Welcome to the new Mac
 

http://images.apple.com/macmini/imag...op20050111.jpg
"Introducing Mac mini. Everything you need to enjoy digital photos, music, and movies, and not an ounce more. Get a fast G4 processor, slot-loading CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive and a reliable operation system in a body just 6.5" square and 2" tall. Starting at just $499."

A Mac for $499?! How can this be?! Welcome to the newest incarnation of Mac. Introduced at MacWorld in San Francisco (you must go if you've never been, it's a blast), this is the answer to the question "Why can't Mac make a cheaper computer?" This is a complete computer, OS 10.3 "Panther" and all the usual great apps (iLife ‘05 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and GarageBand), AppleWorks, Quicken 2005 for Mac, Nanosaur 2, Marble Blast Gold and Apple Hardware Test) put into a system boasting a 1.25 or 1.42GHz PowerPC G4 processor, 256MB RAM (don't worry, it goes up to 1GB), the ATI Radeon 9200 with 32MB SDRAM, a 40 or 80GB Ultra ATA hard drive, combo or superdrive, possible airport and bluetooth, and in a package measuring 6.5" X 6.5" X 2".

http://images.apple.com/macmini/imag...op20050111.jpg

The design, as usual for Mac, is brilliant. No tower, just a little gray and white box with the apple on it. This is a machine you don't really mind putting on your desk (after all it's called a "desktop", not a "deskside"). It also is quiet as a whisper, so you don't have to hide it away.

This is the death of the excuse "they are too expensive". This is $499 now, and can probably be found for even cheaper soon on ebay.

Good to see. They've needed an entry level box for a long time. First model I've considered in several years.

Looks to be essentially a headless iBook G4? Did any 3pv have them on display? Benchmarks? I'm curious how they perform vs. other G4 models.

well im pretty sure the thing wasnt designed for gaming or such like so im not expecting too great of benchmarks and stuff but dang that thing looks cool maybe i should get one for college

Check this - that computer will fit in a standard DIN hole in a car dash. If it had a faceplate you could have the coolest car stereo ever.

I am tempted.

I've played with a mac at work for a few weeks, I really liked OS X. Compiling my own stuff on it was pretty funky, but that's alright, I'm sure I could figure it out for real after a while.

But this is great, a nice, entry-level Mac, and it's DVI... neeeeaaaat.

But, those images don't look real at all, they just look like computer made mockups, is this going to ship any time this quarter?

Yep, miniMac as a CarPC crossed my mind too. one of the nice drive-bay controls would work for mp3 duty. This one is minimalist but you get the idea:

<img src="http://www.crazypc.com/images/cases/caseaccessories/lcd/mx213full.jpg">

Rawb, they're supposed to ship this month. Complications can arise but most big manufacturers have learned wallstreet doesn't like lots of lead-time from announcement to delivery. Standard procedure is to announce after inventory buildup has begun. I'm crossing fingers MacWorld fever didn't corrupt.

A smart move for Apple. I really like the design and simplicity of the MiniMac. It will give companies like eMachines a run for their money. They will have to improve the quality of their computers if they want to compete with Apple.

nice...i'm glad they're pushing down the price. plus...its tiny. like a baby... :)

awesome looking thing....I'm just waiting for the inevitable powerbook g5....love the feel of the g4 but it seems a little dated...

this is definetly a dorm room box....

The Apple store here in Seattle said Jan 22nd. The online store says "deliver by Jan 22nd." Steve Jobs held one up on stage. It's wayyy beyond mockups. ;) I think everything Jobs announced at Macworld, with the exception of the Tiger related technologies, is shipping right now.

Maybe that could be the new motto? "Design so clean you'll think a computer did it." :thumbsup:

It basically has the exact same specs as my comp. 1Gb RAM, 80GB HD, ATI 9200 graphics card, good drive. I can play Unreal 2004 at it's highest settings (largest resolution, details, etc.) on my comp with no problem. WoW runs smoothly, too. I say anything made for Mac OS can be run on this comp.

