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Gadgets Leaked Image Believed to be New Mac Mini
Shane McGlaun (Blog) - February 20, 2009 10:54 AM
Print 69 comment(s) - last by Innocent Hawk.. on Feb 23 at 9:30 AM

Image Claims to be New Mac Mini Rear Panel  (Source: Mac Rumors)
Image posted to Mac websites appears to be of new Mac Mini

The lowest priced computer in the Apple lineup is also the smallest Mac in the line and it's called the Mac mini. The mini looks much like a thicker Apple TV and crams all the Mac goodness that a person looking for inside the tiny case.

The Mac mini has been living on borrowed time for a while with rumors that it would be discontinued floating around last year only to be replaced by rumors that the little machine would be updated soon. What is known at this point is that the Mac mini has been unchanged since its last update nearly two years ago in 2007.

A new image is making rounds of the Mac fan sites today that is reportedly of the rear panel of a rumored new Mac mini. Apple Insider reports that the image is the second it has seen so far that shows a mini that matches the specifications reported before. Namely, the picture shows five USB ports, mini DisplayPort and mini DVI connectors among other features.

According to the person who posted the same picture to Mac Rumors, the machine will ship with an Intel Core 2 Duo at 2GHz, and use 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and a SATA Super Drive. The image at this point is unsubstantiated, but it seems to be the real deal.

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ports
By Moishe on 2/20/2009 11:06:54 AM , Rating: 3
All it has is 5 USB ports??? hehehe
< / sarcasm>

And is that a firewire port? I'm surprised firewire is still around. It's been dying slowly for awhile.




RE: ports
By Steve1981 on 2/20/2009 11:15:29 AM , Rating: 5
Firewire is still pretty useful. It certainly has its advantages over USB, and it's still implemented on video recorders and a number of (usually higher end) external drives.


RE: ports
By kelmon on 2/21/2009 11:55:43 AM , Rating: 2
I have no idea why you are being voted down. Firewire is better than USB and should always be used when possible. All my external drives are Firewire since they run faster than USB 2.0 and they are all properly powered by the Firewire port.

Perhaps this will change when USB 3.0 finally arrives but in the meantime I would never buy a USB 2.0 device if a Firewire option was available. However, it is rather sad that the interface has been beaten by USB and perhaps Apple has to take the blame for that.


RE: ports
By amanojaku on 2/20/2009 11:19:15 AM , Rating: 2
At first I thought this was a hoax... Then I counted the USB ports. Apple WOULD do something crazy like 5 USB ports. But that angled rear seems un-Applely ugly.


RE: ports
By headbox on 2/20/2009 9:16:29 PM , Rating: 2
I don't think it's angled, I think it's just poor lighting.


RE: ports
By icrf on 2/20/2009 11:43:43 AM , Rating: 2
Do set-top DVRs and the like still have firewire control ports on them? I was thinking this would make a sweet XBMC platform, assuming it has decent integrated graphics that could pick up the HD video decode slack.


RE: ports
By CZroe on 2/20/2009 12:05:04 PM , Rating: 2
I'm sure that it, too, will be switching to nVidia chipsets, so expect better video performance and HD decode.


RE: ports
By Homerboy on 2/20/2009 2:07:42 PM , Rating: 2
XBMC doesnt have GPU decode...


RE: ports
By themelon on 2/20/2009 5:27:32 PM , Rating: 2
You go to sleep one night and the world changes...

http://www.xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=40362


RE: ports
By Dreifort on 2/20/2009 12:59:26 PM , Rating: 2
looks like a Belkin product to me... maybe a dockign station for Apples or PCs (since Belkin loves supporting Apple)


RE: ports
By Innocent Hawk on 2/23/2009 9:30:23 AM , Rating: 2
Apple invented Firewire, I doubt they would ditch it.


title
By HaB1971 on 2/20/2009 11:14:57 AM , Rating: 5
Through trying not to be on the spelling police instant reaction team i do believe that there is a spelling mistake in the title... just saying...

Carry on




RE: title
By wordsworm on 2/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: title
By spellingbee on 2/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: title
By Steve1981 on 2/20/2009 11:55:51 AM , Rating: 2
The title got edited. It was originally incorrect.


RE: title
By wordsworm on 2/20/2009 12:03:52 PM , Rating: 2
The guy has a problem with your/you're. Don't expect him to guess which word was spelled wrong.


RE: title
By HaB1971 on 2/20/2009 12:25:12 PM , Rating: 5
Well aren't you a clever chap, try being around when the article was posted with the Believe spelled as Beleive in the title.

