Intel Mac mini: Dock or Not?

[admin]

Intel Mac mini: Dock or Not?
Sunday February 12, 2006

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple, for the second time in less than two years, appears to have scrapped plans to include a built-in iPod dock with some of its forthcoming Mac mini desktop computers.

"The dock connector, which was rumored to be located at the top of the computer, would effectively turn each Mac mini into an oversized docking station for iPods featuring the company's proprietary dock-connector.

Apple originally planned to add the dock only to its top-of-the-line Mac mini model, which it currently sells for $699, people often familiar with the company's pre-production computer plans said. The feature was scrapped for unknown reasons just weeks before the new computers are slated to hit production in the Far East, these people added," writes Kasper Jade and Katie Marsal for AppleInsider.

AppleInsider is also reporting that the new Intel Mac mini will go into production over the next few weeks, and make their official debut within a month thereafter. The new Mac mini is rumored to include a 1.67GHz Intel Core Solo processor, 512MB RAM, and Front Row.

Now, it's time for you to chime in. Do you think a built-in dock iPod dock on the Mac mini is a good idea or a bad idea?



http://www.123macmini.com/news/story/438.html

[HME]

How would Apple do this without ruining the look of the Mini? I don't own an iPod, so it is of no use to me... It seems like that would be too much integration. Just my humble opinion.

[Weee]

Dock or no dock... I'm buying one!

[tbealmear]

I think that it would be a kewl idea, but not sure how they would do it without making it look like crap. I would really like to buy one of the new Intel minis, but I would have to sell mine first. Anyone interested? haha
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[Yvan256]

I'm also with the "no need for a built-in dock" crowd. It would ruin the look and make it more expensive.

My iPods work just fine with their bundled cables.

[g5g5]

I don't know guys. I sort of thought the built-in dock was a cool idea. Imagine if it was sunken down into the top and made of the same white plastic. You'd barely be able to see when the iPod was disconnected. They could even include a little white plastic cap to cover the hole and connector if you didn't want to use it.
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4GB iPod mini / 2G iPod shuffle / 16GB iPhone 3G
Apple TV 2
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[Scotty]

Don't have an ipod, and in truth can't see any reason to get one. So I'd just as soon leave this elegant little box alone.... If for some reason I do get one, cables are ok with me.

Scotty

[xmen65]

If Apple starts to build the mini in a few weeks. Let's say around the first of March. It will be ready to ship by April 1st if you go by Apple Insider. That's perfect timing for a 30th anniversary event on April fools day. Maybe we'll see new iBooks, Mac minis and iPods.

[JediTimmy]

i was worried when i saw 'intel mini' and 'not' in the title of the news.

but i dont see the big deal there being no iPod dock i just want more universal binery games by the time the intel mini comes out.

hurry up apple! i want my intel mini!
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[OGN]

I don't think Apple will put a built-in dock on top of the next mini. Why? Apple can make more money selling the dock as an individual product. It's all about the Benjamins.
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[James T Kirk]

I am happy with my stealth upgraded mini 1.5 and I really don't care if the Intel mini gets a dock or not. I am more interested in the whole operating system though I like the mini. Under the same token I might even upgrade in some years for a G5 or its son. Same happened when the CD came out (yes, I'm an old f*** ) I was totally into LP records and saw the cd as something extra, not something that might take over my love for playing and recording LP's on tape (reel to reel, that is), but things changed. CD's became more and more the standard, easy, fast, quality of the players was improving fast, did not sound so "digital" anymore. 2nd Big happening was the possibility for copying your cd's onto recordable cd's. Now I have a top notch reel to reel and several cassettedecks gathering dust. The record players comes into action when I feel nostalgic and I think this is going to be happening with my 5 years old Windows/Linux pc just the same when I don't feel the need for this or that programme to run, I guess the pc will be my son's game pc within a year! At this moment I still like to own a Aopen mini pc to run a few programmes through a KVM or network or whatever (VPC is probably to slow for some programmes and to bulky to have a complete Windows installation under your OSX, but since Apple's turn to Intel might be interesting under a new VPC or even better: Wine.
The new mini which probably has a 1.67 Intel single core processor does not seem to bring enough power to show a considerable increase in speed if they do not include a 7200 rpm HD and a better equipped front side bus, which even would increase the speed of the current Mini's.
So let's see, what the future brings...
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___________________Jim©
Now on Hackintosh in G5 case!

[warlock]

Do we think the 1.67GHz Intel Core Solo will be that much faster than a 1.5Ghz G4?
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i hate wearing trousers in public!!!

[trustory]

ye i would say so, the specs for the core solo says that it features a 667mhz fsb. thats a scorcher compared to the 166mhz ppc offering.
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[James T Kirk]