“The Apple iPod has had unprecedented success… The interesting thing about the iPod is that it has extended its success beyond the Macintosh realm and into the world of PC. In fact, though this is pure speculation, I would venture to say that there are oogles more PC users with iPods than Macintosh users,” Deron Dantzler writes for The South Carolina Times and Democrat. “Trying to glean off that success, Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs [recently] introduced… the brand new Mac Mini.”
“With the new Mac Mini, Apple is making a strong push for your desktop space, but rest assured they aren’t asking for much. The Mac Mini is a Macintosh computer that is about 2 inches tall, 6 inches deep and 6 inches wide. It is without doubt one of the most innovative designs that has been brought to the computer world in quite some time, and perhaps the biggest note that is surrounding it is its price. Sitting at just $499, Apple has finally released a product that is perhaps priced low enough to help the company cut its way into the PC market share,” Dantzler writes.
“The big question surrounding the machines is: Will they be successful? I have no doubt in my mind that within the next few weeks there will be PCs released to the market, probably lower priced with a similar-sized shell. We’ll see a new breed of minicomputers try to compete against one another, but I’m itching to know if the Mac Mini will have marked success in the PC market where low-priced hardware has dominated for so long over the supposed stability in the marriage of Apple hardware and Mac OS. I guess only time will tell,” Dantzler writes.
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Is going after ‘Joe Six Pack’ a mistake for Apple Computer? – January 28, 2005
Report: Best Buy to sell Mac mini, could accelerate ‘iPod Halo Effect’ – January 28, 2005
Associated Press: With Apple’s Mac mini ‘you could abandon Windows altogether’ – January 27, 2005
USA Today: the software loaded on Apple’s Mac Mini gets you more bang for your buck – January 27, 2005
Wintel box assemblers keeping a close eye on Apple’s new Mac mini – January 27, 2005
CBS News: Grab a new Apple Mac mini ‘and kiss the old Wintel machine goodbye’ – January 27, 2005
AnandTech reviews Apple’s Mac mini: ‘tempting Windows users everywhere’ – January 26, 2005
Apple cuts Mac Mini upgrade prices for RAM, 80GB hard drive, Bluetooth, AirPort Extreme – January 25, 2005
Windows users can give Apple’s elegant OS X operating system a try with new Mac mini – January 25, 2005
Apple’s ‘Mac mini’ should be your next computer – January 25, 2005
Analyst: Apple Mac worldwide market share could increase to 4.5 percent by end of 2006 – January 24, 2005
…..”Will Windows users abandon ship for Apple’s Mac mini?…..”
Some already have
I think that one of the reasons that the mac mini will be so popular is because it is an inexpensive Mac. Apple could have probably made the Mac mini a small sized tower rather than the squat little box it is and it would still sell well.
It’s the OS Stupid!
Dell could make a small form factor PC, but all that will do is take sales away from their cheap Dimension 2400/3000, not hurt the Mac mini.
Besides, Dell (and the other wannabes) will just screw it up – BIG surprise.
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“…………Another MacWorld has come and gone and in it’s wake… “Switchers”
Kansas City, Missouri – “What is a switcher?” you ask from underneath your rock. A switcher is a Windows PC user who is fed up with viruses, spyware and system crashes and decides to give a Mac a try…..”
The above is from an article posted…here
A great read, for those fed up with the rantings of weenies like Thurott, Enderle et al !
Right on Macnut. The physical side of the mini is stunning but they really should LOOK BEYOND THE BOX.
The fact that they are not so often probably gives us a big clue as to why they ended up on windows machines in the first place.
…..”Will Windows users abandon ship for Apple’s Mac mini?…..”
A few will, but 99.9% won´t. Still that .1% is a lot of new computer buyers for Apple.
Unfortunately, Apple does not have enough supply on hand (again) and is missing out on all the free publicity and the impulse buys it would have reaped.
I doubt Dell will bring out a mini computer. The big black Dell computer makes it look like one is getting more for their money than a more compact box would.
I was pumped last weekend and was going to buy a Macmini at the local Apple store (Tigard, Oregon – Washington Square Mall).
But they were all sold out when I got there.
Now a week later I am not so sure I will buy a Mac Mini. The impulse is gone. If they would have had it in stock I would have bought it.
Now I figure I will just wait until after Tiger OS comes out and the 3+ Ghz dual Powermac.
Two reasons most PC owners won´t switch:
1. Games.
2. Other software. Prime example: Dragon Naturally Speaking 8. Only available on PC. It lets you talk to your computer and writes everything you say. The new version is great! I am amazed by it – the accuracy is like about 99%.
It will never come to Mac (or so they say).
I do not understand this facination with getting people to switch, do you really want everybody in your club? The world seems to work best with variety included. What is your Mac missing that you guys feel having PC people as users will ad to the experience. Some people like macdonal’s hanburgers should we all eat them. no thanks
What I do need is a spell checker in my MDN browser ” Hamburger
DBS, are you using Safari?