BTW, thos pics may or may not be mockups, but we all know Apple computers look really stylish. They'll certinally look that good.

i went to the MacWorld event in Sydney today (started a few hours after Steves keynote in SanFran), so i got to play with the new Mini Mac and the Ipod Shuffle... both outstanding... they're both TINY, and the price is significant.

those pics of Mini Mac are not mock-ups. thats the real deal.
the only problem (and i'm being really picky here) is that they only come with Combo drives.

but what i'm most excited from the keynote is OSX Tiger.

That thing is gorgeous. The price point is low enough that I might actually be able to afford one in the near future, so I can find out what all you mac-heads are cheering about (never used OSX first-hand)

http://store.apple.com says both models can be upgraded to the SuperDrive. Not a cheap option at $100. Could make more sense to get the combo and burn dvd's elsewhere.

I'm such a sucker. Two days ago these things were just rumors and I hadn't bought a new Mac in 6yrs. Now I'm sacrificing PC project moneys for a cute brick. I should get extremely drunk and hide the credit cards. :)

Like hell it is! It would have been a good deal with those specs 3 years ago. The base model of that thing is ridiculously overpriced as it is. Upgrade to a 1.42ghz with an 80gb drive and 1gb RAM so it's somewhat in line with a modern budget PC and throw in a keyboard/mouse, and you're at $1082. WITHOUT a monitor.

You don't already have a keyboard, mouse, and monitor?

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/images/iProduct.gif
That's all I'm saying. And relax, it's a joke...

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/images/AppleHaters.gif

I think 1.25 will be more than enough for what most people will be doing with this machine. And everyone who is complaining about it not coming with a monitor and keyboard seems to forget about the imac and emac models.

I've never been a mac user, but this would be nice to have in the living room. Connect it to the stereo and projector and you'll have a nice little home cinema.

I'll field this one. A modern budget PC does not have a decent video card. A modern budget PC does not have a gig of RAM. A modern budget PC NEVER looks good, as they save money my not hiring a design crew of world renound skill. You can't play Unreal 2004 smoothly on a budget PC. A modern budget PC will probably crash pretty often. A modern budget PC's processor (let's say Intel Pentium 4 Processor with 2.80GHz, 533 FSB) can't keep up with a 1.25GHz PowerPC G4. A modern budget PC's operating system, XP Home Edition, can't keep up with OS 10.3. A modern budget PC is lucky to have CD-RW (See Dell site, the least expensive CD-RW machine is $679). The modern budget PC has a tower that's over 18" tall and that's loud when it's thinking.

Base Mac mini + keyboard/mouse + decent monitor = $700

Then of course there is the iPod Shuffle.
http://images.apple.com/home/2005/im...oa20050111.jpg
Aparently, life is random. As official soundtrack to the random revolution, the iPod Shuffle Songs setting takes you on a unique journey through your music collection — you never know what’s around the next tune. Meet your new ride. More roadster than Rolls, iPod shuffle rejects routine by serving up your favorite songs in a different order every time. Just plug iPod shuffle into your computer’s USB port, let iTunes Autofill it with up to 240 songs and get a new experience with every connection.

Storage: 512MB or 1GB (120 or 240 songs)
Battery life: Up to 12 hours
Charge Time: About 4 hours
Skip protection: skip free playback
Port(s): USB 1.1 and 2.0
Size: 3.3" X 0.98" X 0.33"
Weight: .78 oz.

to add to wil...who doesn't have a monitor yet? i've had the same one for 4 systems now...i think i first had this one connected to a performa 650, if that means anything to you. if it doesn't...think OLD.

but yeah...i wish they'd launched Tiger. i've been waiting for that for a while. i'm still running Jag until Tiger releases, and the lack of updated JavaScript is making me frustrated.

Hell, I still wouldn't even consider buying this. I don't want a computer unless I can build it to be exactly what I want it to be. Apple will never be able to do that. Not to mention If I actually knew a guy that would buy something that cute I'd laugh in his face and question his sexuality.

this computer doesn't look that bad. i remember when i used to have a really cheap computer about 5 years ago. it had a 400 mhz processor, 64 mb of pc100 sdram, and a 2 mb video card. it was pretty pathetic, and the new mac can easily outrun the pc i had 5 years ago.

