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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..."

21 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. I may be easily asmused... by Digital+Warfare · · Score: 5, Funny

    But did anyone else notice the convientley placed R2 and D2 ?
    It would a good to have this dock as optional, but that will be in the next flurry of updates?

    --
    "Sweet llamas of the Bahamas !"
  3. 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 Fahrvergnuugen · · Score: 5, Informative
      Apple has already reaffirmed that they have no intentions of making a media center:

      from MacWorld

      Media Centers and digital video players

      Oppenheimer articulated Apple's current philosophy when it comes to "media center" computers -- PCs designed to work in the living room as a component of a home entertainment system, recording video, playing back music and more. While Oppenheimer admitted some consumers may be interested in media center PCs and that a Mac mini might be suitable, he said that "most customers" would prefer to have a more powerful computer in their office or den and leverage wireless networking to stream content to their home entertainment system.

      As a practical example, Oppenheimer pointed to AirTunes -- a feature of iTunes that works in conjunction with Apple's AirPort Express wireless networking hub. The AirPort Express features an audio jack that can connect to the home entertainment system using a mini jack or a digital optical cable. Music can then be streamed from the computer playing iTunes to the stereo.

      The iPod won't be getting video capabilities any time soon if current players are any indication, said Oppenheimer. Today's crop of portable media viewers are too bulky to carry as comfortably as the iPod, yet have screens he said are too small to enjoy a movie the same way you would on a TV or laptop. "Our view is that they've failed in the marketplace," said Oppenheimer.

      --
      Kiteboarding Gear Mention slashdot and get 10% off!
    2. Re:Not an iPod doc by Golias · · Score: 5, Informative

      Neat idea, but I recently read a review stating that the Mini (at least the base version) lacked the processing testicular fortitude to be a full-blown media center.

      That's funny.

      My Mac mini (the 1.42 version) is currently providing HDTV PVR functions (via the EyeTV 500), DVD movies, Other MPEG movies via VLC, music via iTunes, and wide-screen World of Warcraft, all while hosting my personal web page in the background.

      In spite of EyeTV's box specs claiming that full-frame HD requires a dual-G5 tower, the mini seems to be handling it without a hitch. I even recorded some prime-time HDTV wide-screen broadcasts onto the mini's internal drive, and was able to watch them in full-screen mode with no trouble at all.

      Not bad for a $600 computer with no mods other than a single 1GB stick of after-market RAM in it.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

  4. Coralized link by panum · · Score: 5, Informative

    Use Coral proxy to avoid slashdotting the poor site.

    -P

    --
    I hate people who quote .sigs
  5. 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.

  6. 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.

    1. Re:Sorry it was the price... by Arcady13 · · Score: 5, Informative
      You blame Apple because you are unable to read the system requirements or try out the free 30-day trial of the software? The trial page even has a compatibility checker application you can download.

      Next time, try blaming the real source of the problem: yourself.

    2. Re:Sorry it was the price... by nsxdavid · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You are right, I could have known. But if you follow the path through their web as I did, you don't see any of that. I knew I wanted Motion from seeing it demo'd in person (at SIGGRAPH), so I didn't go to the marketing part of the web site on it.

      In many ways, I acted more like a typical customer... the kinda Apple tries to appeal too: the nontechnical user. I read the hype pages on the Mac mini (that talk about how they have great graphics power) and then just started filling my shopping cart with the Mac mini, keyboard, mouse and upgrades.

      Then it encouraged me to buy some software and so I added iWorks and Motion to the cart. The shopping cart software COULD have seen that there was a potential problem since I was buying a mini and software that does not work on a mini at the same time. A warning would have surficed.

      I understand why some companies do not let you return software. My company makes software (though piracy is not much of an issue for us). But fully understand the issues.

      The problem is that Apple didn't deal with this in what, I would argue, is a customer-centric fashion. Their correspondence were cold and indifferent. They showed no flexibility, much less concern. Heck, they didn't even try to upsell me... what a perfect opportunity to say.. "Hey, how about upgrading to a G5... that'll do what you want!" I was not going to do that, but at least a well trained Apple Store Team (as they call themselves) should have made that play.

      So, yes, I did make a mistake. But not an unreasonable mistake. And not one that should have been undoable. This is the sort of nonsense that really turns people off. And makes them complain loudly about how they were treated.

      Given how much I like Apple, admire Apple, I wish this just wasn't how things went down. The cost of the software, frankly, is a non-issue for me. It was the principle of the thing.

      --
      David Whatley
  7. That's where you plug... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...the reality distortion field generator, duh!

  8. 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.

  9. In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Microsoft intended to fix bugs in Windows?" All the signs are there, the half done architecture and comment code stating "To be enabled in Longhorn."

  10. Yes, But Killed Early On by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I had the opportunity not too long ago to speak with someone at Apple that worked on the Mac Mini project and I asked the same question as it had been speculated on a lot by the rumor sites. The answer was yes, it was considered early on in the project but killed because they didn't think that it would work aesthetically along with the possibility that it could interfere with the wireless performance of the Bluetooth and Airport antennas that are located on the top of the case.

  11. Re:Redundant? by Otter · · Score: 5, Funny
    I'm the first post, and my post is 'redundant'?

    In fact, the moderator was correct -- you managed the rare feat of an entirely redundant first post. Particularly impressive given that the blurb is only three sentences long!

    --
    What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
  12. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  13. Re:Ha! That's still too expensive... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    When it drops to around $349 then I will jump. I know a few others that want a $299 price point.

    I won't get one until they're free inside a box of specially marked cereal.... but only if the cereal is on sale and I have a dollar-off coupon.

    Beat that cheapo.

  14. It will be in the 2nd version of the mini by hsmith · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Apple has the best selling philosophy:

    Sell version 1 w/ minimal features
    get everyone hooked
    release version two with extensive features
    profit

    look at the shuffle, the chip has the ability to recieve FM, they will add a screen and FM tuner in 1-2 versions to bump sales up. brilliant.

  15. wrong pinout by morcheeba · · Score: 5, Informative

    That looks interesting but the mac mini connecctor has 20 pins, while the ipod dock connector has 30 pins. The placement of the firewire pins are also different - the mini has the data on pins 1,2,11, and 12, while the ipod has them on 3,5,7, and 9.

    --
    HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets
  16. 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.

  17. The ipod is always thought of as a music player by goldcd · · Score: 5, Interesting

    but it's a nice little hard drive with a nice fast connection on it you can carry about with you. Feel free to shoot my down if I'm spouting gibberish, but maybe you could carry your desktop around on your iPod? Imagine a world with tiny Mac minis dotted about the place. Don't lug your laptop into Starbucks, just drop in your ipod the slot and whoosh, it's your PC. Maybe you're strolling through town and fancy some music, just pop your ipod into a public mac mini and stick a couple of iTunes albums on. You've got an ipod. You've built a desktop on it when you stumbled in for a coffee one day, why not buy a mac for your house as well? Basically, the ipod's pretty dumb by itself, but can hold a lot of your personal data. Drop it into any mac mini and suddenly it could be your machine.