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ack_mac
Veteran Member
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Posts: 605
Location: Northern VA (DC)
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 Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 10:45 am Post subject: Re: The "new" mini |
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| iMav wrote: | | jthawke wrote: | | The added cost for what I feel is "force fed" features along with what is most likely a worse, and at best . . . equal, graphics card for more money seems like a slap in the face. |
So, you have the ONE G4 Mac Mini that supports core image?  |
But can the new inegrated graphics card play WoW? My Radeon 9200 can without a problem. Remember, just a year ago Apple ripped specifically on Intel and integrated graphics as being inferior to the Mini's Radeon card at playing 3D games....
I am very glad to see the Mini support core image, but the point that several of us are trying to make is that Apple definitely compromised by using integrated graphics. It may be just enough to get by, but they could have put a better graphics card in the Mini and really addressed all the previous generation Mini's issues.
Heck, my $399 Xbox 360 has the same amount of RAM, a custom made three symetrical core PPC CPU that runs at 3.2GHZ each, and a custom graphics card that is state of the art.
All I am saying is that for an $800 computer, the Mini should have a better video card. But, at the end of the day most entry-level users who do not play games will not really care.. That is clearly who Apple was targeting, not people like us....
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iMav
Veteran Member
Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Posts: 2172
Location: Columbus, WI
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:44 am Post subject: Re: The "new" mini |
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| ack_mac wrote: | | [But can the new inegrated graphics card play WoW? My Radeon 9200 can without a problem. |
I would be shocked if the GMA950 faired any worse than the 9200 with WoW. (and my guess would be that it may even be a BIT better)
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http://geekhack.org |
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kevinuk42
Junior Member
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Posts: 27
Location: Wales, United Kingdom
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:12 pm Post subject: The new mini!! |
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My mini was purchased a year or so ago, but i think i will wait for the next edition of this excellent machine to come out. This is the first mini with intel, so i think they will learn and make the next mini EVEN better!!! Untill then, im just gonna get myself a 1gig memory card and make it feel like i have updraded my current mini!!!  |
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walter_f
New Member
Joined: 01 Mar 2006
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:43 pm Post subject: Re: video |
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| Rondjones54 wrote: | | What's the video card?? |
Hmmm... Crap?
Designed by Intel for very low priced PC notebooks?
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picaman
Veteran Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2005
Posts: 1444
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:47 pm Post subject: Re: The new mini!! |
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| kevinuk42 wrote: | | My mini was purchased a year or so ago, but i think i will wait for the next edition of this excellent machine to come out. This is the first mini with intel, so i think they will learn and make the next mini EVEN better!!! Untill then, im just gonna get myself a 1gig memory card and make it feel like i have updraded my current mini!!! |
The PPC Mini didn't change much over its lifecycle. Just about the only things that changed were optional items becoming part of the standard config, and a very small (and never official) MHz and VRAM boost. I think that, hardware-wise, what you currently see on the Intel Mini is about what you will see over the life of this product as well.
I think there will be more incremental changes (1GB standard config instead of 512MB, for instance), but not much else. This is a loss-leader product for Apple in many ways, and they won't be making many (if any) capital investments in hardware changes. Rev. A worries aside (I think this may be a non-issue here) now is as good a time as any to buy if buying fits your current needs.
Having said that, I ain't buying it. I'm with you--I'm happy with my PPC Mini as it fits my current needs.
Jamie |
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picaman
Veteran Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2005
Posts: 1444
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:57 pm Post subject: Re: video |
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| walter_f wrote: | | Rondjones54 wrote: | | What's the video card?? |
Hmmm... Crap?
Designed by Intel for very low priced PC notebooks?
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It's the one area of concern in what is otherwise a fantastic feature set for the price, but I'm willing to reserve final judgement until people have gotten their hands on an actual machine.
My wild guess is that it with an upgrade to 1GB of memory it will be at the very least roughly comparable to the present config.
Jamie |
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spalkot
Junior Member
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 41
Location: Houston, TX
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:58 pm Post subject: No $500 |
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I like the new minis, but I want to see Apple release a $500 version again, even if it is not a particularly fantasticly-spec'd machine. I remember when the mini came out, the real hype wasn't about its small size, its quietness, or its processing power; the headline was the availability of an affordable Mac for once. I'm one of the switchers, and I did so b/c I could buy a refurb 1.25 for $430 on the website, and add a gig of ram for $120. The $600 version is fine, but a $500 version would go very far in luring college students, low-income young (and old) professionals and people who may have the money for a better system but are not computer buffs and don't need much. I think the lack of a lower-cost machine will keep a lot of people from switching, and will reinforce any notion that Apples are not a good value. (yes, I know you get what you pay for, but I'm thinking in absolute terms of the cost and people's incomes, not relative terms of what you get).
Stephen |
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picaman
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Joined: 16 Aug 2005
Posts: 1444
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:07 pm Post subject: Re: No $500 |
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| spalkot wrote: | | I like the new minis, but I want to see Apple release a $500 version again, even if it is not a particularly fantasticly-spec'd machine. |
It's a valid point, to be sure. $500 is a break-point price for a lot of consumer goods.
