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ArsTechnica Reviews The Intel Mac Mini (Core Solo)
phaedo00 writes "Ars Technica has put together a review of the recently announced Intel-powered Mac mini. The model reviewed was the public's first look at a Core Solo desktop from Apple and the results are promising: 'Up until Apple's "fun" announcement on the last day of February, there was really no indication of how Apple's low-end Intel offerings would be presented. Now that Apple has disclosed the specification and price points for their entry-level machines, we can get a better idea of where Apple is trying to take their product line. For those people who might be unaware, two new Mac Mini models were released and by most accounts, the products have been well received aside from a few quibbles over specifications.'"
I'm happy it's al least processor upgradable. See here. Upgrading the processor would speed the internal graphics as well. Not a bad little bugger.
Don't lead me into temptation... I can find it myself.
I have a 1.42 G4 Mac Mini with 512 MB and was very impressed with the Intel version. Apple managed to counter every complaint with an improvement -- SPDIF audio in and out, additional USB ports, SATA hard drive, etc. I expect to buy one within the next few months and retire my G4 to the living room for use a VLC media centre.
My only disappointment was the integrated video. I was hoping for something better than the Intel chipset, and it's shared video memory to boot.
Someone convince me I am wrong...
They weren't wrong when they said that either. The new mini is not a very good game system.
The real question is, why do you keep posting this exact same quote on every single Mac mini story? Are you just trying to get more hits for the "free mini" pyramid scam in your sig file?
You must not think it's that bad of a computer if you are willing to turn yourself into a total whore to get your hands on one.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
The only really important thing to me is that they improved on the atrociously poor HDD of the original Mini. About 80% of the beach-ball-spinning I've had to endure would just go away, and videos wouldn't immediately start stuttering whenever any other program at all touched the HDD. Compiling software should also be much quicker, which is another gripe I have.
Interesting article (since I'm a potential buyer :-), however, they didn't included the new Mac Mini CoreDuo for most of their benchmarks, only the new Mac Mini CoreSolo. I don't understand why, but that's clearly a limitation of the review.
Animoog.org
The thing is, OS X is like Linux only without the headaches and politics.
Linux is like OS X, without the ease of use and reality of actually getting things done in a timely manner.
Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
A couple weeks back I ordered a refurbished Mac Mini (I buy all my Apple stuff as refurbished--I think the "new car price" is significantly too high) and was very disappointed. It was a G4 1.4GHz with 512MB of RAM and ran as slow as molasses. I understand that this is a "low end" machine, but the machine was so slow as to be barely usable. Despite the fact that the processor speed is close to that of my PowerBook (at 1.5), startup, opening apps, and performing routine tasks was excruciating. There was a periodic lag typing in text in Text Edit, though oddly enough, DVD playback was fine. This was an "out of the box" machine with no 3rd-party software on it (and not net connection) so there's just no excuse for that.
In any event, I'll be sending it back. I'm going to order a Core Duo and see if it's any better. If not, I'll have to find something else to run my living room entertainment system on.
Interested in a Flash-based MAME front end? Visit mame.danzbb.com
Ohmygod, more hype!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)
I think, therefore I am...I think.
...is that the OLD mini G4 had damn poor graphics of its own. Remember, we're comparing to a 32MB (yes, 32) ATI 9200.
... whereas the old mini got 14fps, gee so much better.
For example, MacWorld's game benchmark results. In UT 2004 (at default quality settings) the new mini gets a pathetic 10-12fps
Also, the new mini will get FASTER in the months ahead. For starters, upgrading to paired DIMMs will use the dual-channel bus, which is always a boost for shared-memory IGPs. Secondly, the Intel compilers for Mac are on the way.
Sure, a mini with GF 6200 or Radeon X200 would be better, but GMA950 is not the apocalypse some have been claiming.
If you don't want to see sigs then turn off sigs and stop bitching about what people put in them.
I don't mind seeing what people put in their sigs. I like sigs.
If you don't want to be called a whore, quit selling yourself.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
Several points:
:o) )OS X has excellent usability, great features, and a pleasing look.
1. I'm not sure why the current Mini had problems: The G4 was older tech and had limited memory. In addition, it was a refurb, so it's possible that the problem was something that wasn't resolved before it was sent out again. I had hoped that it would suffice for a living room media PC, despite the former. I haven't had problems with refurbs before, so I wasn't expecting the latter. From some research I've done, it seems most likely that my experience is unusual, so I suspect that this is a machine that wasn't completely "fixed" before being resold.
2. I like Macs. (Not a fanboi, but I like them
3. I appreciate the Mini form factor, as this box is going to wind up in a piece of furniture behind my couch. Because I'll be using this in the living room, fanless operation is also important.
In any case, Apple offers free shipping and 100% satisfaction guarantee, so I'm not out any money (except the return shipping cost) and since I've been so happy with my PowerBook, I thought I'd give them another chance. If the new machine doesn't perform, then I'll go looking for something else.
Interested in a Flash-based MAME front end? Visit mame.danzbb.com
He's right. You're whoring out your sig and he pointed it out. His complaint isn't about sigs in general, just about yours and how it relates to your actual post.
Lasers Controlled Games!
"Upgrading the processor would speed the internal graphics as well."
The graphics chip will not gain any new features. The only video operations that will be faster are things that are CPU dependant, where the CPU is your bottleneck. The bus speed stays the same after the upgrade which means the video chip has the same bandwidth to the system memory.
Sometimes my arms bend back.
I suppose having a link to one of those Free Mac Mini sites that I've had in my sig for the past 6 months makes me incapable of speaking about the subject.
It certainly puts your judgement in doubt...
We live, as we dream -- alone....