Apple’s newly released Mac mini “is designed to appeal to computer users who have a screen and keyboard already. Some will be Mac users who are upgrading, but the real goal is to win over customers of Microsoft’s Windows. There is evidence that this had started to happen even as the Mini was still in the design labs. Apple’s latest quarterly results, also released last week and covering the Christmas season, showed Mac shipments were up 26 per cent on last year. While analysts had expected Apple to announce strong iPod sales, the boost to the Mac business was more surprising,” Stephen Pritchard reports for The Independent.
“It seems Apple’s computer business is benefiting directly from iPod sales. ‘The ‘halo’ effect [of Windows PC-owning iPod users moving to Macs] seems real to me,’ says Ted Schadler, principal analyst for consumer technology at Forrester Research. In addition, some of the problems that are affecting other parts of the IT industry also appear to be working to the benefit of Apple. Macs are, for now at least, not as attractive to virus writers and spammers as Windows machines,” Pritchard reports.
“IT experts also point out that the Mac operating system is inherently more secure. ‘Microsoft and its partners will struggle to improve Windows against viruses and spam until Longhorn [the next version of Windows], and that is two years away. In the meantime, Windows customers might move to a Mac because it’s safer,’ suggests Mr Schadler,” Pritchard reports.
“Analysts have gone as far as describing the Mini as a ‘disruptive’ technology, and one that could give Apple a foothold in corporate computing. Mike Davis, senior research analyst at Butler Group, says banks could be tempted to buy the machine as a low-cost, compact alternative to Windows computers or terminals from firms such as Wise. Apple’s operating system allows companies to disable external ports and even the hard drive, making the machine extremely secure. Other businesses pushed for space, such as retailers, might be drawn to the Mini,” Pritchard reports.
Full article here.
OS X lets you disable the external ports? How?
A couple days ago when I first read that story about putting Mac Minis in car dashboards, instead of just the iPod, that’s when I realized it’s gonna be a whole new world, what with the Mini’s speech capabilities, etc. They’ll be everywhere. Will I be carrying one in my backpack, along with a few batteries, interacting with a hands-free wireless headset? Maybe I’ll just have ’em implant one under my skin, say on an arm: save me the cost of a plastic biceps augmentation proceedure.
Glick my buddy’s dad had a tech repair business.. you’d actually get contracts with Future Shop/Best Buy etc for each COMPANY (Panasonic, GE, Sony, RCA)
And teh Sony ones were the most coveted because they always broke..
Panasonic is f-ing sweet…
Viridian. I have been thinking the same thing about Apple’s overall strategy being more than meets the eye. In and of themselves each move by Apple is significant but not necessarily earth shattering. Taken as a whole, a pattern is developing that hints of an overall strategy that will sweep through the technology industry and change the world more than anybody even comes close to suspecting yet.
Here are some of the thing that have happened which provide clues (in no particular chronological order)
We have Apple start to concentrate on digital content with the iPod, then the ITMS. Apple quietly enters into and builds up their enterprise solutions. Apple stores come out. The iLife suite addresses all aspects of digital media content creation and manipulation with an fully integrated solution. OS X was introduced with all the ramifications of having an OS based on Unix. Quicktime, while not in the public eye so much, starts to gain importance in understated but highly important ways (see below link). Airport Express with streaming of digital content (music) is introduced. Safari replaces IE reducing dependence on M$. Keynote furthers this and now Pages and iWork come along and even further reduce this dependence. AND now we see the Mac mini come along. Ostentatiously billed as a switcher mechanism but many people from the start have seen in it great potential for use as a home media center. The fact that Apple has not yet pointed out this obvious potential perhaps tells us more than if they had. I think a full blown overall solution to the digital home is in the works.
Apple is quietly assembling all the pieces necessary for some total domination. Steve had years to think about how things went down in the first round and coming back to the helm of Apple has given him his chance to put it to Bill Gates and set the record straight. This is fascinating to see develop and I think the majority of the world has yet to catch on to where all this is leading. Steve is going to spring it on us all at the right time and change the world for the better in an insanely great way. It is what he gets off on.
How is that for a very positively oriented conspiracy theory?
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Here is a good article outlining some of the stealth moves Apple has made with Quicktime and which partially inspired the above:
http://themacmind.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=650&mode=nested&order=0&thold=0
Oh and by the way, for what it’s worth, Sony electronic products have a reputation for breaking down a lot in Japan.
In my view the biggest “Quantum Shift’ for OSX will be when it comes up as being taught in schools/colleges as specific programming languages Unix for Mac, C, Objective C etc and when more enterprise companies start advertising for people with Mac/unix knowledge outside of the graphic design/vidoe fields.
One other thing I was thinking when I saw the Mac mini…hey, the Cobalt Qube is back.
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Something I am going to use a mini for is as a FileMaker server. FileMaker server can be the only App running on the host computer ( so says the FileMaker server spec sheet.) Currently we’re using a mirror G4. I can now use a $500 mini and use the Mirror as a desktop computer for one of our needier users (500Mhz iMac Graphite).
Our options are now becoming more affordable.
My only question now is, How do I fit a mini in my Cube Case so that no one will notice.
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I am typing this from an old standby- a 400mHz BlueBerry iMac G3 because my PowerMac G5 is in the shop for a DEAD Sony SuperDrive at the ripe old age of 9 months.
Free Mac Minis, yes its for real. http://www.FreeMiniMacs.com/?r=13895719
I think the Mac mini will sell like mad at the Apple stores. They’re small, cheap and unintimidating. Just the sort of thing a prospective switcher would buy on impulse when they see one.