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Was the Mac mini Intended to Have an iPod dock?
Posted by
CmdrTaco
on Tue Mar 01, 2005 11:18 AM
from the sure-why-not dept.
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..."
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Was the Mac mini Intended to Have an iPod dock?
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Makes sense (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Makes sense (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Makes sense (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Makes sense (Score:5, Insightful)
Not an iPod Dock (Score:5, Funny)
(http://shockandblog.com/blog)
already been done... by me.. (Score:4, Funny)
Pretty leet huh, I'm about to submit it as a full fledged story to /.
Look for me in the dupe.
Homebrew Cases (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://www.shaunmanning.com/)
I may be easily asmused... (Score:5, Funny)
(http://www.oldman.plus.com/33)
It would a good to have this dock as optional, but that will be in the next flurry of updates?
Re:I may be easily asmused... (Score:5, Funny)
(http://127.0.0.1/ | Last Journal: Monday May 09 2005, @04:20PM)
Hmm.. They are planning on having an option where you can order repair droid with your Mac Mini!
Re:I may be easily asmused... (Score:5, Funny)
Damned refurbs!
Flexibility is good (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Flexibility is good (Score:5, Insightful)
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?
Good thing Apple changed their mind (Score:3, Insightful)
Not an iPod doc (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Re:Not an iPod doc (Score:4, Interesting)
(http://127.0.0.1/ | Last Journal: Monday May 09 2005, @04:20PM)
Re:Not an iPod doc (Score:5, Interesting)
(http://www.covenantspice.com/)
Re:Not an iPod doc (Score:5, Informative)
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.
Re:Not an iPod doc (Score:4, Interesting)
(http://slashdot.org/)
Re:Not an iPod doc (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://www.ajwm.net/amayer/)
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.)
Re:Not an iPod doc (Score:5, Informative)
(http://port80ware.com/)
from MacWorld [macworld.com]
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.
Coralized link (Score:5, Informative)
-P
iPod Docks (Score:5, Insightful)
Old news (Score:4, Informative)
(http://www.whitepeters.com/)
Sorry it was the price... (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://www.lazylightning.org/)
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.
Re:Sorry it was the price... (Score:5, Informative)
(http://www.sg1archive.com/)
Next time, try blaming the real source of the problem: yourself.
Re:Sorry it was the price... (Score:5, Interesting)
(http://www.play.net/)
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.
Re:Ha! That's still too expensive... (Score:5, Funny)
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.
Re:Y'know, its still about $150 too much... (Score:4, Insightful)
It's a Macintosh, not a throwaway Dell (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://slashdot.org/ | Last Journal: Friday March 26 2004, @09:01AM)
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.
That's where you plug... (Score:5, Funny)
I think... (Score:5, Funny)
(http://eoban.com/)
Re:I think... (Score:5, Funny)
Firewire drive? (Score:3, Insightful)
Realy hope it's a iPod dock (Score:1, Interesting)
(http://bitsofnews.com/)
Probably a little internal fight over it (Score:5, Informative)
(http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/)
Also, since I have karma to spare, with I googled for mac mini ipod dock I got a picture of this crazy contraption [hackaday.com]. Just thought I'd share.
- Cary
--Fairfax Underground [fairfaxunderground.com]: Where Fairfax County comes out to play
In other news... (Score:5, Funny)
Might have been nixed for esthetic reasons (Score:1)
(http://bitsofnews.com/)
Uh oh! Does this mean Apple... (Score:4, Funny)
2nd firewire port? Nixed for cooling? (Score:1)
(http://www.scarydevil.com/~peter/ | Last Journal: Monday September 26 2005, @06:53PM)
This is old news.
There's nothing but vents in the back panel where this would sit. It's possible that at one point they were planning on having the firewire port (or ports) in a second row on the I/O panel, which would have left room for three USB ports.
