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Intel Flaunts Mac mini Knock-off
Rollie Hawk writes "Remember how the Mac mini was designed by Apple to steal PC customers? Now Intel wants to steal them back. Adopting a shockingly similar lunch box shape and light-weight design, Intel's upcoming Mini PC features all the sleekness and portability (physical, that is) of the Mac mini with none of the Mac benefits. Well, at least it will probably have a faster processor. Now if only someone would make a Cobalt Qube knock-off for me."
Get one off ebay, and stuff it w/ a mini or nano-itx board. A bit more work then just buying something from a manufacturer, but you've got more freedom in what you put in it, and you keep the small form factor and really cool lookin' case.
i was all like, yeah whatever, new small computer - horray. Then, i looked at this shot and now i kinda really want one :)
...so long as it can pull its weight doing the media junk in the house.
Sam
They always seem to want to copy what Apple does... but they muck it up and end up going nowhere with it. I would think that they would have learned after everyone and their mother tried to copy the iMac with no success.
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I'm no Mac bigot. In fact I don't care what OS people use but I must say that Macs do have benefits over PCs, ease of use and lack of spyware for a start. However, PCs have benefits over macs as well. And SHOCK HORROR macs and pcs have advantages over linux while linux has advantages over both.
My favorite computer is my PS2 and my second favorite is my Cheap-n-crappy DVD player.
99 bottles of beer in 175 characte
What the hell is happening to the PC industry? It used to be all about making better faster machines with more features and now the trend is to make smaller machines with less features????? Hardly makes any sense to me.
A computer is a tool, not a toy, when did we see a shift from functionality to marketing spin?
Actually though, this may be a good thing for my business as I'll continue to purchase full featured tools from Dell, and I'll continue to thirve, while others buy cool little toys that cost more and do less.
Man, the world is a whacky place these days.
--Primrose Consulting
Smart solutions for the IT world since 2004
There's a world of original ideas in the universe, but the PC world repeatedly chooses to steal Apple's designs.
The only reason there's PC cases in colors other than beige is because Apple created the iMac. The only reason there's a Windows "XP" is because there was a Mac OS "X". The only reason you can import and organize music with Windows Media Player is because Apple created iTunes. The only reason there's a Windows Movie Maker is because Apple created iMovie. The only reason there's slim lightweight Pentium M class laptops is because Apple created the PowerBook. And now, the only reason Intel is floating this mini PC is because Apple created the Mac mini.
Apple takes all the creative risks. Thank goodness for the innovations of companies like Apple, Google, and those Linux rebels. Or we'd all be using big beige boxes and Windows 95. (Heck! There wouldn't even be a Windows 95 if it wasn't for OS/2 and Geoworks!)
Sam
So far, Intel has enforced market segmentation: You could get a laptop *or* a space-heater. This model is an indication that laptop processors will now be allowed to trickle into the general market. Ipod sized servers and child-pizza sized desktop comps are well within Intel's ability - just look at the size of the "computer" in your laptop.
Microsoft will doubtless resist the move: if it's not a "PC" then clients might not want "Windows", that clunky 19th century command center for a steam-powered computing box. Dell etc will also resist, because clients might get into the nasty habit of upgrading their CPUs only; even worse, some might dump laptops in favor of just taking their company "mini desktop" home in the backpack.
Summary - the Mac mini has broken Apple's hi-price policy, but it has also broken many of the unwritten laws of the PC cartel. Clearly, a form factor who's time has come !
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I was a Dos/Windows (then to some extent Linux) user my entire life. I now am the proud owner of a Mac Mini. I haven't booted into windows once since I got it. I got sick of all the viruses/spyware/malware in windows and the fact that , althought windows gets the job done, it's not enjoyable to use.
