Fry's is selling the base Mac Mini for $499

[devianter]

im good im good anyways dont make examples with flash.flash is not a software.flash is a big BUG inside our computers.
still waiting for a good reason for switching my mac mini in my living room to a windows pc.
any ideas ? netflix and hulu on FIREFOX back in 2008 are weak.

 

[lilo777]

im good im good anyways dont make examples with flash.flash is not a software.flash is a big BUG inside our computers.
still waiting for a good reason for switching my mac mini in my living room to a windows pc.

I know

 

[mmomega]

it's all about the convenience factor. I can buy this small little box that doesn't look "too" out of place and thats it, for this price. OR...

I can research pieces, damn so many options.... umm, ok this case, no wife doesnt like that one, ok this one. Ordered, wait, wait, wait.... SWEET fedex guy just delivered everything, nice, nice, nice.... putting it together, oh you've got to be kidding me I know i grounded myself before putting that in there freakin static electricity!!1.... can I get to FRY's before they close? GD@#%#%@# traffic, ok they have it, get home. YES Honey I'll be to bed in a minute!! Ok, installing Windows whew got this far, go smoke while im waiting. K, install this, install that, downloading updates, etc. etc.

I do admit when I was alot younger I went through this and I have my battle scars, physically and emotionally but, if I've worked enough so that I can walk into a store, not be harassed by 5 separate salespeople within 3 minutes pick up what I want and leave (after paying for it first ..don't steal!)
then that's what I will do.

 

[devianter]

the main reason i bought an imac - the possibility to use mac os x.and .. save some space in my room
the reason i bought mac mini ? Plex.thats all.All my family havent even once asked me "HOW TO.... " about it.that what is important to me.i like things that just work

 

[mmomega]

the main reason i bought an imac - the possibility to use mac os x.and .. save some space in my room
the reason i bought mac mini ? Plex.thats all.All my family havent even once asked me "HOW TO.... " about it.that what is important to me.i like things that just work

exactly my thing, fiance' isn't a super techy so after I installed the AppleTV she asked ok how does this work, handed her the remote and she said ummm is this really all I need? Yep.... play, pause, stop, back not 75 buttons and we only use 4 of them 99% of the time.
Next problem is making sure she doesn't lose it somewhere in the bed or the couch.

 

[Max(IT)]

No, it's not. A desktop computer with a slow hard drive, aging processor, uses notebook parts, built without upgrading or user-service in mind, and that you void the warranty by even opening.

Eesh - I don't know why it bugs me so much, I have considered the cute, quiet little buggers. But the value just isn't there. It is a cheaper way to pay the same Apple premium, and it's about the most feature-less and least future-proof machine you could buy.

I admit, I'm using the poor Mini as a stress ball in this post.

BS ...

It takes 10 mins, a knife and a screwdriver to upgrade RAM and hdd. The same time you need to upgrade a crap Windows desktop.
And you have a very tiny computer where other manufacturer sell ridiculous Atom based desktops.

 

[student_trap]

Yet every time I compare the price of the mini to a comparable windows machine, the price difference is negligible. The current version from Dell is the Inspiron Zino HD. Price in a configuration similar to a mini with a 320GB drive? $679. Price of the mini - $699. I don't know about you, but $20 for a Mac instead of having to run windows is a no brainer for me.

Exactly, it is shocking how competitive it actually is

How is the Mini less future-proof then say a Macbook[Pro] or an iMac? At least you can change your display for a bigger/better one . Yon can't upgrade an iMac or Macbook[Pro] anymore than you can a Mini.

Exactly, it is funny that when people advise other to get a 13" mbp, they bang on about speed, but then turn around and rip at the mini which has the exact same hardware!

No, it's not. A desktop computer with a slow hard drive, aging processor, uses notebook parts, built without upgrading or user-service in mind, and that you void the warranty by even opening.

Eesh - I don't know why it bugs me so much, I have considered the cute, quiet little buggers. But the value just isn't there. It is a cheaper way to pay the same Apple premium, and it's about the most feature-less and least future-proof machine you could buy.

I admit, I'm using the poor Mini as a stress ball in this post.

This is just not true. In the UK at least it is very in line with dell machines for price and specs.



However, I just wanted to identify my grievance:

I have been given 40% off of a mini as a good will gesture from apple, and the price that I will pay in the uk is still only equates to $500. We are getting totally ripped off in the uk, its a disgrace.

In the UK the base mac mini costs $777

 

[Seychelles]

Exactly, it is shocking how competitive it actually is



Exactly, it is funny that when people advise other to get a 13" mbp, they bang on about speed, but then turn around and rip at the mini which has the exact same hardware!



This is just not true. In the UK at least it is very in line with dell machines for price and specs.



However, I just wanted to identify my grievance:

I have been given 40% off of a mini as a good will gesture from apple, and the price that I will pay in the uk is still only equates to $500. We are getting totally ripped off in the uk, its a disgrace.