Jamie |
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Roughneck
Junior Member
Joined: 03 May 2005
Posts: 42
Location: San Pedro, California
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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Well, let me chime in.
While I love 90% of the new Mac Mini, the integrated video is IMHO a horrible offering for a general purpose home computer. Some of you will say, hey, Macs aren't for games. Well, MOST Macs aren't for games.
The $500 Mac should be ALL ABOUT games because it's not about Photoshop. It's definitely not about MAYA. It's not even about Indesign.
The Mac Mini has essentially become a good entry level educational computer. It's great for K-12 and higher ed where they don't want their students playing games.
It's no longer a good enough value IMHO to warrant the price tag. IMHO, it makes more sense to purchase a lower end PC if you need a general purpose home computer for under $600.
How difficult would it have been to keep the form factor to a minimal, yet include an X300 or X550 video card in the unit? Then you'd have a computer that run word, excel AND Halo & Doom.
I'm disappointed. In essence Apple has decided to not upgrade the video capabilities of the mini AT ALL, yet improved other properties.
Bleh.
I love my current mini, but from now on all my desktop systems are going to be PCs. Give me a Macbook and my new HP Pavilion (Athlon 64 3700+, Radeon X550, 200GB HD, DVD Burner) and I'll be a happy camper.
IMHO I give this update a C-.
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The Mini is my favorite, but it's not good enough to be my only computer.
Final Specs: 1GB RAM, 1.50 ghz G4, 60GB Hitachi 7200RPM hard disk, External DVD-RW connected via Firewire, Formac Studio TVR |
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James T Kirk
Veteran Member
Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 757
Location: The Netherlands, Europe
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 3:46 pm Post subject: Re: No $500 |
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| picaman wrote: |
It's a valid point, to be sure. $500 is a break-point price for a lot of consumer goods.
Jamie |
Agree, especially when the prices in Europe are considerable higher because of higher VAT and not calculating REAL Dollar~Euro rates. Come on Apple, the dollar is about 80 Eurocents! But the Macs are more expensive in Euro's than in the America's in Dollars. And than, most Macs are from all over the world, so don't come telling us it's because of shipping! If Apple want a strong foothold in the old world, they should calculate the American prices! 
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Now on Hackintosh in G5 case! |
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JediTimmy
Member
Joined: 25 Aug 2005
Posts: 164
Location: NewZealand
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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YAY NEW F$#KING MAC F@#KING MINI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
im gettn me one.
i am dissapointed as well with the integrated intel crap graphics but as long its faster or as fast as the previous mini ill be happy. 
and dont complain about the 400Mbp Firewire coz its the same as in the iMac. in fact all the proccessor (apart from speeds) and RAM are the same as the iMac;
L2 Cache:
2.0 MB L2 cache
RAM Type:
DDR2-SDRAM PC2-5300
Front Side Bus:
667 MHz bus
RAM Amount:
512 MB (1 DIMM)
Max. RAM:
2.0 GB (2 accessible slots)
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Core Solo MacMini owner.
PS3 60GB owner.
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gunm
New Member
Joined: 13 Feb 2006
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Roughneck wrote: | Well, let me chime in.
The $500 Mac should be ALL ABOUT games because it's not about Photoshop. It's definitely not about MAYA. It's not even about Indesign.
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The only sub-$500 devices I've seen that are "all about games" are game consoles.
Gaming computers are generally among the most expensive systems in the consumer market, so I'd have to disagree with that sentiment.
Admittedly, I'm tempted to buy a core-duo Mini now, but know it's probably better (being a current G4 Mini owner) to wait until the next iteration of OS before upgrading/supplementing. However, I'm still very curious as to the real world performance of the Intel IG chip under the core-duo architecture and OS X. If the hardware sites report solid overall performance for media tasks without having to max out the RAM, I may end up getting one. |
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manatarms
Junior Member
Joined: 01 Jul 2005
Posts: 45
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:11 pm Post subject: the wait is over... |
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or is it?
Looks good to me. They are being kinda cheap on the graphics but that does'nt really effect me, but still come on! I think if apple had addressed all the issues with the first gen mini I would be installing my mini in my car and gettin a new one. Damn I am glad I didnt wait! I have had a year of great use from my 1.25 mini |
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camination
Member
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Posts: 82
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charleslaigo
Junior Member
Joined: 31 May 2005
Posts: 33
Location: Manila, Philippines
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 7:26 pm Post subject: Marketing Spin Machine |
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"Go ahead, just try to play Halo on a budget PC. Most say they're good for 2D games only. That's because an "integrated Intel graphics" chip steals power from the CPU and siphons off memory from system-level RAM. You'd have to buy an extra card to get the graphics performance of the Mac mini, and some cheaper PC's don't even have an open slot to let you add one."
Those are not my words, they are Apple's.. This is what bothers me.
Right you are ack_mac, right you are!
Folks, what we have here is the marketing spin-machine in action. Once it became clear that the whole "siphons off memory from system-level RAM" thing was sort of... embarassing, they took down the site.
Lo and behold, a magic wand was raised and oh so suddenly, "integrated Intel graphics" chips are all so nice and cuddly.
Regretting you just recently purchased a G4 Mini? Don't. |
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