“I’ve been a fan of the small computer since I first saw a little cubic box encasing a mini-iTX board. From there I’ve admired all the small boxes, as well as the numerous homebrew machines developed by combining mini-ATX or mini-iTX motherboards with various components and cases. While this trend has been going on for years, people still seem to prefer large tower cases. Now we see the Mac mini and the interest in small computers has been revitalized. It’s time to rethink the whole idea,” John C. Dvorak writes for PC Magazine.
“The Mac mini design is somewhat different than the typical little PC; it’s more along the lines of a laptop. In other words, Apple has taken the small-form idea seriously,” Dvorak writes. “I think Apple’s marketing machine should be able to invigorate the small-model business on the PC side of the market. We hope that the little devices will not overheat and bring bad PR to that segment. If all goes well, this means you can expect a Dell mini, an HP mini, and everything in between. We also hope they will give some thought to design.”
“If indeed the market for small PCs skyrockets, you then have to ask yourself, ‘Why the heck does Apple have to be the company that once again lights the fuse?’ How humiliating,” Dvorak writes.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: What’s humiliating about the fact that Apple is the company that once again lights the fuse? Aren’t you used to it by now, John? Exactly how many decades of proof do you need? We expect Apple to lead. The only way it could be humiliating is if you hate Apple for some reason, work for a Wintel box assembler like Dell, or don’t like being proven wrong time after time after time. Perhaps you’re starting to realize that you’re on the losing team, John?
Dvorak goes on and on about what he thinks a small form factor PC should be, but he’s way off base as usual because he still seems to refuse to understand what a Mac is and what it can do. Dvorak seems to think iLife, Mac OS X, Safari, and the rest of the Apple’s applications are the same as the software available for Windows, it must all just be marketing hype – there are no differences. It’s as if he sees no value in Apple’s Mac OS X operating system and Apple’s software and the synergy they all have with the Mac hardware and the users. Everything for Dvorak seems to be seen from the Windows perspective, so it’s only natural that what he imagines a “PC mini” should be ends up being dull, uninspired, and pedantic.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
FrankenMac mini, it’s alive! Man rips apart Mac mini, turns it into PC – January 31, 2005
Where Apple leads, Wintel follows years later – January 31, 2005
Defending Windows over Mac a sign of mental illness – December 20, 2003
Actually, my cube is still running, and actually there is still a strong following. How many people are using their 5 year-old PCs, with NO UPGRADES for the newest OS, and using the newest Adobe grafx software?
NoMacForYou: Was there a question? Your indiscernible rantings have faded into the background …of hysterical laughter!
Magic word: “with” …as in “We aren’t laughing with you, we’re laughing at you.”
You folks need to learn a special technique for reading – it is called COMPREHENSION!
The article was fine. When Dvorak spoke about humiliation, what he meant was that the PC world has HAD the small form factor for a few years but has done nothing with it. If anything, the comment was a positve towards APPLE and a slam on the PC world – as in “aren’t you PC boys tired of AGAIN being upstaged (humiliated) by a company that ony has a 2% market share?”
I am as much of a die hard Mac fan as all of you here – but quit firing off “Dvorak is an idiot” posts. And that goes for you MDN.
And he is right – if the Mini is successful you will see the other PC companies try to get some market share by releasing “mini” type computers. Isn’t that the way it always is?
Remember, it took the fruity little iMac to make the PC boys realize that people would accept cool cases that weren’t beige. Now, the Mini may “inspire” the PC boys to get off their butts and do sonething – and quit being humiliated by Apple.
Chris,
” rel=”nofollow”>Photo.
Oh, and by the way… Dvorak is an idiot.
unlike the other fanboys, i’m not going to diss the shuttles. i have a ideq myself and they’re good for what they do. god knows shuttle has contributed more innovation to computers than dell or gateway ever has.
but the mac mini is a serious shot across the bow. just being a lot smaller than a regular tower isn’t good enough anymore. unfortunately, the interesting cooling techniques that all the sff firms use now really don’t allow much more miniturization. to take advantage of this new market that apple has created, they will have to start sacrificing raw power(prescott chips, ha!) for size.
shuttle took a huge risk pushing sff’s and i’d like to see THEM start taking chunks out of dell’s marketshare as machines move smaller. but nobody can compete with apple’s design and engineering so it’s a game of catch up from here on out.
“Remember, it took the fruity little iMac to make the PC boys realize that people would accept cool cases that weren’t beige.” – Chris
…and they still aren’t making anything interesting. And it’s been what – eight years since the iMac was introduced? Pathetic.
magic word: hard …as in “You’ll have to look hard to find any Wintel assembler who can even steal from Apple with any competence.”
Hey NoMacForYou…
Nice rebuttles. Are you 13? Do you get bullied by those nasty boys at your locker between Math and Geography?
I’m sure you did sell a TON of those shuttles. And I’ll bet you’re a successful businessman with a big mansion in Neverland…
I just love it when the PC faithful express their opinions. They can’t argue or debate with quality, so they take a lesson from some political junkies and start with the name calling that shows their TRUE Intellectual level….
Nomacforyou – You likely should head over to some of the Liberal Political sites, as your name calling will fit in nicely in that environment.
BSOD Has become fond of sandpaper. He clued us all in on what its like, and how he feels about it…
Steve Jobs: So BSOD how are you feeling today?
BSOD: Oh I’m fine, I’m walking a little funny today but i’ll be okay.
Steve: Thats great BSOD, Do you have time for one more?
BSOD: Sure Just give me a mini to bite on while you do “the deed”.
Steve: Thats strange, I could of sworn I left the sandpaper in here last time.
BSOD: Oh that, Yeah, my wife said it was interfering with the dill she used to stickin….
