Sub-$500 Mac?
 

Just a rumor, but think of the possibilities!

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0412expo2.html

I would love to adapt this pup as an inexpensive server for my archives.

=> Coat Room (until it's not just a rumor). ;)


edit - I'd probably buy two ASAP. And if it ran Tiger Server adequately I could likely shop a few as well.

Does Apple pay $300.00 for each CRT they put in an eMac? I think not. Reminds me of the punch line to an old joke: "We lose money on each one but we make up for it in volume."

If they do it, I will convert a lot of people to Mac this year. This is really the kick that Apple needs to gain more market share. People fail to understand price vs. value, so Apple just has to play the game the way the other players do. People aren't smart enough to look at a Mac with built-in CRT and a good software bundle for $800, then look at a Wintel machine with nothing for $500, and do the math on the extras.

Reminds me of that great Sierra Mist ad with Michael McKean and Fred Willard. "How do expect them to make any money if they are free?" "With Volume, you don't know much about marketing do you?"

Actually, there is more to a CRT than the cost of the tube. There's the case to hold it (lots of plastic), the sheilding, the weight (shipping and handling), the installation labor (very expensive) and more. Even the actual SIZE of the unit will raise the price (shipping 500 units on a truck vs. 1,500).

With the drop in hardware and memory prices and a little creative packaging, a sub-$500 may indeed be possible. And what a boon that will be for Apple!!

let us hope they don't follow the iPod inspired unic designs. I like the new iMac, but if their entire line turns into a blur of white glossy boxes I'll puke.

I wonder if anything will ever materialize from this story. Forget the sub-$500 crap, I'd like to see a sub-$1k headless mac that changed colors. :D

Swap CPU Boxes!
 

Not me. I think this is a great idea. I would even like to see the non-inclusion of keyboard and mouse. Basically, unhook your PC, throw it in the trash, and hook up the new Apple box. Everything works the same, even the right click and the scroll wheel! How sweet will that be for driving people over to Apple?

my 2 cents
 

I really want a dual G5 tower, but to be entirely honest, I just can't justify the expense with the knowledge that 1) I will be replacing my computer on average every 2 years and 2) The resale value a computer is worse than that of a car. (I don't have any stats to back me up though)

I was thinking about the new iMac (price is right), but don't want to need to toss a brand new display every 2 years.

I think that a $500 mac would be just what I need. Not just for this year, but for say the next 10. (5 over the next decade)

Also I love the idea of a no keyboard, mouse, no anything box!

I bought a dual G5 this summer partly because I don't want to replace my computer every two or even every four years. My previous system, a G4 Cube was bought in 2000. I figure I should easily make it past 2009 on this one before I experience any real system envy.

Sure, I'll upgrade memory and probably the video card before then, maybe even add a hard drive, but there really isn't anything on the horizon that a dual G5 won't be able to handle. At least nothing I'll need.

In fact, my Dual 2 ghz G5 is so fast that I run two instances of D2OL and XGrid in the background and I experience no loss of performance running iTunes, Safari, Virtual PC (fast as my Presario) and whatever else I care to do. When I'm not using the computer, my folding@home screensaver kicks in. I don't have stats on Xgrid, but my folding and my D2OL stats are way up there compared to others on any platform.

Get the dual G5, you won't regret it.

While I do too, it just doesn't fit with Apple's philosophy.

I too have reached the point where I don't see any CPU speed envy in the future. And I'm only using a 1.5GHz G4 PowerBook. I will buy my next one when they raise the resolution of the screens, but nothing I expect to do in the next two years or longer will need more processor speed than I have now. I don't game, I don't do video stuff, it's just a business machine.

Not only doesn't it fit, but who really wants to press Windoze-s to save?