In the UK the base mac mini costs $777

In fairness I think you need to look at the figures again and also factor in the fact that although the mini is SFF (as Apple gives you no real choice on headless desktops) you don't need to limit yourself that way in PC land..... and very few people do.

This is a Zino HD with a dual core processor, 4gb Ram, 500gb Hard drive, better graphics AND a 20" monitor for £41 less than the basic Mini sells for.

http://search.dell.co.uk/1/1/22310-plum-purple-colour-dell-inspiron-zino-hd-desktop.html

if you expand the 'PC' side to non SFF then the base mini is now nearly at the same price as i5 PC's...now thats a no brainer!

http://www.meshcomputers.com/Defaul...=online&UTM_CONTENT=POWER_B&UTM_CAMPAIGN=box2

or i3

http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=42027


the mini is poor value and if you must have OSX then you're better off getting a refurb iMac.

 

[student_trap]

In fairness I think you need to look at the figures again and also factor in the fact that although the mini is SFF (as Apple gives you no real choice on headless desktops) you don't need to limit yourself that way in PC land..... and very few people do.

This is a Zino HD with a dual core processor, 4gb Ram, 500gb Hard drive, better graphics AND a 20" monitor for £41 less than the basic Mini sells for.

http://search.dell.co.uk/1/1/22310-plum-purple-colour-dell-inspiron-zino-hd-desktop.html

if you expand the 'PC' side to non SFF then the base mini is now nearly at the same price as i5 PC's...now thats a no brainer!

http://www.meshcomputers.com/Defaul...=online&UTM_CONTENT=POWER_B&UTM_CAMPAIGN=box2

or i3

http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=42027


the mini is poor value and if you must have OSX then you're better off getting a refurb iMac.

1. your first example (the only one that is directly comparable) has a 1.5 Ghz AMD processor...no thanks

2. & 3. big power drains (read: expensive to run), have big towers, and do not have OSX

As I said, the real problem is the higher price paid in europe: this is the only scandal I can see

 

[Kebabselector]

In the UK the base mac mini costs $777

Apple mark it up by about $75, the additional cost is VAT. Remember the US prices do not include sales tax, which isn't usually as bad as our VAT (average around 6-7%?)

I don't really have an issue with VAT, I don't like the additional $75 apple adds on in the UK (it adds slightly less on to the euro price - maybe we should join the euro - joking)

 

[student_trap]

Apple mark it up by about $75, the additional cost is VAT. Remember the US prices do not include sales tax, which isn't usually as bad as our VAT (average around 6-7%?)

I don't really have an issue with VAT, I don't like the additional $75 apple adds on in the UK (it adds slightly less on to the euro price - maybe we should join the euro - joking)

I understand that the tax in the us is added on later, but very simply:

For a base mac mini:
6% of $600 is $36

therefore US price + tax = $635
The english price is £510 = $777
Difference = $142 (£93)

Therefore in the UK we pay 18% more for the base mac mini

I know that the VAT in the uk is high and this makes things more expensive, but apple have also upped their prices over the last 12 months as they: dropped their prices for the VAT decrease, upped them back to normal with each new revision through 2009, and then upped them again when the VAT returned to normal.

The fact that they did this annoys me greatly

 

[Transporteur]

I really tried to find a comparable PC to the Mac Mini.
No results yet.
Other mini PC's are either under powered or cost more than the Mini.

Of course you can get a decent desktop PC for that price, but not another mini PC with equal hardware.

It is a pretty pricy machine, no doubt, but still unique on the market.
I ordered my Mini yesterday. It will be used as a Plex box and maybe server. Due to the limited reliability of 2.5" drives in terms of 24/7 usage, the stock HDD will be replaced by a small 64GB SSD.

 

[student_trap]

I really tried to find a comparable PC to the Mac Mini.
No results yet.
Other mini PC's are either under powered or cost more than the Mini.

Of course you can get a decent desktop PC for that price, but not another mini PC with equal hardware.

this is exactly the point.

I think that you either understand the mini or you completely miss its appeal.

They are fantastic machines, but part of their charm is the fact that they are small yet still powerful.

Furthermore, they are also great second machines as they are very energy efficient, and therefore significantly cheaper to run:

Case in point:

my mac pro costs me over £100 a year in electricity
the mini hat I am about to buy as a second desktop will cost around £7 a year

 

[MacMini2009]

In fairness I think you need to look at the figures again and also factor in the fact that although the mini is SFF (as Apple gives you no real choice on headless desktops) you don't need to limit yourself that way in PC land..... and very few people do.

This is a Zino HD with a dual core processor, 4gb Ram, 500gb Hard drive, better graphics AND a 20" monitor for £41 less than the basic Mini sells for.

http://search.dell.co.uk/1/1/22310-plum-purple-colour-dell-inspiron-zino-hd-desktop.html

if you expand the 'PC' side to non SFF then the base mini is now nearly at the same price as i5 PC's...now thats a no brainer!

http://www.meshcomputers.com/Defaul...=online&UTM_CONTENT=POWER_B&UTM_CAMPAIGN=box2

or i3

http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=42027


the mini is poor value and if you must have OSX then you're better off getting a refurb iMac.

