New Apple Lust Objects

That box will do, mail, word processing, web, a wide spectrum of games (not 3d heavy obv), low end movie editing, compressing, watching, mid range photo editing, music making, and all sorts of other things admirably well. This is going to make a great (and great value) first or second computer for loads of people.

it is under rammed with RAM but then all Macs are and they'd be more expensive if they weren't. That's what crucial.com is for.

teeny, wouldn't you get more usb ins with the keyboard?

...and you can daisy chain firewire

xxx-post

That said, the mini is a giant step in the right direction pricewise.

Depending on the PC software you use, there might be crossgrade options. I'm pretty sure they had one for Cubase SX / Logic 5 PC users to move to Logic Pro 6 when it came out. Abelton offer a peridoc Acid to Live crossgrade as well.

http://images.apple.com/macmini/images/designinsides20050111.jpg

I am just kind of amazed at the amount of what I see as complete ignorance and misunderstanding about these new products' capabilities and target market going on in the media. I guess it's typical tech-journo-not-getting-the-consumer-at-all assumptions about the users, or maybe I'm the fool here. From The Register:

Apple's new tiny solid-state iPod, the iPod Shuffle, is more of a curiosity. It weighs only one ounce and has no display, and is priced at $99 for 512MB or $149 for 1GB. Apple hopes that iTunes users will have a list of "today's favourites" which they'll want to take with them, but will change frequently. So 'iPod Cache' or 'iPod On The Go' are equally appropriate.

It's not a bad assumption, and it certainly makes sense to capitalize on both the iPod's name recognition, and Apple's own synchronization software, which is head and shoulders above its rivals. The risk is diluting the brand. The iPod earned its reputation by being the jukebox that carries all your music ("Five thousand songs in your pocket"), in comparison to low-cost, low-capacity flash players which only carry a few songs. Apple must be hoping that there's a substantial market of potential customers who'd like an iPod, but can't tell the difference between the two.

Uh, iTunes store? uh, AAC? uh, low cost flash players compatible with AAC/iTunes music store? Uh, lower price points boost market penetration/the iPod shuffle wipes out the last bastion of competition in the arena right now? FFS

Ah yes, there is that slight hiccup.

The reason I will buy one is because the iPod (and even the mini) are not good for use when exercising. They are passable in the weight room but useless on a bike or running. And I don't need more than 100 songs to get a good workout in, even when I'm training for a marathon.

And frankly, the above reason is exactly why a lot of people buy flash-based players. A part of me would prefer a card-based iShufflePod, but it's a minor inconvenience. I'm pretty excited about it, actually. In fact, I'm not really sure that I'll be using my iPod that much after I buy an iShufflePod.

I totally agree w/ you Ed, but the idea that most folks can afford an AMD64 class machine if they have half an idea what they're doing building a system isn't ridiculous at all. Apple can't boast the same thing...

(I know, I know, broad generalization that really doesn't include laptops at all... Not considering Apple's target market, etc., etc.)

Oh, and that Mac Mini, for what it is, looks pretty badass.

That's why I think it would be totally cool if they made just the little mp3 player with a USB jack on one end that could read file systems the same way an mp3 discman reads them off of a cdr. Cause then you'd at least have the option to use it as a front end for a very large USB hard drive or a tiny stick... It'd probably appeal to a lot more people if that were the case (and it would be EVEN SMALLER, which after all seems to be Mac's new reason to exist).

Not at all. I know someone who was going to buy a cheapo Dell just for academic work that will now get one of the minis.

The MacMini maxed out to 1GB of RAM will do everything most people need for years, even Photoshop and InDesign (etc.).

Shame there's no spreadsheet though. It wouldn't have to be that advanced. Arithmetic and accounting functions only, no real need for geometric or statistical functions in a home spreadsheet.

just wanted to gush for a minute.

i also think the macmini and ipod shuffle are cool, and wish the shuffle came out this time last year, because i could have convinced work to buy it for me as a flash drive instead of the boring one that i got.

Getting this joke, in 2005, is making me suicidal. Thanks. At least I didn't make it.

Late 2005, I hear.

How much 64-bit software is out there so far? I know Photoshop... what else?

Ummmm...I french-kissed my Powerbook.

People buy iPods for the same reason people shop at the GAP. It doesn't mean there is some inherent "I would like to use AAC encoding and purchase things at Apple Music Store" situation going on. Anyone who is actually thinking about this enough to think about THAT realizes they could easily convert the damn files back to MP3 format (including purchased ones, cos I've done it for someone). Just because they've got the stranglehold on the market doesn't excuse them from releasing a crappy product with no fucking screen on it that only comes in the world's ugliest color besides, say, brown, anymore than market stranglehold excuses Starbucks for that "drinking chocolate" nonsense they've suddenly started in with.

I would purchase an iPod if it came in any colors besides "el gayo" though, that's really my problem with it.

xpost hahaha Mod J you know I'm bitching about this to prevent myself from the horror of actually going walking around DC.

(sorry ally)

I hear this a lot, but I run with mine (20gb) all the time and have never had a problem. What supposedly happens?