Yes, But Killed Early On (Score:5, Informative)
Mac Mini + iPod + Tivo? (Score:1)
(Last Journal: Saturday October 01 2005, @07:08PM)
I know what it is (Score:5, Funny)
(http://www.berkshirephotonics.com/)
It will be in the 2nd version of the mini (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
Two different docks (Score:2)
What about a "driveless" Mac Mini? (Score:4, Interesting)
Looks of the mini w/ a dock on it.. (Score:2, Interesting)
wrong pinout (Score:5, Informative)
(Last Journal: Wednesday August 03 2005, @10:21AM)
Computer VS Peripheral (Score:2)
$499 iPod peripheral == very expensive
Firewire does not = integration (Score:2, Interesting)
(http://www.bynumbers.com/)
You can add the dockyourself! (Score:2)
(http://www.xpriori.com/ | Last Journal: Friday June 18 2004, @04:18PM)
Where's the USB dock? (Score:2)
_Perhaps_ the reason this interface didn't see the light of day (until now) is that it was designed for Firewire and got too far down the development chain when Apple Marketing determined the USB route was the way they wanted to go. So with no time to change the circuit to USB, they nixed the dock concept.
Or _perhaps_ they just liked the clean lines the mini has, or felt that at $499, they couldn't justify the feature.
There are plenty of resons why they didn't.
The question really is, if they _had_ would it have increased sales? It would be a "cool" factor, but I don't know that it makes me want a Mac mini any more than I already do.
For the same engineering/component dollars, maybe Apple could increase the ram (much discussed ad infinitem) or bumped up the graphics card - these are the universal #1 and #2 complaints I hear of the mini (forget those who "claim" they would buy at price point X $499).
No one ever bitches that there isn't an integrated iPod dock.
Re:Where's the USB dock? (Score:5, Insightful)
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".
Remember the iMac (Score:1, Informative)
TiVo Model? (Score:1)
Of course that's entirely speculation/wish list.
The ipod is always thought of as a music player (Score:5, Interesting)
(http://www.bobpitch.com/)
a way to further entice a switch? (Score:1)
Seeing as Apple ... (Score:1)
(http://savewizwar.com/)
Another docking station (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Doesn't it figure? (Score:2)
This is simply good engineering- they have supplied for future growth as opposed to needing a full redesign. Should we expect anything else from a company that finally seems to be getting it right again and again?
Not an iPod dock (Score:2)
(http://www.pocketgamer.org/)
Add-ons in the same Mac mini form factor? (Score:1)
Mezzanine, ADB, and floppy connectors in G1 iMac (Score:2)
It seems a little hasty to call this a proto ipod dock without a little more evidence than the firewire lines. Now, hack up a dock interface, then we're talking. People made SCSI cards for the mezzanine slot; this just sounds like guessing to me.
why bother... (Score:2)
Bluetooth (Score:2)
(http://tfandango.blogspot.com/ | Last Journal: Wednesday December 24 2003, @11:03AM)
The true purpose of the Mac Mini (Score:1)
Re:Hmmm.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Hmmm.... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Hmmm.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Or in other words:
This opens up the option of homebrewing your own dock into a mini for yourself...
Re:Hmmm.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Redundant? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Redundant? (Score:5, Funny)
(Last Journal: Friday November 16, @09:04AM)
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!
iPod dock for next gen of Sawtooth G4 (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://www.slashdot.com/)
This got me thinking - my Sawtooth G4/400 has an internal Firewire port [lowendmac.com]. 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).
Re:hasnt the ipod line abandoned firewire? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:or perhaps.... (Score:5, Funny)
(http://www.hylobatidae.org/minerva/)
Actually, what with the relative sizes and all, it's believed that the next iPod will have a Mac Mini dock.
Re:hasnt the ipod line abandoned firewire? (Score:1)
(http://josh.tumaz.com/ | Last Journal: Friday May 16 2003, @01:26AM)
Re:Plug and don't play (Score:2, Interesting)
There is a little program called Keycaps that should let you know the default mappings of the keys and their modifier keys on the keyboard. There are also language packs that can be installed from the OS X CD.
Your wireless card definitely has drivers. Nothing ships with a Mac that has no drivers; they're part of the OS install. If the wireless card isn't working, it may be a hardware issue. Check with Apple for a warranty repair.
Re:or perhaps.... (Score:1)
(http://koiulpoi.dmusic.com/)