“While everyone scrambles to get the Mac mini into their home theaters, some people are thinking outside the box. This concept, mocked up by Lester Ward, fits the mini into a home theater component-width dock with entertainment center-friendly connectors on the back,” Joshua Fruhlinger writes for Engadget. “Instead of buying a digital audio connector, component video converters, and external Firewire drives, this box would have it all. The larger box also makes room for additional hard drives to turn the Mini into a true media server. The idea is a good one, and we’ll probably see some accessories like this in the near future. Will they look this good, though?”
Check it out here.
hah
Brilliant! Great look, plenty of space. Just have to keep the price low enough to go with the $499 Mini.
I would make it rack mountable, at least optionally. The concept is brilliant. I’m sure a good product designer could tweak the concept a tad. You might want to enclose the entire Mac mini inside the device, leaving only the optical slot exposed. The box might need a fan. As a consumer, I’d jump on something like this though, especially if it had a full-sized DVI-D connector, optical audio and analog surround sound connectors, and even a HDMI connector on the back. I’d throw a 500GB drive in there and then get to work figuring out how to transfer movies from my Comcast On Demand box so I could burn some backup DVDs.
That does look great. I would want one if it existed
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This product already exists in the form of Firefly: http://visualcircuits.com/
that increases the size like 6fold. Not really *mini* anymore.
Awesome idea.
Three additional things are needed:
Ability to input TV signal ie some hardware box taking in analog or digital signal and converting to an Fireiwre output eg Eye TV
Ability to manage input signal – ie software that can record programs etc.
Expandibility ie DVD burner / additional storage.
Eye TV can do some of those things but I’m not too sure how well the software works and if the boxes can handle HDTV
Wow. That thing is incredibly ugly. And bulky. What a waste of someone’s time to draw up such a hideous creation.
It’s stupid and ugly. The mini is nearly perfect just the way it is – including size-wise. For more space I would plug in a FW drive and that’s it.
……….. plug in a FW drive and hide it somewhere. Get the tuner with the RF remote from ATI ( have it – excellent ) and that’s it.
Just wanted to add that.
Uhhh, aren’t the fan holes in the back? Wouldn’t docking a mini this way completely cut off its air supply and fry the CPU?
Looks good to me. There’s enough room in there for other components, including an HDTV tuner and a standard 3.5″ high speed, high capacity drive, for added storage. Just keep the price down and they have a winner.
What a dumb idea. If this is the best humanity can design I might as well kill myself.
I’m going to leave my mini at work where it can’t accidentally fall naked on a digital satellite receiver and have mutant babies.
Magic word: hard. As in it’s “hard” to believe some of these comments!
This is pretty hot. I’m going to contact them to see if they have one that fits the Shuttle PC. Now those totally rock, dude. You Mac zealots will never have it that good.
Ummm…NoMacForYou…exactly who are you going to contact to see if they make one for your Shuttle POS? It’s a concept drawing by someone, nothing more. If you’re going to troll, do it with a sense of style and reading comprehension.
Today’s magic word is “passed”, as in if this had been a formal exam you would not have passed. Or, as in your post is a lot like a kidney stone; it hurt for a moment and then it passed.
Re-NoMacForYou
You take your medication today?
I don’t think the Mac mini is the right device. No digital audio out for one thing.
The mock up is good, but not something I’d buy.
I’d rather something from Apple which was X-serve-ish. Or at least normal hi-fi component size.
You Mac zealot scumbags are just jealous. Your toys will never compare to the real power of a machine like the Shuttle. The Mac mini has a shitty 256 MB RAM and a slow-ass 1.25 GHz chip. What is that, like 1998 technology? Please.
NMFY,
actually, that concept link you provided makes sense; a ‘mini’ system with a Mac mini! If I didn’t already have full-size a/v components, that would be someting to look forward to somebody actually producing.
However, until Apple puts in HDMI or S/PDIF outputs on the mini, using it in a home theatre setup would be a technological step backwards. DVI and miniplug audio, in a home theatre? That’s so 2002!!
Perhaps in the next version, the mini (or more likely, something else entirely different from Apple) will be ready for the living room. They have until the end of 2006 to change the way we watch television here in the states (that’s when the FCC expects to take the analog spectrum out of commission). I hope they get on it…
I think the Mini Is a POS anyways. The ugly case fits so well around it..By the way everyone…All of the (NoMacForYou) posts were mine.
I’m just so pissed at him.. (He screwed my wife.) But oh well, from now on I ‘ll post to MDN as NoMacForYou…
I think its not a bad concept but really the mini just isnt equiped to handle that sort of thing. They need a few other components (built in) to make it happen. All in All, Apple needs to design and produce something for HT’s in order for any real headway to be made into our living rooms. XServe w/ DVR, DTS, 5.1 to 9.1 Surround, or THX. Also the ability to record and transmit HD. Which, So far hasent been accomplished unless you spent around 3k just for an (HD) video card. and even those are hard to find.
“Sat” as in “someones” wife accidentally “Sat” on my face.
NoMacForYou
1.25GHz G4 is 1998 technology?!
Please tell me you’re being funny…
1.25Ghz is the baseline of the eMac line.. just a year ago the baseline was 1 Ghz even (the eMac I’m using now).
So… Between the 1.25Ghz 1998 technology and the 2003 G5 at an astounding 2Ghz (
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I’ve seen you alot so I know you know damn well a 1.25Ghz is equivalent to about a 2.6 P4-2.8 P4 which is just fine for most multimedia, games, and, of course, web stuff.
Well, I still think this thing is ugly, but I have a hard time understanding why NoMacForYou has singled me out for his childish attacks. Did you create this mock-up, NoMacForYou, and are upset that I didn’t like it?
Weird. But whatever floats your boat, loser.
NMFY – you asked above why you get picked on – well, why the hell NOT? Sometime’s you’re a pretty easy target for trollish comments, and then, from time to time, you actually come up with a post that approximates logic and decorum.
(BTW, your attempts to get a “first post” post to stick this past week were pretty funny… and MDN’s capitulation, finally, was a nice victory, too – hope you enjoyed it.)
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