that Apple is committed to the mini but it is still only marketable to a small niche buyer. Still, it reminds me of “the snowball” or “the cube”…but if Apple continues to improve the speed and upgradable components, I might come around…and maybe buy my son one of them.
Andrew Hamilton
Las Vegas Videographers
Hamilton International Productions
http://www.hiproductions.com
iDid: “Been there done that. At least you were smart enough to give them Macs.”
Yes, indeed. Macs are the only computers I recommend to friends and family. I always tell them that I’ll give you free tech support because I know that it will not be that much effort. Most of the questions I get from my relatives are internet related questions. “What’s URL stand for? What is HTML?” That kind of stuff. New comers to computers pick up using MACs right away. I tell them to play with it all you want and if you break something I’ll fix it, after you try first. I’m amazed – nothing has been broken yet.
When my PissCee relative ask for advive I tell them to call your tech support or pay me $30/hour and I’ll fix it. I’m serious. Dummies don’t deserve to keep their money so at least let a relative take it.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
hiproductionsdotcom
YOU are the niche buyer. Not the Mac mini buyer. Or do most peopel you know edit HD video on their computer everday?
MDN word: Problems (most people have problems with logic)
iDon’t:
“Dummies don’t deserve to keep their money so at least let a relative take it.”
LOL!
There’s a saying: A fool and his money are soon parted, but rarely by another fool. 😀
As for intentionally getting a dear relative into a PC, the idea was to giver her something “just like at work”, so there’d no learning curve. Well let’s just say I’VE learned more about keeping a PC alive than I would’ve ever cared.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”raspberry” style=”border:0;” />
When you weigh in everything, the iMac G5 is still a great deal compared to a Mac Mini. You are getting a greater performance boost in the way of the G5, serial hard drives, memory access (especially when using a pair of memory sticks), high quality display and more. It’s like a PowerBook on steroids, but without the firewire 800 and the mobility.
Once again the creatively challenged foolishly attempt to predict the path of creative geniuses.
Using Apple’s history of shock and awe, if Apple wanted to make a real Mac mini, they’d pack a G4 with micro drives into a wafer thin case not much larger than the slot-loading optical drive and the connectors on the back. It’d probably be about the size of two stacked CD cases, and sport a direct connect dock for iPods.
You know the funny thing is, I just went to Best Buy and bought my mini and Samsung CRT display to replace my G3 iMac. It was basically an impulse buy, but I figured I’d wait to plunk down some serious cash untill the macintels come out. It’s so funny, and so true that once you let go of the money, what you’ve got is yesterday’s news!
Knowing Apple they’ll be nano minis.
mini mac – its a laptop scrunched up in a boxy shape without the monitor or keyboard.
I use them as cheap cad stations.
The 23″ cinema screen hooks up nice and clean. Vectorworks runs great on it and it cost me less than $500 bucks.
What more could you want!
Todays mini is an awesome little computer. It’s perfect for parents who want to get their kids (and all their downloads) off mom and dads machines. I have a 1.42 MacMini (1GB DRAM) and a 1.8 Powermac G5 (2.5GB DRAM). The mini is very spry and often feels faster than the speedier G5. The tiny size of the mini is a big plus but I’d love to see Apples entry level machine get even smaller with an improved (more compact) power supply package (similar to laptops).
It’s just a pity that they haven’t updated/fixed the stinking turd that is Quicktime since H.264 was introduced.
The revised version of Quicktime sucks – now I can’t open multiple browser movie feeds without things grinding to a halt and the beachball appearing for ten minutes. Quicktime Pro sucks ass now too – markers follow the playhead around which makes editing clips a pain in the f@#$ing ass. Thanks Apple you f@#$heads!