Steve: Oh okay, well, I’ll tell you what, we have just created the iDildo with a built in 40-60 grit. Its the fastest 64 bit 2 stroke dildo inside cupertino, and is compatible with ass traffics famous Milf Hunting Foot long focker, wanna try?
BSOD: Anything for you bubba, Just give me some cherry anal ease 1st…
BSOD: Oh Steve, you are soooooooooooo innovative…Hehe
Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers!
Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers!
http://www.dimout.com/anal-ease-flavor.html
Hey MDN,
why don’t you put some spam filter on this great site and comments? Thank you.
By the way, anybody has seen this great ilarious news on “Windows flying cars..” on The Register??
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
Have a look, it’s great!!!!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/28/flying_car_all_at_sea/
I am so honored.
And at some point, hopefully, the MDN webmaster du jour will realize that some of the posts on this thread have degenerated to such a level that warrants a deletion or two, and do just that. And we’ll all feel so much cleaner.
However, what I’d like to see if they do indeed get deleted is at least a “message deleted by MDN for off-topic content” or something to that effect.
Of course, that would then apply to this message, too, but I won’t mind.
Two constants in the world:
Apple will continue to innovate.
Dvorak will continue to be an idiot.
* TO “Bill Palmer”
You are a bore. Your site sux, and you are an egomaniac.
Blog yourself with the lights off, please?
SB
Apple innovates wintel imitates
I suppose the “humiliating” thing for Dvorak is that none of the big “innovative” companies like Dell, IBM, HP or even some of the smaller and nimbler vendor that ship even more custom gear came up with the Mac mini (nor could they have based n what’s available from the various motherboard makers)
Hmm. I really tried to be objective on this one, but I’m afraid either I failed, or the guy’s an idiot.
I have personally blown up three small boxes and can only attribute this to heat problems caused by too many components crammed into a limited space with a hot hard drive. That said, I still like these units, and they’re not expensive.
So he likes them even though they’re so badly designed that he’s managed to blow up THREE of them ? Why the hell does he still buy them if they keep blowing up no him ?
We hope that the little devices will not overheat and bring bad PR to that segment.
So he has three sff PCs that blow up, but he’s concerned that the mac will be the one that kills it off for him. Maybe he’s right. Maybe if the Macs blow up, people will dismiss these. If the PCs blow up, well, what did you expect, it’s a shitbox PC !
The Nimble Microsystems V5 that Dvorak mentions in the article is a joke. Read the specs, they are laughable (though to be fair it is very niche for video conferencing):
VIA C3 Eden 733MHz
256MB DDR (expandable to 512MB)
30GB
1280×1024 resolution and 32-bit color
Built-in Microphone,3W Amplifier, stereo jack x 2USB (2.0) x 4, Ethernet Port x 2, PS/2 x 4, VGA x 2
IEEE 802.3 10/100BaseT x2
IEEE 802.11 Wireless PCMCIA
Windows XP
2” x 7.7” x 7.7” (in)
And the best, $899
I think it’s humiliating….for anyone BUT Apple. Like MDN, I look to Apple to ‘light the fuse of change’. Not Dell, not Gateway and most definitely NOT Microsoft.
BTW, with his reference to the mini ITX and mini ATX motherboards, didn’t Apple release the Cube beforehand? (Cube released in July 2000).
What’s with this “NoMacForYou” dude … clueless all of the time it seems! BSOD is being more than fair in describing the real situation
in terms even “NoMacForYou” could perhaps understand … of course
I’m assuming a lot just there.
Hey, NoMacForYou, I ain’t a Mac-fan-boy, I’ve used more kinds of computers than you’ve had hot lunches, so try to resist your usual shallow and rude replies. Try to earn some respect by a well considered and meaningful post. Otherwise, go lurk on a Wintel site
… we do not need your vindictive disgusting vitriol here! Talk about lowering the tone of the place!
Magic word is “went” as in “NoMacForYou” couldn’t come so he …
“Dvorak couldn’t pour water out of a glass if the instructions were on the bottom.”
Nice one Pete, but you should have given President Lyndon Johnson’s unexpurgated Texas version when he was describing the intelligence of an unnamed official:
“He’s so dumb he couldn’t pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel.”
As for Dvorak, I guess he’s humiliated about how consistently wrong he is when it comes to Apple and their products.
” Dell mini, an HP mini, and everything in between”
It’s the software stupid..no-no..it’s the hardware?… no,it’s the games!…no wait…
Its Apple the company that makes the difference you f**king moron!
marketing machine?
when was the last time you saw OS X in an Apple ad?
don’t most PC users assume Macs use P4 chips and thusly, fare miserably with their ‘pathetic’ 1.5Ghz clockspeeds..?
Face it.. while iPod marketing kicks ass.. Mac marketing sucks..
The Mac thrives in spite of Mac marketing, not because of it..
Boy, that jonny dorkvac….
Sure, there have been mini ITX computers out for years. The iPod wasn’t the first MP3 player either. Come to think of it, there were “toolless” opening PC cases for 3 years before the G3 Blue and White tower. In all three of these examples, Apple wasn’t first. SO WHAT? When Apple introduced each of these products, they were done right. They had class, elegance, easy of use, style, and provided the best all around end user experience. The side opening easy access motherboard of the G3/ G4 beats the pants off of the G5.
And, on the other side, think about areas where Apple WAS first to market with a great product… iTunes Music Store, Airport, Airport Extreme, and Quicktime (before Real and MS). It doesn’t matter if Apple is first, second, or 3rd out with a product. It will be done right.
I think its time MDN stops publishing anything from this dope. Surely there are more credible editorials out there worth discussing than the latest dribble from John C. Dvorak.
Hes just not entertaining anymore.