I'm confused. Are you going to laugh in my face and question my sexuality? :confused:

Obviously, style isn't for everyone. Some guys will always wear socks under their sandals, and wear black shoes and a brown belt. That's okay for you. If you want to live that way, no one will stop you. Don't ruin our party, though.

BTW, I'm straight, but if I were gay, would that be so bad? It sounds like you have a very highschool stand on sexuality. Are you under 18?

I have already answered your first question...

I turn 28 Saturday. I can have any opinion I want on sexuality. I don't need to change my opinion just because you don't like it.

We know you hate Macs, sixate. I've read your posts about iTunes and such, and we get it. Calling someone gay isn't an opinion, btw. You questioned my sexuality, and I told you that your "opinion" was wrong. An opinion can't be wrong, and your statement is actually an accusation via innuendo. I hope you understand the difference between the two.

Remember in the rules for Tilted where it says "No baiting (trolling) - Posting comments with the intention to draw the ire of your fellow board members is just as bad as insulting them directly"? What about "If you do not like a post for it's content or it's author, it's best to hit the back button on your browser rather than giving your heated two cents"? Just a reminder. :Thumbsup:

I agree with everything Sixate said. The biggest reason I'll never buy a Mac isbecause I can't build them or mod them to suit my own tastes, not to mention I just really don't like the user interface. The iPod Shuffle is only cool because of its size and cost, but I don't like the lack of a display, nor is the 'shuffle' gimmick a selling point to me. And, yes, all Apple's white, cutsie-looking boxes are way too fem.

First, I'm not trying to bait a comment/response out of anyone. If I was trying to do that you'd really know it. I love how when someone doesn't like an opinion it's automatically a troll.

And if you were actually following this rule you would just ignore me and not comment about anything that I ever say. Right? :thumbsup: So lets hit the back button on your browser after reading this because you obviously don't like what I have to say..... Just a reminder. :)

Religion takes all forms.

I haven't been in the Mac world for a few years but I'm enthused about the MiniMac form factor. I've built car and humidor PC's and know it's tough to get down the size of this thing. They're usually based on some ill-performing embedded platform. Look at the VIA boards. 1GHz of slowness with shabby video out & buggy drivers they never get around to finishing. A 1.4GHz PPC runs full OS X with fully developed drivers, rings around a 2GHz PC, and all in a 2" tall 6.5" square. My wish would be to remove the DVD & shorten it another 2/3".

Assuming it runs headless this thing would make a great little colo server.

Arguments about Apple's inability to create a build-to-suit machine: arguably valid.
Arguments about Macintosh computers looking "fem": invalid.
There is nothing "femenine" or "homosexual" about a clean cut all white machine. If you don't like white, fine, that's one thing. I wish iBooks came in black. and iPod minis weren't all pastel. But don't forget that white is probably the color of your geek ass, and that doesn't have homosexual tendencies... does it?

I'm a PC kind of guy. Indeed, I just spent over a $1000 building a new one.

Yet I think this looks nice. I would even consider buying one.

My wife will be surprised to hear I'm gay.


Mr Mephisto

Marriage of convenience,eh? * :lol:

*Convenient to buy when it can be disguised as a gift.

This computer isn't aimed towards anyone (straight or gay) who likes to build their own PC. It also isn't a "gaming" PC so a 1.25 or 1.42Ghz G4 and 32 meg of vram is ample. If you don't like it white, then paint it (check out applefritter.com for how-to's).

Microsoft may have the customers...

but Apple sure does come out with some nifty things. That little desktop PC is pretty interesting. I won't be getting one, but I sure as hell will be getting that Ipod. :thumbsup:

I like it. It's small, and apparently quiet. OSX is slick looking as well. I think my complaint would be the one memory slot, and the case may need some playing with to crack open. The two USB ports was a mistake - plug in a keyboard to one, a mouse to the other and...uh oh. Where does the camera go? But a wireless keyboard/mouse combo set would solve that (as would Bluetooth, as that's a BTO option.)

