# Apple's New Mini Mac tempts me **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 12, 2005, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344 "2005-01-12T04:58:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/61 "2005-01-14T04:42:24Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > As for getting new Macs cheap, it basically can’t be done. Sure it can. You just always buy the model that’s on the verge of being supplanted with something newer and faster. Buy up copies of MacAddict and MacWorld on newsstands within 2 months of a newer model coming out, and call all the 800-number companies that put ads in the back (the little companies, not MacMall and MacWarehouse and so on) and explain what model you want with what configuration, and let them know you’re price-shopping and will go with the best price you find as long as it comes with a standard warranty. I got a good deal on my WallStreet. It was a top of the line demo model that customers got to play with in the store, obtained with full warranty and normal Apple registration. This was the 8 gig HD / DVD-ROM drive model and to buy it new from Apple would’ve run me something in the ridiculously high $5000’s or even low $6000s. I walked off with it for $2300 plus an additional $140-something for extra RAM. The model that was replacing it was the Lombard, a G3 that went up to 400 MHz tops and which was skinnier and had USB instead of ADB and Mac serial port. That was spring of '99 and my WallStreet now sports a G4/500 (far beyond the reach of an unenhanced Lombard) and I have USB and FireWire CardBus cards (the Lombard only had one CardBus slot; by burning one slot with a USB card I’m effectively even plus I’ve got the legacy ports the Lombard doesn’t have). Windowshop and price-compare. Call back the first folks you called if you get a lower subsequent quote. These folks are trying to move merchandise. It’s not a black market or even a grey market. They are companies (often with actual storefronts, if not necessarily in your state) that bought in volume at distributor price and sold what they could at full price and at some point when the model is about to be replaced with something hotter and better they’re mostly interested in getting what they can and clearing out their stock and will authorize their salespersons to make deals. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/62 "2005-01-14T04:46:51Z")
Hmmph. You did say _ **"New"** _ Macs. If you mean “immediately new”, I have to withdraw my comment. (But 8 months later you aren’t going to care that something newer and shinier was right over the horizon as long as you were willing to pay full price for it). Strategically, it’s the way to buy Macs. ---
**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/63 "2005-01-14T14:20:04Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > As for getting new Macs cheap, it basically can’t be done. Robert Cringely had a recent [column](http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20050107.html) where he suggested that Apple should “invest” some of its cash reserves by selling the mini at a loss. For a fraction of their cash on hand, they could buy a dominant market position and turn us all into Mac users. As Cringely suggests, if the price were $249 instead of $499, I’d buy one for my parents, in-laws and everyone else who expects me to be front-line support for their Windows box. I might also buy a few for those pesky clients that require me to write software for the Windows platform. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/64 "2005-01-14T15:41:43Z")
> [@micco](#): > > Robert Cringely had a recent [column](http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20050107.html) where he suggested that Apple should “invest” some of its cash reserves by selling the mini at a loss. For a fraction of their cash on hand, they could buy a dominant market position and turn us all into Mac users. As Cringely suggests, if the price were $249 instead of $499, I’d buy one for my parents, in-laws and everyone else who expects me to be front-line support for their Windows box. I might also buy a few for those pesky clients that require me to write software for the Windows platform. I have a feeling that if Apple took that big a loss on the mini, the investors would freak out and drop the stock like a bag of flaming dog crap, even if Apple tried to sell the move as a short-term-loss-for-long-term-gain strategy. ---
**Author:** ![sdimbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdimbert/32/20204_2.png) [@sdimbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdimbert)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/65 "2005-01-21T05:13:57Z")
The guys at Gratis Internet (the folks who gave us [FreeiPods.com](http://FreeiPods.com)) are now giving away free Mac minis, too. You need to complete a free offer then get 10 others to do it too. If you sign up, be sure to turn your pop-up blocker OFF when you do or you might not get credit. You can check it out (link broken). ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/66 "2005-01-21T23:30:44Z")
> [@sdimbert](#): > > The guys at Gratis Internet (the folks who gave us [FreeiPods.com](http://FreeiPods.com)) are now giving away free Mac minis, too. You need to complete a free offer then get 10 others to do it too. If you sign up, be sure to turn your pop-up blocker OFF when you do or you might not get credit. You can check it out (link broken). This is borderline, **sdimbert** , but it tips over the edge toward spamming. It’s passing along an opportunity to get stuff for no money outright, so that’s thoughtful. The part about getting credit for passing along the info in order to _get_ the ‘free’ stuff is the problem. This isn’t a warning, mind, just removal of the link for housekeeping purposes. TVeblen IMHO mod ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/67 "2005-01-21T23:56:25Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > The part about getting credit for passing along the info in order to _get_ the ‘free’ stuff is the problem. TANSTAAFL. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/68 "2005-01-22T00:09:05Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > When we talk of computers we own, we need not refer to them as “personal computers” as if to distinguish them from the mainframes we’ve got in the living room. C’mon, all of our computers are “personal”! Especially when you consider the things I do with my PowerBook. When I say I love my Mac, I _mean_ it. And I still really want one of those Mini-Macs. If I had the least bit of justification for getting one, I would’ve chomped all over it by now. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/69 "2005-01-22T13:40:17Z")
