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From: eastender on 15 Jun 2010 18:21 In article <nospam-B48AA3.23064015062010(a)news.virginmedia.com>, eastender <nospam(a)nospam.com> wrote: > Been working too hard today to have spotted the new Mini but now I have > I think at these prices I would have expected the latest processors and > graphics that are in the larger Macbook Pros and iMacs, in the higher > spec model at any rate. There's little incentive to upgrade from the > Minis released over a year ago. Also I believe you can't get at the hard disk at all easily to stick a 7200 rpm or SSD in the base model. This is silly if true. E.
From: Ben Shimmin on 17 Jun 2010 04:25 Chris Ridd <chrisridd(a)mac.com>: [...] > I do agree the Mini's overpriced. If the base model had a 500GB hard disc, 4GB RAM, and could play Blu-Ray, I'd feel differently about the price. As it is, it's way too expensive. b. -- <bas(a)bas.me.uk> <URL:http://bas.me.uk/> `Zombies are defined by behavior and can be "explained" by many handy shortcuts: the supernatural, radiation, a virus, space visitors, secret weapons, a Harvard education and so on.' -- Roger Ebert
From: Chris Ridd on 17 Jun 2010 06:29 On 2010-06-17 09:25:10 +0100, Ben Shimmin said: > Chris Ridd <chrisridd(a)mac.com>: > > [...] > >> I do agree the Mini's overpriced. > > If the base model had a 500GB hard disc, 4GB RAM, and could play Blu-Ray, > I'd feel differently about the price. As it is, it's way too expensive. I don't think Blu-Ray's ever going to appear in a Mac, somehow. But upping the other base specs would be a good start, not forgetting the CPU really ought to be an i5 or something. What chipset do Apple use in the MBPs that allows them to use i5 and i7? -- Chris
From: David Empson on 17 Jun 2010 08:17 Chris Ridd <chrisridd(a)mac.com> wrote: > On 2010-06-17 09:25:10 +0100, Ben Shimmin said: > > > Chris Ridd <chrisridd(a)mac.com>: > > > > [...] > > > >> I do agree the Mini's overpriced. > > > > If the base model had a 500GB hard disc, 4GB RAM, and could play Blu-Ray, > > I'd feel differently about the price. As it is, it's way too expensive. > > I don't think Blu-Ray's ever going to appear in a Mac, somehow. > > But upping the other base specs would be a good start, not forgetting > the CPU really ought to be an i5 or something. What chipset do Apple > use in the MBPs that allows them to use i5 and i7? The 17" and 15" MacBook Pro use the i5/i7 with Intel's standard chipset which gives integrated HD graphics, plus a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphic controller with 256 MB or 512 MB of VRAM. They have enough physical size for a larger battery and the extra motherboard space, plus the price headroom to cover the cost of the extra chips. The 13" MacBook Pro and MacBook are physically smaller and there isn't room for the i5 chipset as well as a separate graphics controller and its memory. Unless something happened like the omission of the optical drive, or the computer got thicker again, or the battery size and operating time were signficantly reduced. The NVIDIA integrated graphics controller (e.g. 320M) cannot be used with an Intel Core i3/i5/i7, only a Core 2 Duo. Blame Intel for that. The situation with the new Mac Mini appears to be that Apple wanted a body redesign similar to their other models, based around Aluminium Unibody (which pushed the cost up somewhat), and there is no way they could fit a Core i5 plus dedicated graphics controller into anything as small as the Mini without retaining the separate power brick. Plus it would have pushed the cost even higher. Then there is the fact that the Mini typically follows the architecture of the preceding MacBook or 13" MacBook Pro, so it is not surprising the latest model follows that pattern. Apple isn't willing to compromise on graphics performance by using a Core i3/i5 with Intel integrated graphics. I suspect a factor here is OpenCL (or other uses of the graphics controller as a coprocessor), which is supported by every model Apple has introduced since the start of 2009 (and some earlier models). If they went with Core i5 plus Intel integrated graphics with no NVIDIA/ATI graphics controller, then OpenCL support would be missing from some new models, which is a disincentive for developers to use it (and it means Apple can't depend on it in core parts of the operating system). I doubt this situation can be resolved until one of these happens: (a) Intel gives in (or loses a court battle) and lets NVIDIA make memory/graphics controllers for their latest processors. (b) Intel's integrated graphics improves to the point that Apple is willing to live with it (especially if it can support OpenCL). (c) Apple gets sick of waiting for Intel and switches to AMD processors, at least for low end models. (d) Something exciting comes out of PA Semi and allows Apple to go in a completely new direction, or perhaps resurrect an old one. For example, consider what might happen if a new PowerPC design from PA Semi was good enough for all the low end Mac models (Intel could continue to be used on high end models.) That would throw an interesting spanner in the works for software developers who are blindly heading in the x86-only direction for mainstream software. (e) ARM and iOS gradually eat into the Mac market share and Apple phases out x86-based Macs, at least at the low end. The US price rise on the Mini might signal the start of this trend. -- David Empson dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz
From: Ben Shimmin on 17 Jun 2010 08:33
Chris Ridd <chrisridd(a)mac.com>: > On 2010-06-17 09:25:10 +0100, Ben Shimmin said: >> Chris Ridd <chrisridd(a)mac.com>: >>> I do agree the Mini's overpriced. >> >> If the base model had a 500GB hard disc, 4GB RAM, and could play Blu-Ray, >> I'd feel differently about the price. As it is, it's way too expensive. > > I don't think Blu-Ray's ever going to appear in a Mac, somehow. I think you're probably right, and it definitely sucks. I really like watching HD films on my TV, and there's no other way I can do that apart from with Blu-Ray. If Apple had had a Mini available with Blu-Ray, I probably wouldn't have bought a PS3. b. -- <bas(a)bas.me.uk> <URL:http://bas.me.uk/> `Zombies are defined by behavior and can be "explained" by many handy shortcuts: the supernatural, radiation, a virus, space visitors, secret weapons, a Harvard education and so on.' -- Roger Ebert |