Other than that, it'd make a good living room box. Seeing as my fiancee wants an Apple, this will work...it's not like she does anything real intensive with her PC, and it'll work nice with her iPod and digicam seeing as it has iLife preinstalled.

Well, it can handle up to a gig of RAM. I'd also like to see it handle 2 gigs, but to be honest it isn't meant to perform the way Mac's better machines perform. It is perfect for watching vids, listening to music, and the internet.
Also, Mac keyboards have 2 USB slots on it, so you can plug your mouse into the keyboard. The bluetooth would be preferable, though. :D

Well, being a control freak I don't like the fact that you cannot fiddle around in a Mac the same way you can with a PC. That doesn't mean I think Macs are inferior to PCs, it just seems like you have less control over your computer with a Mac.

The ipod shuffle seems...well...stupid. Seriously, how much crack was the Apple designers smoking when they figured that one out? I like screens on my mp3 players thank you very much, and I suppose ipod still doesn't support ogg-files?

/me cuddles his Rio Karma :-)

How long will it be before Sony, HP, Dell and every other PC tries to make a clone of the Mac mini? I'm taking bets...

I think it's a great idea. It's a small, cheap, nice looking MP3 player. You drag 'n' drop your playlists on to it and off you go. You either play the songs in order, or you play them in random.

Sounds perfectly normal to me.


Mr Mephisto

You mean like Small Form Factor PC's that have been on the market for some time now?

The iPod Shuffle just seems like any other MP3 player to me. I'd rather get one that size with an LCD myself. Not worth the money.

I think the MacMini is different than a SFF PC. The SFF appeals to me, but the MacMini is nice because:
A) It's cheap
B) It's New (as in, has a warrantee)
C) It's quiet
D) It runs OSX.

I agree... the iPod shuffle is a bit unexciting. I'd rather look at the iRiver H10 instead of an iPod. The 'Pods are nice, but I don't need more than 5 GB or so, and the iRiver has an FM tuner, voice recorder, and the photo storage capabilites for 279 or so MSRP.

You call me gay and then claim you're not baiting, huh? WTF? Just because you say it don't make it true.

Apple is going to sell a shitload of these Minis. I predict a lot of uses will be found for this little box besides as a general purpose computer. A year from now they will be sold as bundles to make them HTPC's, car stereos, kiosk boxes, etc.

Apple didn't make the first HD based MP3 player but they when they did, they did it right and it worked. Other companies have made computer "appliance" boxes but I think this is the beginning of that done right too.

I think it looks very neat. I have no use for it, but I'd definitely buy it as a gift.

The Mac Mini is very tempting. The specs are alright for a budget system, I already own a USB hub, keyboard, mouse, monitor and the form factor is really awesome. Since its so small, I'd be able use this machine both at home and at work. The only thing thats holding me back is that I'm waiting for Tiger this year.

actually that ipod shuffle has much future use to me as both a music player...and a flash drive...
it's not made to be a permanent load up your music every now and then and go...it's meant to be more like.."time to take a run" (load up random shuffle of songs)...and run and then it's "time for boring early morning class that you wish you never signed up for" (load up another shuffle of songs) and go

ipod regular is more like bringing your music library with you wherever you go....like away from the computer for a period of time.

Looks like someone's brain is on the same wavelength as yours
http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/01...auto/index.php

This appears to be Apple's first foray into home media computers, albiet the audio output seems to be lacking. It's got a DVI connection so you could easily hook this thing up to an HDTV. The fact that it's so compact and noiseless makes it a pefect fit with a home entertainment system. I wonder if Apple will me marketing a wireless capable IPOD sometime soon?

I think the point is simplicity. You don't need a screen. As said above, you make the playlist and drop it in, and either play in the order you defined, or just let it shuffle them on its own. No need for a screen. While I'll stick to my standard ipod, I don't think it's a terrible idea. But yes I agree that I'd like to see ogg on the ipod, but I'm an ituneser anyway so I just use AAC.