The Zino is fatter and has a weaker processor. Just get a Dell Zino and stop whining about how the Mac Mini is not worth it.

 

[Max(IT)]

In fairness I think you need to look at the figures again and also factor in the fact that although the mini is SFF (as Apple gives you no real choice on headless desktops) you don't need to limit yourself that way in PC land..... and very few people do.

This is a Zino HD with a dual core processor, 4gb Ram, 500gb Hard drive, better graphics AND a 20" monitor for £41 less than the basic Mini sells for.

http://search.dell.co.uk/1/1/22310-plum-purple-colour-dell-inspiron-zino-hd-desktop.html

if you expand the 'PC' side to non SFF then the base mini is now nearly at the same price as i5 PC's...now thats a no brainer!

http://www.meshcomputers.com/Defaul...=online&UTM_CONTENT=POWER_B&UTM_CAMPAIGN=box2

or i3

http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=42027


the mini is poor value and if you must have OSX then you're better off getting a refurb iMac.

The simple fact of comparing a Dell Zino to a Mac Mini made me laugh
BTW, your choice: go to buy one

 

[Max(IT)]

I really tried to find a comparable PC to the Mac Mini.
No results yet.
Other mini PC's are either under powered or cost more than the Mini.

Of course you can get a decent desktop PC for that price, but not another mini PC with equal hardware.

It is a pretty pricy machine, no doubt, but still unique on the market.
I ordered my Mini yesterday. It will be used as a Plex box and maybe server. Due to the limited reliability of 2.5" drives in terms of 24/7 usage, the stock HDD will be replaced by a small 64GB SSD.

I think all Apple's products are quite pricy, so if you can't afford one, just don't buy one
people on a budget that want Mac OSX could look for a second handed

 

[Airforcekid]

No, it's not. A desktop computer with a slow hard drive, aging processor, uses notebook parts, built without upgrading or user-service in mind, and that you void the warranty by even opening.

Eesh - I don't know why it bugs me so much, I have considered the cute, quiet little buggers. But the value just isn't there. It is a cheaper way to pay the same Apple premium, and it's about the most feature-less and least future-proof machine you could buy.

I admit, I'm using the poor Mini as a stress ball in this post.

I agree its a great computer but $399 is the I would want to consider.

 

[MacMini2009]

I agree its a great computer but $399 is the I would want to consider.

$399 is getting around the Nettop prices. Would you want Apple to change the Mac Mini into a weak Nettop?

 

[Max(IT)]

I agree its a great computer but $399 is the I would want to consider.

That's ridicolous : 399$ is the price of an Atom based Acer. You can't expect Apple to be so cheap

 

[Krafty]

The Zino is fatter and has a weaker processor. Just get a Dell Zino and stop whining about how the Mac Mini is not worth it.

+1

Just how everyone bashes Mac's but dont have the balls to buy the windows they boast about.

 

[cube]

That's ridicolous : 399$ is the price of an Atom based Acer. You can't expect Apple to be so cheap

There are Pentium Dual Core and Athlon X2 systems that cost less than that.

There is even Core 2 Duo and Athlon II X2 systems at $399.

 

[student_trap]

There are Pentium Dual Core and Athlon X2 systems that cost less than that.

There is even Core 2 Duo and Athlon II X2 systems at $399.

but one must compare like with like.

Find me a computer roughly the size of the mini, with similar specs.

I'll give you a clue: the zino isn't it

 

[rich.smith]

Why is that? When used as HTPC, Windows probably is a better choice. The risk of malware is very low in this line of use and even if infected, the fix is easy (your main computer is another story). And then you can get a lot more software to run on it.

That's fine if you want it to be a single purpose device. What if you want to use it as a real computer too?

I used Windows exclusively since Windows 3.1 and DOS before that. I switched to the Mac at work 4 years ago. Since then, I have converted by wife and sone to Macs. I will never buy another windows machine.

 

[Transporteur]

There are Pentium Dual Core and Athlon X2 systems that cost less than that.

There is even Core 2 Duo and Athlon II X2 systems at $399.

Then show use these systems!
A few weeks ago I searched for days to find such systems for my mother (XP user).
I ended up buying the smallest Mac Mini and put Windows XP (exclusively) on it.

 

[Max(IT)]

There are Pentium Dual Core and Athlon X2 systems that cost less than that.

There is even Core 2 Duo and Athlon II X2 systems at $399.

Then go buy some ....

Then show use these systems!
A few weeks ago I searched for days to find such systems for my mother (XP user).
I ended up buying the smallest Mac Mini and put Windows XP (exclusively) on it.

Poor Mini, doomed