As someone has already pointed out to the correct use of Your and You're. I will just leave your grammar skills to speak for themselves.

But try thinking for a moment before throwing your pacifier on the floor and having a little temper tantrum and calling someone a moron.


RE: title
By spellingbee on 2/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: title
By ice456789 on 2/20/2009 9:15:45 PM , Rating: 1
Please try to look up the word "heresay" in the dictionary. Not only will you learn how to spell it correctly, you may learn to use it correctly as well. Who sir is the uneducated troll?

By the way, this is by far the most entertaining thread in this article.


RE: title
By Solema on 2/22/2009 9:44:11 PM , Rating: 2
Wow, for a guy with a name like "spellingbee" he really needs to work on his spelling skill.

And I find it humorous that he says he "does not speak troll" yet is himself actually "speaking troll" in his responses!


a few things i've been wondering about......
By Bubbacub on 2/20/2009 11:43:44 AM , Rating: 5
1: will this be hopelessly overpriced like the last one.......

2: do bears sh!t in the woods

3: is the pope catholic?




By Alphafox78 on 2/20/2009 12:27:49 PM , Rating: 4
2. Bears dont sh!it, they fluff


Fake...
By goodereverend on 2/20/2009 11:39:29 AM , Rating: 1
There is an interesting article over at the Inquirer about this pic. It makes some interesting points.

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/089/10510...




RE: Fake...
By mmntech on 2/20/2009 12:43:03 PM , Rating: 1
But it's the Inquirer. lol
I think it's fake too. The Firewire 800 port is a dead give away given that Apple is moving away from Firewire all together. Any picture that's this out of focus should automatically be considered fake. It's such a hack trick.

Ideally, Apple should scrap the Mini line and repackage it as the Apple TV, or Mac TV (I like the sound of that). Give it similar configuration to the Macbook (C2D 2.0ghz, GF 9400M, DDR3), add a TV tuner for DVR function, HDMI output, and possibly (even though it won't happen) a Blu-ray drive addon. It would make the perfect HTPC. At least that's my wish list. It would also be nice to have it user upgradable without using a "putty knife".


RE: Fake...
By ThePooBurner on 2/21/2009 9:02:00 AM , Rating: 2
I don't need The Inq to tell me that is a photoshop picture. You can see the poor lines all over the place. It's one of the worst shop jobs i've seen. That this picture is even making it this far as a semi-credible rumor is ridiculous.


I before e, except after c
By kondor999 on 2/20/2009 11:56:05 AM , Rating: 2
I B-E-L-I-E-V-E that is correct ;-)




RE: I before e, except after c
By BeauP on 2/22/2009 8:19:31 AM , Rating: 2
Now that is weird.....


By DEredita on 2/20/2009 1:03:10 PM , Rating: 2
Basically, this is looking to be nothing more than a "headless" Macbook. I have no issues with that, if that is indeed what it will be. I wonder if it will have the option for a faster CPU like the Macbook, and I wonder if it will have the same memory controller.

Memory controller - from what I recalled the new Macbook out now has a 6GB limitation on the amount of memory it can address. The Apple Store will only let buyers order it will a maximum of 4GB ram, but I assume if we're here on this site, it's safe to assume most of us will update our own ram.
The 6GB limitation, while lacking, is an improvement over the 4GB Apple allows buyers to order. This would be nice for a 64-bit Windows OS to be installed using the bootcamp utility, where someone like me can use VMs in Windows for multi-tasking madness. The benefit of more the 4GB ram is also significant for us VM users in OSX as well - example - running Windows and OS X at the same time, and doing memory (semi)intensive stuff in both. I would like to see a memory controller that can handle 8GB+ ram, but it seems Apple artifically limits it to 6GB. Whatever - I will take what I can get for now, and if you have seen the pricing of 4GB DDR3 so-dimms, two of them are scary expensive at this point in time anyways.

CPU: I certainly hope that the C2D 2.0GHz CPU is not the only option. I hope like the Macbook, the 2.4GHz CPU is also an option. There is also NO REASON why they can not offer the Q9000 quad-core CPU as an option in the Mini. This would make sense, as Apple traditionally rarely updates the hardware on the Mini.

GPU: Finally, we will see a dedicated GPU. This should significantly improve performance over the previous iteration of the Mini.

For me, this is fairly interesting, as I like the Mini for its lower price, tiny size, and quietness. This actually could be a low cost media computer, or something to multi-platform program with. I am keeping a close eye on this.




