Let’s start with what $599 will buy you.  In the box you’ll get the machine itself, power supply, standard software disk, and a MiniDVI to DVI cable… and that’s it (you can see my unboxing here if you are interested). No keyboard, monitor, or mouse.  It really is meant as a “replace your Windows PC but keep your other stuff” machine.  The first thing that you really notice is that it truly is miniature, measuring 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) squared and 2 inches (5.1 cm) tall while weighing only 2.9 pounds (1.31 kg).  It of course maintains the form factor that Apple is known for, using its design to transition effortlessly from computer to conversation piece.  In fact, when I first showed it to my girlfriend, she assumed it was a Time Capsule and was amazed that an entire computer could fit into such a small box.

So what has Apple managed to cram into this tiny space?  Well, with the new upgrades from last week, I think the mini can now be considered a real contender as a primary desktop computer for the average user.  The base line model comes equipped with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB hardrive.  Admittedly, these specs don’t blow your mind as they are on par with mid-range laptops, but for the vast majority of people this is really all the power they would need.  Even for the “prosumers” out there, I had no problems handling large image files in Photoshop CS4 and editing video clips with iMovie.  Of course, it’s not as fast as my iMac (that has nearly double the power), but it got the job done without any crashes or unreasonable processing times.  Speaking of video, the graphics are supplied by an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M that is capable of pushing to dual screens through the Mini-DVI and Mini-DisplayPort outputs on the back of the box.  The graphics card was able to handle Call Of Duty 4 and HD movies on my 103” screen without any issues.  If I have one complaint about the baseline specs, however, it’s going to have to be storage.  With only 160GB of space, you can easily start to run out of room  in the age of iTunes Movies and 10 Megapixal digital cameras.  You can upgrade to 320GB or 500GB for $100 and $200 respectively or even save yourself a few bucks and buy a SATA hard drive to do it yourself, but it would have been great for at least the 320GB to be standard.

Ultimately, if you are looking at breaking into the world of Mac without breaking your budget I would really take a hard look at the mini if I were you.  You are getting all the benefits of OS X and the included iLife program suite at half the price you would pay for an iMac and can even keep using your favorite monitor (or save up for that Cinema Display down the road).  For those who already use and love a Mac, well the mini is a great way to spread that love around the house (okay, that sounds a little dirty, but you know what I mean), with a design that is small enough for the kitchen or bedroom while being stylish enough for your home theater.

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Rumors have it, that Apple could be supporting 6-core processing STANDARD with their new Mac Pro desktop releasing sometime in 2010. Intel, Apples CPU manufacture, has announced recently a new line of processors code named “Gulftown”. Intel’s 32nm chips have a reported 12mb L3 cache, and 12 threads per cpu(6). This is great news for anyone in the media bussiness, because when Apple comes out with single CPU machines, they come out with dual CPU machines. Could this mean a new 12-core processing beast?! We’re looking at a time frame of the first quarter of 2010. Exciting stuff if you ask me. Price points have not been released by Apple or even Intel… we’ll have to wait for those.

My thoughts:

Will this really be necessary? You think 8-core machines would be sufficient for most tasks for even the production companies, but this could be a good move for Apple. Personally, I think Apple will follow through with this one-hundred percent. Apple has always been known  stay on the right track with their hardware, operating system, design, and all their products. Keeping up with technology is what they’re best at, so I think their is a very good chance we could see an update to the Mac Pro, as it is needing some updating anyways.

Apple could also lose Mac Pro purchases if and when they release this “new” model. Some people, most people… don’t even need 4-cores, so why would they need 6 or 12-cores? This will be geared more toward you’re professional group of Mac users. Pricing shouldn’t be too bad at all for something like this. Everytime anything is upgraded internally with Mac’s, you see the price stay the same or even decrease when new technology is added. Not only has Apple made a good habit with that in general, but every time technology changes, the old stuff loses value.

What are your thoughts, let me know in the description!

-Colin Perschbacher

Sources: Digg.com,Apple Insider

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An NDP’s 2009 Household Penetration study states that about 12% of US computer households have at least one Mac, beating last years 9%. It also that close to 85% of those Mac users own a PC.

“Multiple computer ownership is a common thread in Apple computer households, with 66 percent of households owning three or more computers, compared to just 29 percent of Windows PC households. Apple owning households are decidedly more mobile as well, with 72 percent of them owning a notebook, whereas only 50 percent of households that have a Windows PC own a notebook.” – NDP

Another thing this study notes, is that Apple users tend to be more “tech friendly.” On average, Apple households seem to own more consumer electronics, compared to Windows users. In fact, it’s almost twice as much as a PC user owns.

Source: NDP 2009 Household Penetration Study

Looking at this study, I’d say that in the next couple years, about 50% of people in the US will own a Mac.

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Where can we find Macs for less than the price stated on the Website? Two Ways.

MacMall.com: MacMall is a certified reseller of Apple Products. They label themselves as the “#1 Apple Superstore”. Check out their Website, and you will find discounted Apple Laptops, and if you’re luck you may find a special. Below this Blog you will see the great Discounted price that they serve!

Apple.com: Apple.com? Wait, what? Yes, on Apple’s online store there is a section for refurbished Macs and Macs that are out-of-date. Now when I say out-of-date I don’t mean you’re going to be buy the Apple II for $49.99 off the website!!!; As you know, Apple Updates their macs every so often, well the older model macs that were just replaced becomed discounted heavily. You Can find this Section by clicking here.

Thanx for Reading. Please Comment Below on your take on this Blog. I hope I have helped.

-Scooter

MacintoshTipz

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