Headless iMac A Reality: Meet Mini Mac
from the so-it-goes... dept
Well, as was completely expected thanks to over eager legal team spilling the beans on which rumor sites were right about what, it appears that Apple has released a “headless iMac,” called the “Mini Mac.” The low end version is supposed to ship for under $500. Of course, the real trick may be convincing people why they want this. There are some obvious uses to the more geeky among us, but having the applications that really excite the average person may still be a challenge. In the meantime, though, it looks like Apple is trying to step in in-between the iPod and the computer, and show all those companies who keep trying and failing, how a home media hub is really supposed to work. Update: The press is now coming out with all the details, including the flash-based tiny iPod that can only be played in “shuffle” mode.
Comments on “Headless iMac A Reality: Meet Mini Mac”
iPod shuffle
shuffle mode is an option, but you can play in a normal “looping” mode as well.
For 'switchers' mostly
Looking at the spec’s and comparing them with the eMac and low end iMac, this machine really only makes sense for a ‘switcher’ or current mac user who already has the existing peripherals.
Though the size of the thing is nice for folks who don’t want to lug a laptop between work and home.
And let’s face it; Steve Jobs can sale an item which a lot of folks look cross-eyed at; including me. Mini Ipod … whoda figured ?
A classic entry-level machine
It’s fine for people who might otherwise buy a $450 eMachines PC. It’s also quiet, so will go fine in the living room next to the widescreen TV and stereo…
more stuf...
it can also be used as a USB keychain drive too. It can do more than just shuffle, has 12 hour battery life, weighs almost nothing. It’s really pretty cool.
I was at MWSF today and got to play with the new stuff. The Mac mini is a decent little machine and the price is nice. iLife 05 is nice, and “Pages” seems to be a fairly full-featured word processing application.
Oh yeah, and ...
And probably the most important thing I forgot is what most folks complained about with the all-in-one models. If you invest in the mini and then update later, you get to keep your investment in your peripherals. Apple has the best LCD displays bar none. I love my imac but know that when I go to replace it, I’m tossing a perfectly good LCD. Now I could by a mini and a 20 Inch display and know my LCD will be viable for my next upgrade cycle.
I assume once apple solves the heat problem of stuffing a G5 into a laptop that the mini will see a G5 upgrade as well. But it would only cost the $500 for the mini and not the associated extras.
I’m hoping that Apple will stay with this tactic and not kill it off real quick. I think the upgrade cycle would be much shorter for the typical user (many mac heads only upgrade every 5 to 7 years) who is fairly cost conscience. On the downside for share holders, I suspect the profit margin on these isn’t all that high.
No Subject Given
It’s funny how a lot of people on the PC side miss the point of releasing a low cost Mac. (And possibly shows their lack of business skills, but that’s another story)
Because of the low price point, I’ve had friends tell me they are now considering getting this to start dabbling with Apple software. Before, it cost too much to buy a Mac to play around with extensively. Now that you have a machine that doesn’t have all the extras included jacking up the price, it’s possible now for many more to start experimenting.
It’s about time…
Re: No Subject Given
Hey I already got my free ipod last fall, so these things seriously work. Check out their offer for a free mac mini…
http://www.macminis4free.com/default.aspx?r=186505
It’s pretty damn easy to cancel the efax offer, you don’t even have to call, you just tell a guy online to cancel. It’s a piece of cake.