By sprockkets on 2/20/2009 8:35:45 PM , Rating: 2
Since it always used laptop parts, it always was a headless "macbook". And the previous gen had a dedicated GPU. I doubt the next version will, but if it does, it will be nice. More likely it will have an integrated nvidia chip instead.

Since I can just build my own computer almost that size with a C2D and wireless and with more features and expansion anyhow, I no longer have any interest in this product.


Wanna pay $2000
By SpaceJumper on 2/21/2009 2:37:03 PM , Rating: 1
Apple packaged the Macbook Air into this little box. If you have the money then buy it. It can't go wrong.
It needs 5 USB ports, one for the CD drive, one for the keyboard, one for the mouse, one for the usb drive, and the last one for the external hard drive. It is a big improvement over the Macbook Air with only one USB port.
If Apple priced the Mini for $2000, it is a bargain.




Pointless.
By reader1 on 2/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Pointless.
By mholler on 2/20/2009 11:34:44 AM , Rating: 4
Yes, because government interference in business has proven over the years to be both effective and efficient. The less business-friendly we can make the U.S. the more we can force those money-hungry, greedy corporations to build their stupid factories and other facilities oversees. Good riddance and who needs'em? The government can provide us with all of our basic needs, so jobs are completely unnecessary.

</sarcasm>


RE: Pointless.
By gregpet on 2/20/2009 11:35:38 AM , Rating: 3
blah, blah, blah...


RE: Pointless.
By reader1 on 2/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Pointless.
By mholler on 2/20/2009 1:48:33 PM , Rating: 2
Ahhh...you're a troll. All of your posts make sense now.


RE: Pointless.
By BansheeX on 2/20/2009 1:57:13 PM , Rating: 4
Operating systems only work as a monopoly. How would you like to go to your school or library and the file system couldn't read your disk from home because it wasn't the same OS? How would you, as a developer, like to write umpteen variants of your software to reach all consumers? How would you like to buy umpteen different operating systems just to get all that software after developers refuse to write that many variants?


RE: Pointless.
By bighairycamel on 2/20/2009 11:36:54 AM , Rating: 5
I wish you could see me rolling my eyes right now, cause I'm doing it as hard as I can.

Apple has plenty of brand recognition, and they could easily clean house on some of that market share if they would consider lowering their prices. In this economy it doesn't pay to be stubborn.


RE: Pointless.
By reader1 on 2/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Pointless.
By mholler on 2/20/2009 12:09:47 PM , Rating: 3
Or could it possibly be that a free OS like Linux doesn't provide all of the functionality and user-friendly features that the consumer demands?


RE: Pointless.
By ccmfreak2 on 2/20/2009 12:29:39 PM , Rating: 2
Exactly. And these are the things that Linux has been working on over the last several years. Take Ubuntu and Kubuntu for instance: they're becoming very sleek and intuitive with driver support growing constantly. Even Dell and Lenovo are begining to offer Ubuntu as an operating system to choose from.

It's for this reason that Linux is increasing in popularity on a daily basis. Let's be honest, it can be difficult to get the word out about a free OS when you don't have revenue to advertise, and you have a past history of being unintuitive. Their market share is growing.

Apple has also been growing dramatically (relatively speaking) in market share over the last several years. I'm no apple fan (actually, I despise them), but facts are facts: The success of the iPod and iPhone have revitalized the Mac image. Now they have a major increase in consumers - many of which are becoming Apple Cult followers.


RE: Pointless.
By rudolphna on 2/20/2009 12:34:29 PM , Rating: 3
yes, but to install something, unlike windows or mac, you cant just double click on the .exe and install. it requires a ton of terminal command line work, that is a PITA and the average consumer doenst want to bother with.


RE: Pointless.
By ccmfreak2 on 2/20/2009 12:37:02 PM , Rating: 1
You obviously have not worked with Ubuntu lately. I'm still new to the Linux interface, but I have installed multiple programs without ever entering the terminal. The only thing I use the terminal for is to alter GRUB. Once again, my point stands - they have come a long way in the user interface and intuitiveness departments.


RE: Pointless.
By reader1 on 2/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Pointless.
By Steve1981 on 2/20/2009 1:34:30 PM , Rating: 2
No.

Linux isn't widely used because people, generally speaking, either don't know it exists or they perceive it is too difficult to use. What do you expect Microsoft to do, advertise for Linux???