Also remember the "Megahertz myth" people: 1.42 Ghz G4 != 1.42 Ghz Pentium 4. The G4 is faster.

For all of you whining that blah blah blah I can't custom build a mac and it doesn't fit my needs you have to realize what market this fits. This is made for someone that wants something small and simple, like lets say if I had an older relative that needed something, this machine is just plain simple, perfect for someone that doesn't need much. As long as this thing is reliable and has some good quality hardware in it (from a reliability standpoint) it's a winner in my book, sure it wouldn't meet MY needs but for someone that needs simple and afford, damn.
Awesome idea, I might have to do a little more research on this, and the price is about right.

If you really like building and moding computers, try building or moding a Mac. My motherboard has a video card built into it (ATI Radeon 9200). I removed it and installed a better one. It took me about 3 weeks. Let me tell the the X800 freaking screams. For those who say you can't build of mod a Mac to your tastes, I say all you need is Mac training. It's more difficult than PC, but it is far from impossible. If you say you don't want a Mac because you want a challenge, you're missing the best challenge out there.

Buy Apple stock. now.

Seriously, every female 12-30, and some guys, are going to want this thing. I predict it becomes the "cool" dorm item to have.

I have been a die-harp pc user for many years, but as soon as the cash starts flowing again I am totally getting on of these and a kvm switch try out the pure sex that is panther

well, I'm not gay, but i think it's cute and if something that small can do so much, then who cares what it looks like, and just bloody marvel at the fact that it can and that it not like this anymore.http://ssl-computing.web.cern.ch/ssl...hite-coats.jpg

The mini would be the perfect replacement for my Cube (it was a graduation gift), but I really need the portability of a laptop. I suppose I could get a cheap PC laptop, but damn that brand loyalty! I'll wait for the PowerBookG5 to slam the price of the G4. And I like the shuffle, I don't need 40 gigs of music at the gym! And I don't need something to play with there, either! (don't steal music) Haha, that's from the Apple website. -T

*drool* I LOVE iPod's, but I just couldn't justify the cost. But I sure as hell can justify $99-150! I am so getting this!

McFrosticles - c le MicrosFt

Exactly when was a 32 MB ATI 9200 a 'descent' video card? 1985?

I'm looking on newegg and you can't even buy those there anymore. Even the 64MB version of the 9200 is only $40.

If I wanted a dumbed down computer with no features on it, I'd buy this. $399 and it comes with a monitor, keyboard and mouse.

The infamously overpriced compusa has tons of models that offer a better price and more features.

Shit, this computer just about outperforms the minimac. It too has a cool design that will leave many questioning your sexuality:

http://image.compusa.com/prodimages/...225a23435c.gif

Processor Brand: Intel
Processor Class: Celeron D Processor
Processor Number: 330
Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
Bus Speed: 533 MHz
Cache Size: 256 KB
Memory Technology: DDR-SDRAM
Installed Memory: 256 MB
Hard Drive Capacity: 40 GB
Video Chipset: ATI® RADEON™ 9100 Pro IGP
Video Bus: AGP (Version Unspecified)
Video Integration: Motherboard
Additional Drives: DVD/CD-RW Combo
Installed Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

If you like Mac's this is great, but it is certainly no budget solution for anyone....the 499 machine is garbage, I could build a "budget" computer for under 700 that will spank the living shit out of that paperweight. In fact my $200 Emachine could prolly do that right now...Athlon 3000+ ,768MB ram(upgraded. 256 stock) with a 9800Pro(e-bay for $100) When will people learn? You simply cannot fuck with the pricing, compatibilty, and ease of use of PC's!!

Yea, but that comp is the size of a schoolbus.

:lol:

...oh wait, you were being serious. Nevermind.

I'll skip the obvious short bus comment.

Although size matters, performance matters even more.