Cringely’s article this week posits that the Mac Mini is poised to do for HD movies what iTunes has done for online music. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/70 "2005-01-22T22:06:33Z")
> [@wheelie & Macworld](#): > > However, the Mac mini’s hard drive is the same kind you’d find in a laptop: it’s a 2.5-inch, 4200 rpm drive. Well _that’s_ disappointing. Kind of hamstrings it’s music-making capabilities. I was pretty hot on it until I found that out. I’m most impressed with the 20" G5 iMac. That looks like the best deal Apple’s got going. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/71 "2005-01-22T22:35:20Z")
> [@mack](#): > > Well _that’s_ disappointing. Kind of hamstrings it’s music-making capabilities. I was pretty hot on it until I found that out. > > I’m most impressed with the 20" G5 iMac. That looks like the best deal Apple’s got going. I don’t see how. I use my 1 Ghz iBook (laptop drive) to do video, what are YOU doing that makes it inadequate? (and is it something that can be blamed on disk fragmentation) ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/72 "2005-01-22T23:59:50Z")
Having seen the Mini in person today, I have to say it looks _slightly_ bigger up close than it does in the picture. But just a smidge. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/73 "2005-01-23T03:02:13Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > I don’t see how. I use my 1 Ghz iBook (laptop drive) to do video, what are YOU doing that makes it inadequate? (and is it something that can be blamed on disk fragmentation) Most pro/semi-pro multitrack recording programs require at least a 7200 rpm hard drive. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/74 "2005-01-23T03:17:15Z")
> [@mack](#): > > Most pro/semi-pro multitrack recording programs require at least a 7200 rpm hard drive. So you want to buy the cheapest computer Apple makes to do professional work? I realize that there’ll never be 100% happyness with a product sold to the public by anyone, but I find it really funny the number of folks complaining that the mini doesn’t do [pro-video|pro-audio|Home Theater|killer games] when it’s original intent was JUST to be inexpensive. Face it, if you need THAT much DSP-ing, you’d want the G5…if not two. The harddisk throughput is merely a symptom of a greater ill. It doesn’t come with the audio-in (Griffin iMic for $35), has a really small drive for media use (you’re not COMPRESSING your pro audio, are you?), has a really slow Front Side Bus (135 mhz, IIRC), and a pretty old school video system… So the drive speed really isn’t a make or break deal…If you’re really a home hobbiest playing with garageband, I suspect it’ll be more than adequate. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/75 "2005-01-23T04:22:09Z")
Besides, an external hi-speed 3.5" FireWire drive doesn’t cost much, and it’s plug and play. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/76 "2005-01-23T07:20:28Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > So you want to buy the cheapest computer Apple makes to do professional work? No. I already have a computer for that. Since the mini ships with garageband I thought it might be fun to get a cheap firewire interface and play around with that or maybe a Cubase ‘lite’ type of thing. I now see the limits to such an endeavour. It was just something I was exploring. Keep your shirt on. > [@AHunter3](#): > > Besides, an external hi-speed 3.5" FireWire drive doesn’t cost much, and it’s plug and play. Yeah, but by the time I finish hanging all this stuff off it money and space-wise I might as well have gotten a G5. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/77 "2005-01-23T08:22:54Z")
People use Garageband on Mac laptops. I use Garageband on an old creaky G4 with a 533 MHz processor. I have every confidence that the Mini will do okay with Garageband. Will it be as nice as a G5? Hell no. But I’ve composed (I use that term loosely ;)) quite a bit of music (once again, use the term loosely) on this old Mac for long enough, I can definitely see myself doing it on a Mac that is about twice the speed. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344/78 "2005-01-23T14:39:47Z")
> [@mack](#): > > No. I already have a computer for that. Since the mini ships with garageband I thought it might be fun to get a cheap firewire interface and play around with that or maybe a Cubase ‘lite’ type of thing. I now see the limits to such an endeavour. It was just something I was exploring. Keep your shirt on. > Yeah, but by the time I finish hanging all this stuff off it money and space-wise I might as well have gotten a G5. Well, I suspect the 7200rpm requirement is a ‘recommendation by the manufacturer’ that’s a little conservative…OR it allows them to capture the multitrack audio at a fairly high datarate. The iLife '05’s version of garage band is supposed to allow capturing 8 live tracks at once - [http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/record.html](http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/record.html) - and I’m not seeing an asterisk about processing power, so i dunno how many a G4 can do, vs. a Dual G5. I think you _could_ use it for that purpose. If you’re looking at making it portable 'tho, you may be better off with your second idea of using an iMac G5 - then you don’t have to lug a screen around and you’ve got the benefit of better guts. My remark wasn’t specifically meant to be inflammatory. If it was, I apologize. It’s just a little odd how much of the signal to noise ratio is used up with ‘Boy I sure wish it could do X’, when right up to Apple’s announcment, it was ‘Boy, I sure wish Apple would release a cheap headless Mac!’. Part of that ‘you can’t please all the people, all the time’ schtick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-new-mini-mac-tempts-me/284344.md?page=3)