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Was the Mac mini Intended to Have an iPod dock?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the sure-why-not dept.

RMH101 writes "Was the Mac mini originally designed to have an integrated iPod dock? The Register has an article that appears to suggest it was. This opens up the option of homebrewing your own dock into a mini for yourself..."

11 of 404 comments (clear)

  1. Homebrew Cases by BlueThunderArmy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Given some of the homemade cases I've seen, I suspect tinkering with the Mac Mini to give it an iPod dock would make it a bit less "mini" and considerably less stylish.

  2. Not an iPod doc by Fished · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I don't think this was for an iPod dock. This guys is basing that conclusion on the fact that it's got firewire connectivity. But we should recally that Firewire was originally mostly used for video connectivity, not iPods, and Firewire is still more-or-less the standard for connecting video cameras and tuners digitally. The logical conclusion is that this bus is not here to support an iPod, but some sort of video hardware ... like, say an HDTV tuner card?

    This ties in nicely to the way that the mini seems tailor-made to be a media-center PC. If some sort of tuner card were plugged into this slot (say in a "Mac Mini Media-Center Edition" or something) you could plug a mini into your TV and be basically set with the ultimate convergence box.

    That's my opinion, anyway. Be looking for a Media Center version of the Mini soon.

    --
    "He who would learn astronomy, and other recondite arts, let him go elsewhere. " -- John Calvin, commenting on Genesis 1
    1. Re:Not an iPod doc by AJWM · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Running top I see a lot of paging activity,

      As a general rule, if you're seeing any paging, adding RAM will speed things up. The exception would be something that is really CPU bound. Are you seeing high load factors? (Ie, several times the number of processors you have.)

      --
      -- Alastair
  3. iPod Docks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Don't the different iPod models have different docks? So you could have a one-size-fits-all dock, but when you put a mini in it, there would be a gap around the edges, and Apple just wouldn't let that happen.

  4. Sorry it was the price... by garcia · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whether the Firewire feature was dropped from the first incarnation, or was put in place ready for the Mac's next revision isn't clear. However, early rumours surrounding the so-called "headless iMac" that was to become the Mac Mini, did indeed mention an integrated iPod Dock, fitted to help encourage Windows-using iPod owners to switch to the Mac platform...

    I'm sorry but what made ME (as a "PC" user) to switch to the Mac platform was the price. $499 for the base model is 100% perfect. I have said it here before (and I am saying it again)... Once Apple created a computer that was reasonably priced I would purchase one and I did.

    It's nice that it runs cool, near silent, and that it is snappy for what I use it for (with 512MB) but it's super nice that it was priced right.

    I don't own an iPod and I likely will never own an iPod so the iPod dock wouldn't make me switch. I highly doubt that PC users would switch just because of an iPod docking feature.

    YMMV.

  5. Re:Makes sense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Of course, if Apple did it the other way, they still would have made a right decision.

  6. Re:Flexibility is good by DenDave · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If it it is to be a "shove-in" dock then it would be a bit nonsensical and un-aesthetic, imagine a mini with a white ipod dangling out of its left side..

    Nah..

    An extra connector is always a charm but a slot for your pod? hrmm.. considering future changes to the form of the ipod I wouldn't go there. The 60gb is thicker than the 40 and the pod mini... ugh just forget about ok? fugeddabaatit ok?

    --
    -if at first you don't succeed, stay the heck away from paragliding.
  7. iPod dock for next gen of Sawtooth G4 by Lev13than · · Score: 4, Insightful

    or perhaps... the mac mini 2 is intended to have an ipod dock.

    This got me thinking - my Sawtooth G4/400 has an internal Firewire port. Clearly, the designers intended the next generation of G4s to have integrated iPod docks.

    It's not uncommon for features to get added early in the mobo manufacturing process because it's cheap and relatively simple. This is probably an example of Apple doing a CYA 12 months ago and then abandoning the idea (whatever it was - dock or something else).

    --
    When you have nothing left to burn you must set yourself on fire
  8. It's a Macintosh, not a throwaway Dell by ashpool7 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    One of the things about buying a Mac is that you can still use it after 7 years. I've got a 400Mhz G4 that I've been using as my main macintosh until a year ago when I got a PowerBook. It runs the latest version of OS X and it usually benefits from the OS upgrades.

    I don't understand how whiners like you get modded up. Here we have the finest combination of a UNIX machine, a excellent UI, and decent market support, and you want it for the price of the crappiest computer you can whip up on Newegg?

    Please. Apple did a great job of trying to meet the demands of the cheapskates. One of my friends who bitched about the price forever finally admitted he had to have a Mini when they were announced.

    If you can't afford it, that's ok. However, nobody owes anything to you, the least of which, a cheaper Macintosh.

  9. Re:Where's the USB dock? by damiam · · Score: 4, Insightful
    If this were a USB connector, I might be convinced it was intended as an iPod dock. As of now, all iPods support USB, though only mini's and larger even have Firewire (the iPod Shuffle does not). Maybe I am totally wrong because the dock interface on the bottom might support firewire - I just don't know.

    Every dockable iPod ever made supports both Firewire and USB through the dock connection. There's no reason for Apple to use a USB connection for an internal dock.

    My reasoning is that they left it off to save money and because an integrated dock would taint people's perception of the Mac mini. Instead of "Wow, this is a great computer for $499", people would think "This is a $499 iPod toy".

    --
    It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
  10. Another docking station by owlstead · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've never understood what the point is of a docking station. Yes, it puts the iPod (or PDA) in a possition that I can read the information on the screen. But I would get that *and* the possibility of using the keys if it was lying flat on my desk. Difficult to knock over as well. I possitively hate the docking station that came with my Palm(s).

    The only reason I see for including a docking station is for them to sell us a "special travel cable", which is basically a wire with their own proprietary connector. That and maybe supplying power, but a powered USB hub could handle that as well.