Apple's new $500.00 Mac

[looneyfarm]

Opening the case is probably not impossible, just a bit difficult.

Most macs open up very easily, tho sometimes only once you know how! It's possible that this one will be intentionall non-user-openable, but most macs I've had have super well designed insides with bits that swing open elegently, things that slide neatly into place etc!

I can echo that. Especially Power Mac G5 has incredibly easy access to inside, I just love to update that computer. I doubt the new Mini is exception to that, there's probably some switch on the bottom that opens the case. But that's just me speculating.

[jean]

let's see how this is done. Maybe they're silly at apple and thought out some hurdles to prevent us cheapskates from adding memory. Foolish productmanagers lean to such ideas.

However, in the internet era such secrets float around very soon, and i am very sure that even if the key to sesam is kept secret at apple, some daring individuals will publish a way to open it days after the first units are shipped.

Perhaps they're as smart in the pm department as in their design department, and the ram slot is easy to access - we'll see!

[reflex]

Perhaps they're as smart in the pm department as in their design department, and the ram slot is easy to access - we'll see!

The memory runs along the entire left side of the unit (man, that thing's small!). It looks really easy to get at, as long as the case is simple to open. Nothing else looks accessible, though.

[nonkjo]

Looks like all Apple did was take a Powerbook and redesign the guts, eliminate the monitor and use a full size RAM DIMM to fit inside a desktop case. Nothing revolutionary, just a well though out redesign. I don't expect these things to be as powerful as the comparable 1.25 Ghz G4 Tower. They had to raise the bus speed to crank the processor up that high and as a result, heat increased. A G4 tower tended to run kind of hot. Now think about that small case...either Apple found a revolutionary way of cooling that processor off or it's the same one used in their laptops which is what I think they actually did.
I've read that the case is a bitch to get into also. Because of the profit margins, I suspect that Apple void the warranty if you work on it yourself. It's a way just getting people upgrade the RAM at the factory and throwing a bone to authorized dealer and service outlets who will not be making as much on the sales of these things.
I do think 256 MB of RAM is not enough, especially if you want to use Final Cut Express to edit with this thing. OSX eats a lot of system memory, especially if you want to use all those cool little GUI effects.
If I were dead set on buying one of these things, I wouldn't pay the extra money for the minimal speed increase and the 80 GB hard drive. That money would be better spent on extra memory and I'd go ahead and add the super drive. But I won't be getting one of these things. To even get one of these things to a minimum spec needed to be able to utilize FCE and it's new features, I'd be approaching the point where it would be more cost effective to spend a little more on the low end G5 tower.
The demographic I think Apple is aiming for is the people who want to try a Mac on for size without paying a premium price. I see the Mac Mini as an intro platform for the uninitiated and as a teaser for those users who might grow into power users and thus be willing to pay to graduate to a higher end G5.
It's a pretty good strategy, hook em with a cheap system. If they like it, Apple wins because it expands their user base. If the Mac Mini user doesn't like it, Apple still wins because they made the sale anyway and the user wins because they got to try a Mac out without being gouged (and they will still probably be able to sell it).
This system might be cool for somone wanting to build a low cost, high density G4 based render farm of Shake.

James Green

[crimsonson]

Most macs open up very easily, tho sometimes only once you know how! It's possible that this one will be intentionall non-user-openable, but most macs I've had have super well designed insides with bits that swing open elegently, things that slide neatly into place etc!

MacWorld Apple reps where clear that this will not be user friendly when opening the case like previous G series Macs. The miniMac is less upgradeable than iMacs and eMacs!
Like I said, I am sure somebody will find a way to open it. How cleanly and wiling you are in risking the warranty is another question.

At this level, I would just pay for the full upgrade and be done with it. Yes, the cost jumps considerably for a full blown miniMac [about $1200 without a monitor] but price was never Apple's strongest offering. Ease of use, design and 'cool factor' is. Nevertheless, the price is in the right direction for Apple. iPod and iTunes made them a lot of money. Hopefully, this will increase their stagnant market share on the desktop level.

[vinylwall]

Has anyone seen this site: http://www.FreeMiniMacs.com/?r=14569171

From everything I've been reading, it is actually legit. Of course I'm skeptacle, but who knows.

