Mac Mini is almost interesting

[osxhla]

Why does the Mac Mini almost make me excited but leaves me unstirred?

1. Needs dual gigabit ethernet ports, it has only one 100mbit ethernet port
2. Needs at least one Firewire 800 port
3. Overpriced by exactly $100.00 dollars.
4. The Mini shouldn't have an internal CDROM drive. I'd rather have a smaller package and a USB CDROM. A USB CDROM is nice so the user would not have to worry about getting a CDROM disc stuck inside their Mac without a manual/mechanichal eject button.

Without these features, I'm not going to retire my G4 450 Cube.

[Giaguara]

CD-ROM drives? Those area available for eduation market only, I think.. the consumers choosing between combo and superdrive. So there is no CD-ROM drive.

Id you need 2 ethernet ports, why not use wireless instead?

[symphonix]

1. The Mac mini is a low cost home computer. Why would it need Dual gigabit ethernet? Even the iMac G5 doesn't get this feature, and its not really missed. A single gigabit ethernet chipset adds a lot to a unit's cost and heat production. I can't imagine many situations where dual gigabit would ever be used, especially not on a home computer.

2. Well, it would be nice, but since most Mac mini owners won't even use firewire, and most of those who do will only use it to hook up a video camera, it seems a bit pointless.

3. How do you figure that? We've had a few arguments on this board about the price point. The fact is, its very hard to find an equivalent computer of any type that beats the mini on price. Sure, some makers are cheaper, but you get what you pay for.

4. I don't understand this one at all. I've never heard of a stuck CD, but even so, surely it would be just as likely to stick in an external drive as an internal drive. I mean, a CD drive is a CD drive, right? Just because its outside the case doesn't make any difference.

[Ceroc Addict]

Originally Posted by osxhla

Why does the Mac Mini almost make me excited but leaves me unstirred?

1. Needs dual gigabit ethernet ports, it has only one 100mbit ethernet port
2. Needs at least one Firewire 800 port
3. Overpriced by exactly $100.00 dollars.
4. The Mini shouldn't have an internal CDROM drive. I'd rather have a smaller package and a USB CDROM. A USB CDROM is nice so the user would not have to worry about getting a CDROM disc stuck inside their Mac without a manual/mechanichal eject button.

Without these features, I'm not going to retire my G4 450 Cube.

Don't agree with any of these points.

There's only one aspect of the Mac mini which leaves me wanting more (disclaimer: I have no idea about whether what I'm about to say is true - I just read it somewhere - I'd be happier if it actually wasn't): apparently you need a dual G5 machine to watch HD TV using EyeTV. The Mac mini won't cut it.

Kap

[ScottW]

It should be everything a PowerMac is, for half the current listed price of a Mac Mini. Then, it would be everything. But still over-priced. <roll eyes>

[Mephisto]

Originally Posted by osxhla

1. Needs dual gigabit ethernet ports, it has only one 100mbit ethernet port

On a "budget" home system? That makes no sense. Even HDTV would not saturate a single 100mbit port. Maybe for second or third generation Mac minis but not the first release. The reason for the delay has nothing to do with maturity of the product but more to do with a potential shift in the market. I would epect that a new Mac Mini will be released roughly 6-9 months after Tiger (if not earlier) to more fully utilize the features available in the new version of the OS.

Originally Posted by osxhla

2. Needs at least one Firewire 800 port

This I can see, but again for the target market it was probably cut to reduce cost. A Firewire 800 port would help on expandability though. If Apple wants to target the HTPC market 2 firewire ports, preferably 1394b, would be useful.

Originally Posted by osxhla

3. Overpriced by exactly $100.00 dollars.

Not in my opinion. It could probably be sold cheaper but $500 puts it at an approachable price point for the U.S. market without encroaching too much on other Apple products. Apple has never been about bargain basement prices and the Mac Mini does not change this. $400 would marginalize profit on the unit which is only viable in large volume that Apple does not have (think Dell).

Originally Posted by osxhla

4. The Mini shouldn't have an internal CDROM drive. I'd rather have a smaller package and a USB CDROM. A USB CDROM is nice so the user would not have to worry about getting a CDROM disc stuck inside their Mac without a manual/mechanichal eject button.

This will not happen. If you want an external drive buy one and do not use the internal drive. Removing the Combo Drive would not decrease the overall size much and would reduce functionality a great deal. The desire for a system from Apple without an optical drive is marginal at best. This would hurt sales significantly and would be marketing suicide for the target market.

Originally Posted by osxhla

Without these features, I'm not going to retire my G4 450 Cube.

Well I guess you are going to be keeping your Cube for a long time then

It really all boils down to one thing: The product you want is not the product that Apple is trying to sell. Further your price point is not practical, especially with the additions you demand.

[Mephisto]

Originally Posted by Ceroc Addict

apparently you need a dual G5 machine to watch HD TV using EyeTV. The Mac mini won't cut it.

Kap

True. If you have an HDTV with firewire though it can play through that quite well. The best bet for HDTV in the mini would be a breakout box to handle the decoding or for a future revision to include a hardware decoder.

[Mephisto]

Originally Posted by symphonix

4. I don't understand this one at all. I've never heard of a stuck CD, but even so, surely it would be just as likely to stick in an external drive as an internal drive. I mean, a CD drive is a CD drive, right? Just because its outside the case doesn't make any difference.

You can open most tray loading drives with a paper clip. CDs getting stuck are not common anymore, you might as well worry about getting struck by a meteor. As the drive gets old (5-6 years) the loader may fail, but if that happens you will need to replace the drive anyway.