RE: Pointless.
By reader1 on 2/20/09, Rating: 0
RE: Pointless.
By Steve1981 on 2/20/2009 1:44:53 PM , Rating: 2
Promote it for what gain? They promote Windows because Microsoft pays them to. Nobody pays them to promote Linux.


RE: Pointless.
By ccmfreak2 on 2/20/2009 2:25:06 PM , Rating: 2
computer companies ARE promoting Linux. Dell and Lenovo are both offering Ubuntu Linux. Check out their sites. On top of this, Windows doesn't prevent anyone from downloading and burning a Linux ISO, installing it, and dual booting - I know because I've done it!


RE: Pointless.
By reader1 on 2/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Pointless.
By Steve1981 on 2/20/2009 5:00:46 PM , Rating: 2
So what is MS supposed to do about it? Why is it their fault?


RE: Pointless.
By reader1 on 2/20/2009 6:14:04 PM , Rating: 2
It's not their fault for being able to have a monopoly, the problem is that they're abusing their power to maintain one.


RE: Pointless.
By Steve1981 on 2/20/2009 6:16:07 PM , Rating: 2
How so?


RE: Pointless.
By Steve1981 on 2/20/2009 6:17:31 PM , Rating: 2
Thats not to say that they don't occasionally engage in questionable behavior, but they certainly aren't going out and quashing their competition. That Apple continues to grow market share is reasonable proof of that.


RE: Pointless.
By reader1 on 2/20/2009 6:53:27 PM , Rating: 2
Bundling IE, WMP, and other programs with Windows is anti-competitive.

The only software that should come pre-installed on a computer are stores for obtaining software, like the App Store or Android Market. That would give everyone a fair shot at customers.


RE: Pointless.
By Steve1981 on 2/20/2009 9:17:45 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Bundling IE, WMP, and other programs with Windows is anti-competitive.


In your opinion perhaps. In my opinion, an operating system with no functionality is worthless. I would pay 0 dollars for it, much like a basic linux distro. I'm paying good money for that operating system and the functionality to go with it.

quote:
The only software that should come pre-installed on a computer are stores for obtaining software, like the App Store or Android Market. That would give everyone a fair shot at customers.


No. It would give those pre-installed stores a shot at customers.


RE: Pointless.
By ccmfreak2 on 2/21/2009 12:09:12 AM , Rating: 2
And those stores the ability to choose who reaches customers and who doesn't - like how Apple's app store has the right to turn away ANYONE who's app they don't approve of for whatever reason.


RE: Pointless.
By Devo2007 on 2/21/2009 4:55:22 PM , Rating: 2
OK, so by your logic, the bundling of iTunes, Safari, and the iLife suite on Macs means Apple is abusing their power too.

Nice one!


RE: Pointless.
By HaB1971 on 2/20/2009 12:38:17 PM , Rating: 2
Did you only just learn of the word Monopoly? You do seem to be obsessed with this word and spent all day yesterday in threads blasting away at Microsoft and their Monopoly.

Do you have shares in Parker Brothers and get paid for each time you type the word online.

By the way government agents are watching you, aliens are planning to kidnap you, Elvis works at your local gas station and there will be new Stereo MC's CD this decade.

Just some more crackpot ideas for you to dwell on while the monopolies oppress the working classes.


RE: Pointless.
By wordsworm on 2/20/2009 11:56:15 AM , Rating: 1
"The Mac doesn't have a chance of gaining significant market share while Microsoft's Windows monopoly continues to be poorly regulated by the government."

They've been gaining steadily ever since Jobs took his company back.

2005: While slightly smaller in number, Apple's worldwide desktop market share shows a similar upward trend. For the fourth quarter of 2004, Apple's worldwide desktop market share was 1.75 percent, up from 1.51 percent in the third quarter of 2004 and up year over year from the 1.32 percent in the fourth quarter of 2003. (http://www.macworld.com/article/43741/2005/03/mark...

2009: Net Applications, a company that tracks operating system and market share by looking at results from search engines, reports that Apple has a 9.93% share of OS users for January of 2009, up from 9.63% the previous month. Windows OS market share measured 88.26% in January, dropping slightly from 88.7% in December. (http://www.tuaw.com/2009/02/02/apple-market-share-...

From 1.5% to nearly 10% in 4 years is not trifling. Their momentum is only accelerating. The reviews have been good for Windows 7, so maybe that will will help MS remain dominant. It's hard to say what the trend will be in the next 4 years. My 2 cents? They'll be at 15-20% by 2012.