I'm sure that Apple will be able to come up with new applications for high end machines for the masses, but for now a low priced Mac with a 1 ghz G4 will be attractive to lots of people. Just not me, I like my dual G5 just fine. In fact my wife's G5 iMac seems a little slow to me, after using the dual. :D

High-end folk like yourselves are basically the "choir preached to". Apple philosophy has often come in second to getting PCers to switch. A good example is seeing extensions on our files and other compromises with the Windows world. iPod has been a money-machine for Apple, especially when they ported iTunes to Windows. Happy conusmers are now tilting their head toward Apple. But PCers are cheap sons-a-guns and will not fork over $2k for a box unless they are hard-core gamers. The average family folk who are tired of viruses and daily updates would love to disconnect that box, hook up a sub-$500 Apple box and start over.
If there is a new version of AppleWorks to replace the need for Office, especially if bundled with the new boxes--watch out! They will not be able to manufacture enough of them! We'll know in 5 days.

I agree. I find PC users "cheaper is better" attitude perplexing though. They buy a PC because it's a few hundred less than a Mac, then spend untold amounts of time and money trying to get it to work. It wouldn't bother me so much if they didn't ask me for help. I finally found a way to stop them though. I tell them my rate for helping Mac users is $0/hr and for PC users it's $400/hr, 4 hour minimum, cash in advance, no promises.
:p

Yep that's what I'm thinking. Mini Xserve for a home backup/web server? That'll do me.

Mini Xserve?
 

Good topic point. Turning "iHome?" into a mini Xserve.

To do this, you would want the Tiger server OS on the internal hard drive. You would then want to attach two to four external hard drives (redundancy). Hook up the ethernet and away you go!

Anything else that anyone can think of?

I do. I think Apple keyboards suck. Completely useless, in my opinion.

It's a byproduct of our current society, economy, and marketing. Everything in marketing and advertising is BS, so the only concrete thing left that people can understand is price. People will often buy value if they can understand it, but in computers, they can't. It is very difficult for me to get people to understand the built-in value of the extras and features of a Mac vs. a PC.

If I were Apple, I'd print a full-page ad with a chart full of HONEST costs for each platform. Anti-virus, spyware tools, and the cost of the things which are included with a Mac. Show the cost over three years as well as the purchase price.

Then again, people aren't so smart anyway, so the $500 stripped-down Mac is probably the true answer. Rather than explaining why a Mac costs more when I face a nay-sayer, I can just say, "No, it' doesn't."

:eek: IMO Apple's keyboards rock. I hate the Logitec keyboards with 20 extra buttons no one uses, and the ones that come with the ThinkCentre's are, well, IBM. I love my white keyboard's feel and style. Also, it's easier to see when the finger gunk builds up.

hmmm...I wonder how Joe Schmoe would interface with their iHome? The leaked milano-shaped iPod could have also been leaked designs for a remote control. That'd be sweet. A flash based iPod (w/BlueTooth) that also acted as a remote for an iHome. No need for a keyboard or anything.

Apple keyboards look gorgeous. They hurt my hands after typing on them for a while. I need an ergo keyboard. I don't much care for extra buttons, but they don't get in the way. I use KB macros for my special functions rather than buttons which aren't part of the touch-type space.

And yeah, the iPOD *needs* to get Bluetooth soon. I use my BT-equipped iPAQ with a 4GB CF drive for music. Hardly more expensive than an iPOD, does so much more. And I can pop out the drive for faster transfers or for use in my camera.

This may become the new gold standard for Mac keyboards; it also sounds like they are selling a custom version of Keyboard Maestro for it.

Really hoping to get a review from someone at the Expo...

the price is good...

Mine would be on a little more of a budget, so I was thinking:
buy a i-or-XWhateverit'sgoingtobecalled, pull out the internal HD and replace it with a 400GB one, then have a second 400GB connected via FireWire for nightly backups.

If it had internal space for a second HD, or facility to pull out the optical drive, I'd fit the second HD internally (clutter is a Bad Thing).

I really, really, really, really, really hope the headless iMac rumors are true. I have been wanting Apple to make one of these for quite some time. Right now I sit in my hotel room speculating and in less than 12 hours I'll be standing in line for the keynote. Ahhhhhhh, the anticipation.