Might fit nicely with my CineMate 20 setup: :lol:

[christoph]

Has anyone seen this site:

with the current backlog you can consider yourself lucky if you can get a miniMac within a month even if you are ready to actually *pay* for it.

oh and, never trust websites ;)
++ christoph ++

[DriveIn]

Has anyone seen this site: http://www.FreeMiniMacs.com/?r=14569171
From everything I've been reading, it is actually legit.

This is basically how a matrix scheme works.

When a customer makes a purchase at a matrix site, that investment goes into a "pool" for the matrix. Once the required number of purchases are made for that specific item, the first person at the top of the line "cycles" and recieves the "free gift".

Matrix sites are popular because they offer the opportunity for a consumer to receive expensive electronic products for a mere fraction of the price. The catch is that the participant receives the prize only by paying a fee to enter a “matrix” list, and then only if a certain number of consumers also join the matrix afterwards.

The matrix, just as many other conventional pyramid schemes of the past, becomes unable to fulfill its promise of continued new entrants and eventually collapses under the weight of its own devise.

At the time of collapse, many consumers whose names are still on the list are left “holding the bag.” These “victims” try to recoup their losses by starting their own matrix websites and advertising their sites through eBay auctions.

The results of this process are catastrophic. Between November 2002 and April 2003 over 250 new matrix sites had been launched, and the epidemic continued to multiply exponentially as more new sites entered the market and more fraudulent auctions flooded eBay.com. It is for these reasons that MSNBC has deemed the matrix sites as “the fastest growing internet scam of the 21st century.”

Do some research on matrix, pyramid and ponzi schemes. Nothing is free, someone has to pay for it. :twisted:

[Arnie]

It has been reported from MacWorld magazine and other reputable sources that the Mac Mini's warranty will NOT be voided if a customer installs the RAM by him or herself. If they cause damage while doing this, it won't be covered, but your warranty will not voided simply for upgrading your own RAM. Good thing too, because the 1GB upgrade (even after Apple dropped the price) is still high.

As far as opening it, search around with Google, as there are several videos that demonstrate how to open it. There are no screws, just tabs hidden underneath that hold the casing together. One uses a putty knife (very carefully) to pry the plastic tabs loose and pop the cover off. Shouldn't be too difficult, just be careful not to scratch the plastic or aluminum!

That said, if it seems to be a real pain or you worry about doing this, your local Apple autho reseller will probably do it for you with your own RAM or whatever for a small labor fee.

All around, I think it's a great deal, especially since Apple just dropped several of the upgrade prices in the last few days.

[AngelDragon]

"you could even bring it to work and hook up your work inputs/outputs if need be. "

"VOILA (that's a bit of French I learned way back) you can now show that 10GB avi movie to all those folks. Most importantly, you have now become and travelling side show! Super cool."

Cheers,
m

hmm, only super8man seems to notice the important portability factor in this tiny machine. Yeah, we all know the price is great, and it looks pretty ... but sooner or later, people will start throwing that thing it in their bags and head to work or school.
A headless imac?... my ass! a headless affordable Powerbook is a more accurate description.
Just think that under many circumstances , a keyboard and a monitor can be found in the places where you spend most of your productive time ... courtesy of the PC world.
This comes a little bit sooner than I thought, though. I thought the ipod was going to continue this trend.
I think that at this rate in a couple of years, the iPod will keep on gaining features in order to train users to wear fashionable little "productive"computers.
Mark the word "fashionable" because there was never nothing fashionable about using a Palm to listen to your music... but using your ipod to get actual work done...cool!
A rebirth of the Newton will be marked when the ipod gets a touch screen in it's next version. But who needs a shitty little screen when you need real work to get done when you get to the office or school, connecting to a monitor and keyboard could make the ipod Dock even more functional. A friend completed a hack to add a keyboard thorough the remote port of his ipod, and I was so exited to log into the root account of the Linux we installed inside that little thing. Not much to do now typing in that little screen, but I see the new imac mini and by reading the spontaneous comments of super8man ... indeed Apple, keep on making 'em cool, affordable and tiny and functional ... a new game awaits.

[ropbo]

All internal upgrades [memory, drive, Blue Tooth, etc] must be done before shipment of the product.
Opening the case is probably not impossible, just a bit difficult. The bigger issue is likely voids your warranty.

Hum ... I think it's not that difficult.

Check this out:

http://www.smashsworld.com/2005/01/taki ... how-to.php

I agree with the warranty thing tho.