I would have NEVER bought a mac had they not released the mini because I was not about to pay a premium for hardware when I don't do any graphic design work or play many games. So all these companies that are trying to release a Mac Mini killer are barking up the wrong tree when they just release a traditional pc with a small footprint. It's the operating system, stupid! I don't have an answer for them because I just don't think linux is ready for prime time yet, but I am evidence that people are ready for an alternative, but it has nothing to do with the fact that our computers are too big now. If apple had released a $499 machine that was the size of a G5 tower, I would have bought that as well.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur
the current mini ITX board will not fit inside the Mac Mini's case if you are trying to get the same footprint.... remember when Kevin Rose from TechTV tried to put a windows running thing in the Mac Mini case? he used a pre-release nano-ITX mobo.
s /project_mini_pc/
This intel mockup is an empty plastic box with a wristwatch glued to the front. while Kevin could not fit in an optical drive, he got a lot farther than Intel did.
on top of that the Mac Mini has some extra room and an unused internal firewire connection that this week sparked speculation of possible future revision, or that the rumored built in iPod dock was in the plans at some point.
http://www.kevinrose.com/index.php/weblog/comment
Sadly, it does seem to me that Apple is the only one out there that innovates and inspires.
At one time, Compaq, Dell, and even Microsoft could be expected to innovate. Just look at the original Armada. Visual Basic 3.0. the Pre-inspiron laptops. Ya, they weren't the best products ever, but they were very innovative, industry-changing ideas at the time.
Now they're just a slow evolution of an old idea. For people who don't like the press that Apple gets, and would like to see others garner some press time - well, what the hell has ANYONE in the industry done in the past 5 years?
Intel does not need to inspire the industry with a Mac clone. The industry has seen it - and is merely betting that people won't switch.
That's a good bet, but it shows me how much the PC industry has totally lost it's spark of innovation, despite loads of inspiration from a non-competitor.
The Mini wasn't even the first PowerPC machine in that small a form factor. The BriQ is a PowerPC system that is small enough to fit in a 5 1/4" drive bay. Only 800MHz, but still quite an interesting system.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
1) Imitation the sencerest form of flattery.
9 78&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312/
2) Its not the power brick, powering this unit. But the cooling tower you also need to hang off of it! With the earplugs included in the box!
3) Intel been doing this "odd shape case thing" for years and no one has coppied them yet. Remember the Aztec pyrimid? Uggly shape and colors.
4) But Microsoft want to go to the "Teddybear" form factor case!
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=545
5) The "low heat" and also "low power" micro/Pico-ITX form factor MB are not made by Intel but are being driven by VIA CPU's and chipset!
6) And is this from the same Intel that was hyping so much bleeding edge stuff, over the last few years. That after X months usually said we can't do it?
Yep... A guy I know bought a "The Brick" machine way back when. It was pretty nice.
dont a lot of the mac desktops have internal firewire ports? Im pretty sure the G4 towers did although I am not sure about the G5. I wonder how much the presence of one really indicates that they intended to use it for an iPod doc.
you do have to wonder why they would put one in the mini though. there is no hope of adding an internal firewire device.
"In America, first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women..." -H. Simpson
The whole poing of the Mac Mini is that it's a small affordable system that comes preinstalled with; an OS, a Photo Editor, Movie Editor, Music Player, DVD/VCD designer, and Music Composition software. Additionally most Macs comes pre-installed with Apple Works and World Book Encyclopedia.
...).
Not to mention the splendor of no Adware or a major risk of viruses.
I think the whole point of the Mac Mini is to offer a cheap Mac to pursuade users to move from Windows / Intel to Macintosh / Apple.. But I'll argue against what you've said as if it were more accurate.
Windows XP comes with a photo editor (Microsoft Photo Editor), movie editor (Movie Maker), and music player (Windows Media Player). I honestly don't know if Movie Maker does DVD authoring and I'm pretty sure there arn't any music composition apps included.
Now look at the target market. People who want cheap ass computers. Are they even going to be doing any kind of content creation? If so they probably need a better computer anyway. The people buying these caliber computers are going to surf the web, send email, and play music.
Adware / spyware / viruses. Fair enough. But none of my computers have had any of that installed on them for the past six years. And I've seen Macs degrade into a metal whirring box because of software that the user [i]wanted[/i] installed.