When you upgrade the RAM to 512, make it a super drive (the current standard for pretty much any PC over $600), and add the mouse and keyboard, you are up to almost $900. An outdated computer for $900. It gets better, the order screen on the apple store fails to mention that it doesn't come with a monitor (it's not even listed as an upgrade). Since this is pushed as an entry level PC, it's not likely that they have a monitor lying around. I'm sure that there will be many who order it only to find out they still need a monitor.

Once you add the monitor, you're at about $1100. You can get a damn fine PC for $1100. Surely it would be much better than some outdated POS. However, it might not look 'cool'

While an interesting Idea, its been Done. If anyone claims that SFF PC's are much different they're crazy.

Apple. Throwing last years parts in a small box, and charging you premium prices for them.

but at least they get cool celebrity endorsements

To you, yes. I belive that you are looking more for a performing computer that you can modify pretty easily to fit your needs. You take that at the possible expense of stability.......*stops*......how about we cool the Mac/PC wars?

How about for 5 seconds we call a truce and just simply say, "I like it" or "I don't like it"?

We know that Macs and PCs both have their ups and downs. This thread isn't about that, or a Mickey Mouse computer :hmm: . This is about the announcement of the Mac mini and the iPod shuffle at MacWorld. I don't go into PC threads and spread Mac propoganda, so isn't it fair I should expect you to respect the cease-fire?

ok.

admit it, that mickey mouse computer is pretty funny.

:lol: :lol: :lol: The finniest part is that it actually performes pretty well. A little RAM upgrade (maybe 512, or even 1g), and you can put a dozen of those into your office.

I'd pay money to get my employer to toss out our computers and get those instead. Today's PC's are for the most part, way overpowered for the typical office environment. I make spreadsheets and word documents.

My office computer has no use for vid cards (or even sound for that matter). Hell, since all of our work is stored on the main network drive, the HDD only needs to be big enough to store the programs you use and the OS. Instead, I have this huge 80GB HDD and a 15" LCD monitor. What a waste. However, since people are so driven by advertisements that say you need a better computer, they spend top dollar when they think they need a new one.

It would be too freaking cool to see those set up in an office setting.

i thought we were done with this. guess not.

is it just me, or is it seriously fucked up that we seem incapable of having a discussion of computers with out gay baiting?

unless you are having sex with your computer, please do not mention sexual orientation while discussing what kind of personal computer you prefer. if you do fuck your computer, please do not tell us about it.

does that cover things?

:rolleyes:

I'm thinking of getting one. Why?:

1. I always wanted to play with OSX.
2. It looks cool, makes a great conversation piece.
3. I have a few monitors laying around and I can connect it to my USB KVM switch.
4. Now that I've read this thread I like the idea of using it as a in-car mp3 player. I'm sure mods will be out soon. It's only natural.
5. I have that much and more just waiting to be spent on something :D

And please, relating choice of computer platform with sexual orientation is just childish. Everyone get over it.

Besides, true computer geeks will play with any OS/PC platform they can get there hands on!!!

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Any platform/size/speed/color/shape can be analyzed to death or tried and appreciated.

Religion has no place in computing. Especially with cool little consumer electronics gadgets.

It's also great as a second mac. Or an addition to a gaming PC, which is what I plan to do. A beastly ugly monster of a PC and a sexy little mac mini for real work.

I like it, but not enough to run out and buy one. I think they may be overdoing the "chiclet" look.. I'll take old silver and grey, even brushed metal when possible, over white or pastel platic any day, especially if the little bugger is gonna sit in my living room. BTW I love my G4, and I'm gonna cry like a gayboy when I have to part with it..* Just a joke, people! I'm not Gay or homophobic..ahem..*

I just read a very interesting analysis of the Mac Mini-vs-cheap PC comparisons by Paul Thurrott. He focuses on the Mac in his writings, and is typically a huge critic of anything that they do. The analysis is pretty long, I'll just quote the conclusion:

willtravel, admit it--you're Steve Jobs, right?

