Just Like Christmas
All I can say is wow. We’ve all seen the rumors, but I honestly never thought we’d see it. This is definitely one of Apple’s most impressive releases to date, as far as I’m concerned. I can definitely see myself buying one of these in the next couple of months. I’m usually not much for jumping at Rev. A hardware, but I think after a couple of months most of the issues should be out in the open. The Mac mini will definitely make a nice addition to my desktop.
As for this next little gem, I think I’ll be picking one of these up directly. I’m in dire need of an MP3 player as I have a one hour commute to work and some music would definitely make the time go by faster. Apple definitely hit the nail on the head with the iPod Shuffle. For only a couple of hundred songs, I would have no real need for a screen, as you can be pretty sure that you’ll want to listen to every song that you place on your iPod Shuffle. Another aspect that really attracts me to this product is the price. Apple is finally starting to recognize that they can broaden their user base if they offer lower priced products. The ability to use the Shuffle as a thumb drive is definitely another big plus.
All in all I was extremely excited about everything that Apple presented this morning. Even the software tweaked my interest. I’m waiting anxiously for Tiger to be released as I think that Spotlight will definitely make my workflow much more efficient. I wanted to write a little more extended post on my views of everything that was released today, but my time is a little bit limited, perhaps on the weekend.
Comments
There are 10 comments on this post.
- pawel
- Website
- January 11, 2005 at 08:13 PM
It looks like apple is getting their stuff together. Its about time they released something that is affordable.Comment Permalink
- Shawn Grimes
- Website
- January 11, 2005 at 08:23 PM
I couldn't believe this when I read the news today about the Mac Mini. Fantastic is all I can say. This may finally be my chance to actually aquire a Mac and make the switch. The only thing is, I don't know if I can bring myself to connect that beautiful little box to a beige Gateway 17" CRT. The iPod Shuffle will definately be on my shopping list in the next month or so. I'm glad to see that Apple is taking notice that not everyone can "switch" because of the prices, so this just shows that will stop at nothing to win over new users. Cheers to Apple.Comment Permalink
- Jeff
- Website
- January 11, 2005 at 09:30 PM
The only thing that makes me a little leary of the Mac Mini is the video card. I'm not sure that 32 MB is really enough. I mean, I won't be using this for a production machine, but I don't want to be frustrated by the lack of VRAM. I also want to be sure that I'd be able to view Tiger at it's full potential when it is released. I guess we'll all find these things out soon enough.Comment Permalink
- Michele
- Website
- January 12, 2005 at 03:09 AM
Yes, the VRAM is a big concern, but I think it should be enough for Tiger: think of all the complaints they would get. And when Tiger will be out, it will come preinstalled on every Mac mini...at least I think so... The iPod shuffle is great and the shuffle feature is fun and will hardly let you be bored. The only problem might be with podcasts, but it's something on which you can work on... :)Comment Permalink
- Jeff
- Website
- January 12, 2005 at 06:07 AM
I'm still really torn on whether I should get the Mac mini, or an iMac G5. I think for my purproses, the iMac is starting to win out as it's a higher power machine, as well as the fact that I can upgrade the RAM myself. I've been contemplating selling my Powerbook for a while and buying a stationary Mac. I don't really need a portable computer right now, or in the foreseeable future, as I won't be doing a whole lot of travelling. I think that with the money I could get from my Powerbook, and a little extra from my own pocket, I could get a pretty decent 20" iMac G5. I just don't think the Mini will cut it for me.Comment Permalink
- Allen
- Website
- January 12, 2005 at 08:01 PM
I really want the Mac Mini! Although yeah, the specs do seem a bit low. It is meant to be the low-end Mac though. People have been saying that Apple wouldn't release new products that can't run Tiger. We'll see... Sites to get the Mac Mini and iPod Shuffle have already been started... crazy! :-DComment Permalink
- Allen
- Website
- January 12, 2005 at 08:03 PM
Whoops, I meant to say that sites to get the Mac Mini and iPod Shuffle for free have already been started.Comment Permalink
- Ahdibuao
- January 12, 2005 at 09:28 PM
I think its great tat mac is finally aiming for the non-niche market as not everyone are able to own a mac or an ipod. I personally think tat the mac mini is awesome while the ipod shuffle is great. Btw, i juz saw an interview of Creative director Sim Wong Hu about his comments of ipod shuffle, ha ha he said tat the ipod shuffle is a Joke!Cos he said tat the ipod shuffle is modelled after the first generation Creative Muvo! ha ha so wat do u all think?Comment Permalink
- Jared
- Website
- January 14, 2005 at 01:36 PM
Jeff - You're probably on the right track in choosing iMac or G5 over the mini. I don't think the mini is designed for, er, designers. However, I can totally see the youth market ditching their PCs for the mini. If you want a Mac that lets you manage your multimedia collection, surf the web, compliment you iPod, look sexy on your desktop and have a pricetag like a budget PC, this is the one to get. But if I were looking for a Mac to serve as my workstation, I'd definitely invest in a higher-end model.Comment Permalink
- Jeff
- Website
- January 14, 2005 at 06:11 PM
I'm actually still considering the mini as a desktop solution. I won't be using it to actually do any design work. It will mainly act as an iTunes, web surfing, etc. solution. Mostly for my girlfriend. I'll still hold on to my Powerbook for my design work. I'm not so sure anymore that I could do without a portable computer, it comes in pretty handy at the office, as well as here at home.Comment Permalink