RE: Pointless.
By misbfa1 on 2/20/2009 12:34:06 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
My 2 cents? They'll be at 15-20% by 2012.


And then the world will promptly end.


RE: Pointless.
By ccmfreak2 on 2/20/2009 12:34:57 PM , Rating: 2
I've had my issues with MS, but I'm still a major fan. I see this increase in Apple marketshare being very positive from a competitive standpoint. MS has obviously not turned a blind eye to these stats. It's for this reason that you are finding rave reviews for Windows 7. I find competition that Apple has began to create driving the inovation of Windows 7. You gotta love the power of the free market.


RE: Pointless.
By Pirks on 2/21/2009 5:22:31 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
I find competition that Apple has began to create driving the inovation of Windows 7
Well, like I said to TomZ a week ago - say thanks to Mr. Jobs for you shiny Apple-like Windows 7. Seriously. Just look at Win7 task... err... dock bar or whatever. See anything "borrowed" from OS X? Man, I'm starting to get worried about what would happen when Jobs is not with us anymore. Who's gonna *cough* "inspire" *cough* MS when Jobs is gone? If I were Ballmer I'd have started secret negotiations with Jobs right now about his heir. No decent heir -> no future competition for MS -> MS slips in absolute monopoly again -> no innovation -> Vista 2.0 is all over us again, but much worse this time. I don't think Ballmer understands this simple logic, so you WinPC guys better pray for Jobs now, he's your best friend. Seriously. I haven't paid Jobs a cent, ever, but I'm grateful to him every time I look at Win7 or see how desperately MS is trying to pull WinMobile outta the deep sh.thole where it's been sitting last N years. Viva la competition!


RE: Pointless.
By bruce24 on 2/20/2009 12:16:07 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The Mac doesn't have a chance of gaining significant market share while Microsoft's Windows monopoly continues to be poorly regulated by the government.


While Apple has been gaining marketshare since moving to Intel processors, it is them way more than Microsoft that is limiting how much they gain.

If Apple want to grow share of the OS market, they need to license other hardware vendors to sell computers with the Mac OS.

If Apple wanted to grow share of in the PC HW market, they should think of giving cusomers the choice of OSX or Windows as well as launching some lower cost hardware.

Or Apple can continue to do what they are they are doing and make some good money with a small share of the overall market. By the way I read that the sold 10M PCs in 2008 an all time record for them.


RE: Pointless.
By sprockkets on 2/20/2009 8:39:08 PM , Rating: 2
Exactly. Apple wants to remain a premium product complete with standard snob.

It's hard to gloat about how superior you are if everyone has a mac.


Intel Atom / nVidia ION
By tonjohn on 2/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Intel Atom / nVidia ION
By vapore0n on 2/20/2009 12:45:12 PM , Rating: 2
Well, that is good, no?
Its got a better processor than the Atom. It just needs a decent chipset and video card. Seeing how many and different ports its got, it def has a better chipset than what Intel is bundling the Atom. (945G)

Considering how much this Mini will cost, I doubt that Apple will consider the cheap Atom.


RE: Intel Atom / nVidia ION
By tonjohn on 2/20/2009 2:27:55 PM , Rating: 2
Going with C2D means it is going to be a more expensive product.

I think the Mac Mini makes more sense as a net-top than where it is currently situated in the market. "Low cost" (more expensive than similar products b/c it is an Apple but cheaper than the existing Mac Mini) and low power makes sense. Add in HDMI and even a bluRay drive (at an additional cost) and you have a tiny little media server that you can hook up to your TV.

What Apple should really do (and someone else here has suggested this as well) is to integrate the Mac Mini and the Apple TV products. Something with more functionality than the Apple TV but cheaper than the Mac Mini.

I would also like to see Apple come out with their own DVR. They could be highly competitive in that market.


RE: Intel Atom / nVidia ION
By piroroadkill on 2/20/2009 3:32:07 PM , Rating: 3
Going with Core 2 Duo instead of Atom also means it won't be a massive steaming pile of shit


RE: Intel Atom / nVidia ION
By tonjohn on 2/20/2009 4:06:57 PM , Rating: 2
Why does Atom make it a POS?

Can you be more specific and constructive in the future? Such comments add no value and are simply spam.

What sort of things are you wanting to do with the Mac Mini? Where do you think it fits in to the market?


RE: Intel Atom / nVidia ION
By sprockkets on 2/20/2009 5:30:29 PM , Rating: 5
Use one and see how much longer it takes to do everything, that's why.


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