Hahahahahaha. Yes.
Nah, not really. As much as I'd love to take credit for personal computer popularity, silicon valley bubbles, the iPod, and the Porsche of computers....I don't want credit for Pixar.
If it makes you feel better, I do dress similar to Jobs. Black shirt, nice jeans and comfortable running shoes.

(Check out Steve Job's Rolling Stone interview at http://www.rollingstone.com/news/sto...as-player=true)

EDIT: It's Willravel. No "t". Common mistake. "Will" is my first name, and "Ravel" is one of my favorite composers (French Romantic/Contemporary/Impressionist classical music composer Maurice Ravel - http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/profiles/ravel.shtml).

The only thing I dislike about the shuffle is shuffle part of it, wish you would see what tune was coming

It looks like Apple has already lowered the prices of the Mac Mini upgrades.....

Slashdot Article

lpj8, that's a good article. I can only hope that Mac can start directly competing in the low price market. Imagine a Porsche that drives like a Porsche, but costs like $12,000. It's something to look forward to.

uh, when did pc's, specifically low-level economy pc's, become fashon statements? and dont trendy hipsters and whoever else cares what their computer looks like. modders im not talking you guys, thats quite different: you guys create art. how can something produced by the thousands, made for the masses compair? now i think what apple is doing with its g5 is hot. and i dont mean the case, aside from nice airflow. 64bit is looking mighty good these days, im tempted to make the jump. but thats nether here nor there.

minimac is a workstation at a decent price, not worth wetting ourselves.

I'd say around '99 when the original iMac came around. The idea of a computer that doesn't lead to depression from looking at it changed the market. Look at most modern computers. All of them have at least some stylistic design. Mac is simply at the forefront of the design market. Even Mac OS 10 is stylized. Would you buy a Porsche that lookes like a Kia? I see second guessing the purchase of a Mac that looked like a Dell as being the same thing. Mac has a reputation to uphold.

lol, when you can't beat them on performance or price, bring style into the picture.

why not? why do people buy acuras? you could get the same frame and nearly the same engine on a honda? fashion is a major selling point...people want to feel good about their purchases, and like the technology they use.

Would the Mac Mini be a good choice for a graphic design student? Monitor, keyboard and mouse are no big deal. I'm getting those from a relative. Or is the tiny hard drive going to pose a problem?

For those of us who do more with our computers than admire their shiny cases and multicolored LEDs, style is pretty meaningless. The only time I look at mine is to put a CD in it. Otherwise I'm busy *using* the thing.

My desktop tower is ugly as hell, and my brand new Thinkpad is a plain black slab. But the money spent on them actually goes into meaningful things like good hardware rather than being whatever color is in fashion at the moment.

If you want to pay a premium for a computer that looks cute, more power to you. But it's silly to claim that it's objectively superior for that reason.

Nobody is, to my knowledge. some consumers are highly responsive to style and form, some only care about function. but it's preference, and Mac makes the choice to make an appeal to the form/style folks. I don't think they slack on function at all, but that's my Mac loving opinion.

No, that probably wouldn't be a good choice for a design student. If you're dead-set on getting a mac, you'll have to get one of the higher end macs. Or you could get a PC and add a great graphics card for less than $1000.

Any specific reason as to why the mini mac isn't a good idea? Is it the notebook hard drive? Processor speed? Does the graphic card suck?

the vid card may choke on rendering stuff. ask the people in your design program what kind of system requirements you'll need. they should be able to steer you towards machines that can run the required software.

When it comes to graphic design, all of the above. I got an office computer that had a Radeon 9200 2 years ago, and it sucked back then. I can't believe they're still selling computers with them. Plus, there's not enough memory in the base model, and it's expensive to add more. And graphics apps are notorious memory hogs, which means a lot of virtual memory swapping has to be done. This is where hard drive performance comes in. Apple doesn't publish specs on this, but based on the other hardware it's probably slow as hell.

You're paying a premium on the downsized components and cute case rather than the hardware that actually gets the job done. If you really want a Mac, get a higher end model. If your budget is under $1000, you'll be a lot better off with a PC.