I think the Mac mini is pretty cool. I think OS X is pretty cool. But I think Apple has more refinement to do, which they are constantly on the chase. However, Intel and Microsoft, if they were to set their minds to it, could crank out one hell of a little box. Look at the Dell Axim or the other (HP, Toshiba) hand held computers. Barely larger than a cell phone and more computing power than something from just five years ago. They just need to [i]get it right[/i] instead of doing it half assed (like they useually do
No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
The Mac Mini's ridiculously small case design is only possible because of the low power consumption of the PPC74xx/G4.
Even companies other than Apple have done similar things with the G4 a loong time ago, does anyone here remember the YellowDog Linux Briq
This is not just an x86 issue, even Apple will have a hard time putting a G5 in it's current Mac Mini Case.
Its the result of deeply pipelined processor designs. More latches, more stuff to clock, more power consumption and heat dissapation.
Ah, the good old days of 4 stage processors.
Fetch, decode, execute, commit/writeback. That was it.
Check out vprMatrix. These x86 laptops are fairly decent in quality (my ~3 year old laptop still works great), and they're designed by F. A. Porsche GmbH. The thing has style.
IWARS.
People, in general, disappoint me. Politicians even more so.
The only reason there's PC cases in colors other than beige is because Apple created the iMac.
Sorry, I was buying non beige PC cases way back in 1996.
The only reason there's a Windows "XP" is because there was a Mac OS "X".
If thats true, what about the AthlonXP?
The only reason you can import and organize music with Windows Media Player is because Apple created iTunes.
You do realise iTunes origionally started out as a third party player that Apple bought?
The only reason there's a Windows Movie Maker is because Apple created iMovie.
And MS couldnt have gotten the idea from the hundreds of other Movie creation software packages out there? And the fact that firewire capable home movie cameras were becoming highly popular, so something in the end was bound to happen?
The only reason there's slim lightweight Pentium M class laptops is because Apple created the PowerBook.
Now that really is just fanboiism. Thin and lightweight laptops have been available for years - well before the PentiumM, and as long as, if not longer than, thin Powerbooks. I recall owning a thin and lightweight Sony Vaio back in 1998 - based on a PII chip!
And now, the only reason Intel is floating this mini PC is because Apple created the Mac mini.
Intel have floated such concept devices beforehand - and dont even THINK that Apple created the mini PC market - as many have pointed out, see the Cappachino PC - hell, even Mini ITX systems.
I own two Macs myself - a Mac Mini and an Ibook, so Im in no way anti Apple. But everything you just said is nothing but blatant fanboiism pure and simple. Apple is NOT the be all end all of computing - and surprisingly enough it doesnt innovate as much as you would like to think.
And he's better add an OS license into that figure, because FreeBSD and Linux are nowhere near close to XP or OSX for refinement and usability.
And then there's the bundled Apple applications (iLife) to replace...
Seriously though, I think the point to be found here is that any novel/cool idea had by Apple hardly lasts a month before somebody in the PC market copies the idea. Not that it's illegal or unexpected or even necessarily wrong. IMO, we owe it to Apple to remember that they were there first.
In our church, a busines donated fairly new G4 Apple computers. Some were still in the boxes, unopened. They were running the new OSX. I was very eager to set them up. However, from the very beginning they all seemed slow. Everyone complained that the browser would take a long time to open. Initially I thought the ethernet interface was throttled down, but then others said opening office applications was a lot slower than what they were used to with the Windows XP machines. We still have the apple computers, but only kids seem to use them for educational programs that we also received as a donation from another business. Why would apple computers be so much slower than PC computers? I understand there is some heated arguments over this, but I am really looking for an answer. Do you think I need to update to the latest version of OS X?
Logically, for Intel to compete against the Mac Mini, they need to develop an iPod killer, not another desktop system.
Logically for me to respond to this comment, I would have to eat 3 soft boiled eggs with rye toast.
So to compete against the Mac Mini they should kill an entirely different product? I don't get it...and I defintiely don't get the logically part.