Anway, I have already been amazed at the amount of Mac geeks wandering the streets. Everyone is a really friendly group. We'll all know the truth tomorrow.;)

Sigh...but it's still flat. What happened to Apple's early work on ergonomics? I wish you could still get the adjustable spread/tilt design they had so many years ago. Seems odd that only MS has really figured out how bad it is to type on a straight/flat keyboard.

Mac Mini
 

Pic:
Mac Mini

Apple introduces Mac mini. New member of Mac family Slot-load Combo optical drive. Play DVDs, burn CDs. Queit. Tiny, FireWire, ethernet, USB 2.o, both DVI/VGA output. Very tine. Height is half the size of an iPod mini. BYODKM. Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, Mouse. Firs tone is $499: 1.25GHz 256MB/40GB More memory and larger hard drive for $599. Will ship on January 22. Ships in a box smaller than the regular iPod box.

From MacNN live coverage.

Update: Apple site now up.

well I have to admit it looks better than I was expecting.

guess now would be a good time to give some last kudos to the iHome photochop. I thought it was real. Mac Mini does sound better than iHome though. That kind of sounds like someone saying they're home in broken english.

Wow, never expected it to be that small.

My first thought is that this is a notebook replacement for many people. I have lots of clients who use a notebook simply so they can carry data back and forth between home and office. They could just plop this in a briefcase instead, at lower cost, and smaller size/weight.

If that is all they do, maybe the iPod Shuffle is all they need.
You get 1 GB of storage space for your files at $149 - and you can listen to some songs (if you can spare the space for them) on the way to the office!

Happy Cameranerd? I am...
 

I saw it, I bought one. But what I bought was for video work, so I tricked it out with 1 gig of memory and a superdrive. 1.42 ghz model with 80MB drive. Total price? $1,000. I had to throw in JamPack 4--awesome!! This is going to replace my 800mhz G4 iMac--which is STILL a GREAT Mac.

Rob now has a posting on the main MacOSXHints page with links to QuickTime clips and a slide show he's taken so far today at the keynote.

Especially interesting was this picture of him holding the Mac mini. :cool:

Hey all,

I am considering getting a mini mac to replace my aging iMac G3. I'm keen on DV editing and have been itching to get my hands on Garage Band so I can add "orginal" music to my iMovie projects.

Mac mini hits the right price point, and the G4 processor seem snappy enough for my needs, but how about getting audio in to the machine? It seems to only have audio out. My guess is audio in would need to come through a USB device off some sort...Is this assumption correct?

Also a question for all you guys that better understand tech specs: You think Mac mini is powerfull enough for DV editing and GarageBand audio stuff? Would I be better off just putting up the cash for an iMac G5??

Thanks a lot,
Fernando

Well, its specs are kinda like a PowerBook G4, and people do a lot of audio and video on those.

Kinda sorta...The G4 PowerBook has audio in/out and twice the video memory. The iBooks is closer in specs. An interesting bit about the iBook is that it mentions that audio in is supported through the use of external USB devices, which is omitted from the Mac mini specs. Hmmm.

Sorry about being such a stickler. I just don't want any surprises later own.

Thanks for the input.

Fernando

Whoopeee!!!

I was very happy they finally did it. However, I was surprised by the size... I was expecting much much larger. I had the chance to play with one at the show and I think it will be a hot seller... way to go Apple.

Then a regular USB drive would work.

What I find is that people want to take their applications as-is between places and not worry about moving data files or dealing with file locations. Me included. I hate having two computers; the PB is my only computer (I have others to tinker or serve, but the PB is the one I use to work on). I just want to go home, unsleep my machine, and be where I left off.

We've got a Windows 2003 mini cube as a home server (still much bigger than this). This could replace that nicely, plus maybe become part of the entertainment system. I don't know if it's powerful enough to deal with HDTV playback though.

If you want to wait 10 seconds for an effect to render rather than 40 seconds, buy the G5. (estimate) I have been doing audio, GarageBand, and FinalCut Pro DV stuff, all on a G4 iMac at 800Mhz. Keep your system clean, use an external firewire drive and you are set.