Comments on: Mac Mini – The Forgotten Apple Child

By: Bret

Bret — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:22:39 +0000

I believe the mini has evolved into the Apple TV device. Not sure if that evolution was intentional or accidental. Either way it happened and Apple appears content with the change.

As for budget minded consumers — I think that label is a little limiting. Most consumers aren't "computer enthusiasts" and therefore view the computer as just another household appliance. The basic view is that what they buy today will be obsolete in a matter of months and therefore paying a premium price for a glorified "toaster" just doesn't make sense to most consumers.

Without a doubt Apple makes a beautiful computers but they are not less prone to annoying problems than a PC. While some believe that buying a Mac will rid them once and for all of frustrating computer problems, that belief is based mostly on a myth generated by good marketing.

Apple or PC, it's a personal choice. There is no "superior" machine" there is just personal preference. The only difference is price and style, which begs the question, "Is more style worth nearly twice the price?" Again, the answer is purely personal.

By: Chris Garrett

Chris Garrett — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:09:28 +0000

I think the reason is they don't want to draw attention to their entry-level, and be seen as the "premium" option. I can understand that because they are doing well without a "race to the bottom" price war, but I don't think a Mac Mini *would* be going into a cheap market as it has its own unique market space – it could be positioned as a premium "under the tv" DVR/media server device (like a super-Apple TV), rather than a cheap Mac?

By: seanpaune

seanpaune — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:28:00 +0000

That is quite possible, and I have heard of many people doing just that, even to the point of rigging them to fit on the back of their TVs out of sight.

By: seanpaune

seanpaune — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:27:07 +0000

For 3 years I had someone in my office who brought his own Mac in because that is what he was used to. It was an older model, somewhat outdated, and in those 3 years I counted him having exactly -1- problem that took him about 30 seconds to fix. From my personal experience being around them, they are less prone to problems.

By: seanpaune

seanpaune — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:24:59 +0000

Good to hear from a recent convert! I'm sticking to a desktop idea, but if they go much longer without a new Mini, I will have to consider it.

By: seanpaune

seanpaune — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:24:14 +0000

Rumor is the new Mini is still coming, but no one seems to know when.

By: redwall_hp

redwall_hp — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:12:19 +0000

I'm a fairly recent switcher (MacBook), and I can say that there certainly are *less* problems, and Apple has been good at fixing them thus far too. Their OS is a pleasure to use as well. After 9+ years on Windows, I couldn't believe what I had been missing out on. No, it's not immune to problems, but there certainly are less of them.

One thing that really bugs me though is the way the OS hides .htaccess files. It's very frustrating.

As for pricing, I've found that the desktops certainly are more expensive, while the laptops are competitively priced.

By: Orchid64

Orchid64 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:57:27 +0000

Like you, I'm just waiting for a new Mini with cash in hand, but Apple doesn't want my money. When I complained about the lack of Mini update to an Apple investor, the response I got was, "it's just not a priority for them." It must be great to be so well off as a business that you can ignore a demographic just hungering to buy your product.