Mac Mini Updates?

[rfruth]

I feel bad , here I am gripeing about the price of a mini while others wish they had never even heard of ASD ...
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Rob (mini one day) Fruth
http://www.rfruth.net
1981 Raleigh for errands & fun
1997 Trek 2300 for real fun !
2000 Civic hatchback

[mark2741]

??? did I miss something?

[rfruth]

No Mark you didn't miss a thing
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Rob (mini one day) Fruth
http://www.rfruth.net
1981 Raleigh for errands & fun
1997 Trek 2300 for real fun !
2000 Civic hatchback

[Travis]

last night I officially gave up on waiting for the Mac Mini updates-

I ordered the iMac... if this wasn't my first apple I might have been able to wait a little longer
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iMac... comming soon!

[mark2741]

I just don't see the differences between the current Mini and the updated mini to be so much of a difference that you would move up to an iMac.

It sounds like you weren't a good fit for a Mini to begin with. 32MB of VRAM isn't worth spending hundreds more on an iMac IMO.

[Travis]

there's some other reasons too- like the iSight, built in monitor, standard superdrive, standard mouse and keyboard- if I got all that seperatly with the mini it would only be about $200 under what I am buying my iMac for. I also have alot of USB things and I would have had to buy a USB hub- so yes you are right that the Mac Mini wasn't completely right for me.
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iMac... comming soon!

[mark2741]

If I had it all to do it over again, knowing what I know now, I would buy an iMac instead of the Mini. I didn't think I'd like OS X and the available apps for the Mac as much as I have. I thought about buying an eMac last year but the price scared me away from it. I finally bit with the Mini and love it, and have spent a few hundred extra to soup it up (MiniStack, 1GB Ram, new speakers, iMic, and will probably go with a new keyboard/mouse soon). So yeah, the iMac is a better value I think once you know for sure you're going to want to use the Mac as your main computer. I didn't know that until after I had bought the Mini.

Just as well, since apparently everyone seems to be waiting for these intel-based Macs anyway. So if they're available next year and they really are better and are a good value, then I'll be ready for one and won't think twice about the investment.

Good luck with your iMac!

[Travis]

Thanks,
I know I would be happy with a mac mini too, but I am confident that my iMac will become my main computer- its's a big risk starting a new OS and buying an expensive computer, but from discussions on this forum and one's like it I think I will be happy with OS X. I really wanted the mini to be able to use OS X, but then when I realized that I will probably love the operating system I decided to go with a more powerful computer.
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iMac... comming soon!

[rfruth]

Forbes http://www.forbes.com/markets/2005/11/07/apple-intel-video-ipod-1107markets03.html?partner=yahootix
says there might be a Intel mini in January, can I wait that long if need be ?
_________________
Rob (mini one day) Fruth
http://www.rfruth.net
1981 Raleigh for errands & fun
1997 Trek 2300 for real fun !
2000 Civic hatchback

[Leander]

if there is a new intel-based mini in january, how will software be affected?

will every app/game/shareware program/freeware program that comes out immediately be intel only?

will games & apps support both an intel and a ppc main executable file? (afterall i dont expect every mac user on the planet to suddenly buy an intel-based mac)

[mark2741]

It will be the opposite of what you are asking. Similar to the 64-bit apps on the PC - there are relatively few of them even though there have been 64 bit processor PC's at decent prices for a couple of years now.

I just bought my Mini last month. I'm not in the least bit worried about the hardware switch to Intel.

[SStreet]

The problem you speak of has been handled.

With Xcode 2.1 you can create a binary that is both X86 and PPC in one package. So, all those vendors that are building apps right now are already creating dual binaries.

It might be a version upgrade before your new Mactel runs 100% native code, but you can bet the larger apps are already working on a release plan to distribute (patch?) or offer new version to be co-announced with the first Mactel.

See Steve Jobs presentation from the developer's conference.
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iMac 20" Intel Duo Core, 2G RAM, 250G HDD
Display Extended to 19" Samsung 930B LCD

Mac Mini 1.42GHz, 1G, 80G/4200RPM

[tdmckee]

Hi all,

Thanks for all the discussion regarding the secret upgrade, I was struggling with whether to try and get an upgraded one or just get a refurbed 1.42, but ended up going with the refurbed one - $599 for a 1.42/superdrive/512mb RAM/Airport+BT. Not a bad deal at all, I think - I had heard some vague speculation that they are even shipping these silent upgrades in the refurbished models, but when I checked the serial number on the apple website it just listed it as mac mini, not "late september". It's on it's way in the mail... should I hold up hope that it will actually have some updated specs, or just be happy with what I get?

I know, if trying for a new upgraded one was a gamble, trying for a refurbished one was a major gamble, but in the end I couldn't justify the extra $100 just for "new" instead of "refurbished" and the chance that I might get the upgraded specs...

Does the double VRAM really make a difference for most regular useage? The only graphics intense things I might be doing would be the occasional photoshop edit and maybe playing some dvd's. That seemed like the most desireable feature in the new upgrades, since everything else (clock speed, hard drive, superdrive, bt) you could technically add yourself with a little elbow grease and some warranty-killing mods.

[picaman]