As if the all-in-one iMac form factor computer was something that Apple invented. I distinctly remember Compaq Prolinea (sp?) 486 all-in-one computers, which crammed a CD-Rom, Floppy(!), and all the other needed parts into an oversized 14"-15" monitor. Picture here.
Likewise, a computer the size of a Mac Mini is hardly original - people have imagined stuff like that for years. Apple is just the first company to pull it off on such a large scale.
Do you find the $999 iBook outrageously expensive? Most people find it gorgeous, but not expensive.
I have a website. It's about Macs.
OK hotshot, let's see the specs of the "better" AMD64 system (each part with current retail price).
P.S. I would really like to see the inbred dimwits that modded this informative... where is the information here?
Ives likely makes more like three to five hundred thousand a year. He drives a Bentley...
But custom as opposed to commodity parts cost quite a bit of coin. Of course, not the amount that would make up for a large cost diference, perhaps fifty bucks per. I remember going to the plant that produced the NeXT cube and well as Linn tonearms, and the mold was pretty amazing. The final piece also required custom finishing, as molds have seams, and Steve wanted a seamless design. The stuff is more costly than you think. Which is exactly why so few companies invest in the processes, people, and long term commitments to producing excellent design.
Having held a Zen and an Ipod and used both I'd say the zen is the superior machine in every way.
Getting another cheap piece of commodity PC hardware out into the markey isn't the point. The point is that this is a small, cheap multi-media piece of hardware.
FTA: Intel on Wednesday showed off its living room PC of the future--and it looks a lot like the Mac Mini.
This can easily play DVDs, mp3s, record TV (think tivo or myth for that matter). How long until either Apple releases the software for running your own Tivo, or importing TV directly into iMovie. This is meant to be the digital jukebox that you use when you're not "working", but instead enjoying life.
- passion
Have you used Microsoft's movie program and compared it to iMovie? I don't think you'd equate it. Appleworks sucks. (i'm a mac and pc user)
.NET web stuff you know what i'm talking about).
/. people, pirating windows and all that stuff is an obvious thought to save money. So you still have to buy the hardware. With apple, you are 100% legal and get an equivalent computer. Not to mention that XP PRO upgrades are more money than OSX so when the next release of both oses come out guess who will be saving money! (if you are legal)
Seriously, Microsoft office is practically a required purchase on both platforms. Yes they make office for the Mac! www.microsoft.com/mac
While I love clamwin, its not NAV/SAV! Windows requires a GOOD antivirus product with on access scanning. As for PDF support, you can literally create a pdf from almost any program on the mac for free! Its VERY easy. No software installations.. time is a cost factor.
As for the OS comparison, its fair to equate XP Pro to OS X. Why? Well for one you get the same file sharing capabilities (or better) on the mac with apple's modified samba install. Both XP Pro and OSX have a webserver built in (good for web developers like myself). Microsoft wants you to pay for IIS (if you do
To
(and you can play world of warcraft on either system! )
Actually, Apple didn't copy XEROX PARC's research at all. They flat out used it as it and improved upon it. XEROX didn't see a use for either mouse or GUI technology, so they gave Apple permission to use it.
Pooty tweet
Well, Sony always had uber-sexy Vaio laptops that made people drool for as long as Apple's Powerbooks. And many other manufacturers have great designs. as well. For instance, LG has nice looking laptops and Fujitsu has some beautiful slate TabletPCs.
Apple has a very strong brand. They can make a white plastic box, slap a logo on it and it will sell. I am not saying that they don't have great design, just that they are only marginally better than designs from other manufacturers. But Apples are perceived to be much more stylish, because Apple is... "different".
Future Wiki -- If you don't think about the future, you cannot have one.
I've seen a number of post blasting Intel for constantly ripping off Apple's innovative ideas. I guess I'd like to know, how is making a gumball of a computer that matches your eyes and complements your shoes innovation? I'm not say Intel is any less of a ripoff artist, just that is sounds more like fashion than innovation to me.