If so, you can check spelling as you type. Next time you have the cursor in a text box (like the one used to input a post to MDN) turn on “Check Spelling as You Type” in the Edit > Spelling menu. It stays on for all text boxes thereafter.
To Impulse buyer:
I think that Apple loves consumers like you.
Neat trick with the spelling thing. Thanks Bob C
…..”Will Windows users abandon ship for Apple’s Mac mini?…..”
Some already have
Yep…I know 3 people personally myself that already have…
Anyway … it’s not about market share ..
it’s about expanding the user base which will ensure that Apple is around for a long time and will always be an alternative and an innovator …
That is ensured now … so Apple can plan even better for the future ..without the worry of being eliminated …
Mac users will now make sure that never happens … what company would not kill for 20 – 30 million loyal customers … who won’t jump ship at a “cheaper” version of their product …
eric “Anyway … it’s not about market share ..”
IT IS about market share.
If there are 20-30 million mac owners and none are buying mac computers apple market share is 0,zero,nadda,nothing.
Market share only counts what is sold last quarter or last year.
And don´t fool yourself, Apple does not have 20-30 million loyal customers. It just has that many who have bought one or more Apple computers since they started making computers.
But that does not mean they will buy another Apple in the future. I (our family) have 3 Apple computers and 5 PCs.
We are loyal to what we think gives us the best for our money for the particular need. Sometimes Apple, sometimes not.
Marketshare is one measure of business. Remember, Apple stays plenty profitable despite next to zero marketshare. A small increase in sales is valuable because the company is not struggling. A large increase could be magnificent– R&D-wise, especially.
As long as Apple remains profitable, they will stick around and do wonders. And if developers decide to jump ship, Apple will go on and produce excellent applications of their own (as they have ben) that best the competitions most of the time anyway.
Marketshare, schmarketshare.
“……I (our family) have 3 Apple computers and 5 PCs…We are loyal to what we think gives us the best for our money for the particular need…….”
Thats what you consider “loyal” ??
Ok… consider this ….
How much malware have your 5 PeeCees contracted in the last couple of years ? …. And… just supposing the numbers are considerable ..
How much time was spent trying to get a handle on said malware ??
If the old adage, “Time is money” is true… then…
How much is your time worth removing malware from your 5 PeeCees ?
Now…
The other side of that coin would be… How much time is spent removing malware from your 3 Macs ??
Looking at it that way, its easy to say… “The best PC for the money … is a Mac !”
Well my boss just called me an hour ago. He wants to buy an iBook for his daughter, who has an iPod and loves it. She is tired of pop ups, crashes, malware etc.
So he just called me to find out what it has, what it can do etc.
So on monday or tuesday I am going to help him place and edu purchase of an iBook, and I am sure maybe a year from now his son will get one to.
“Steps” as in many small steps will get you there surely.
I would venture to say that there are oogles more PC users with iPods than Macintosh users,” Deron Dantzler writes for The South Carolina Times and Democrat.
Uh.. 25 million is more than 10 million..
From an article above:
“The PC universe has no answer to Apple’s elegantly matched bundle of its virus-free Mac OS X Panther, its Safari, Mail and iChat Internet applications and its new iLife ’05 multimedia suite.”
That is why Apple will sweep the board. The positive spiral has started….ss has the negative spiral of Windows.
And we don’t know half of what Apple has planned for the next three years!
I am the local tech support guy for my friends and family. I don’t mind doing it but cleaning up all these windows viruses ( virii ??) and spyware from their Dells and Gateways is just taking too much of my time.
From now on when someone calls me to help them out with their computer problems my answer will be “Buy a Mac Mini”.
BTW, I prefer to call it a “Mini Mac”. It sounds more shagadellic!!
Yeah Baby!!!
BOB C
Thanks so much, what a neat tip
Supporting Apple is supporting progress and innovation. PCs would be utter crap today if it weren’t for Apple leading the way. Wanna see what a PC will look like in 5 years? Look at the Mac today.
So even if you are a die-hard PCer, you should buy a Mac just to support R&D (let me correct myself EFFECTIVE R&D) for your platform.
macdud wrote: “How much malware have your 5 PeeCees contracted in the last couple of years ?”
Answer: 0,zero,none.
We don´t use Internet Explorer. We use Firefox. Plus we have firewalls and of course routinely use our virus checking and Ad Aware software. This combination seems to have kept our computers immune.
By the way I just visited my father and he has been using his PC to surf the web daily for over a year. He only has Norton Anti-Virus and surfs using Netscape 7.2.
I figured his computer would be bloated with malware,etc, etc.
We ran all the software that checks for it and he had nothing on his computer. It runs fine.
———–
macdude: Do you own a Windows computer?
mike says: “Uh.. 25 million is more than 10 million..”
This 25 million Mac users is a misnomer. That is more like the total number of Macs sold in the history of Apple.
We have 5, wait 6, Macs in our house. Three are actually plugged in and working. The others are stored in a closet.
The number of people in our house that use those six Macs is one. Maybe one and a half, because sometimes my wife uses her 75Mhz Mac to write a letter on.
So number of Macs sold does not equate to number of users.