Comments on: Apple launches new Intel Mac Minis, iPod Hi-Fi

Mac maker introduces two new Minis with Intel chips and a speaker system that CEO Steve Jobs says is of home stereo quality.

[SeizeCTRL]

FUN WOULD BE...

Fun would be inventing a shiny plastic that doesn't scratch when you look at it the wrong way.

Fun would be having my iPod not scratch without having to pay $100 for a case.

Fun would be the ability to tag TV Shows as TV Shows and have them display in the correct category on my 5g.

Fun would be a firmware update that didn't destroy the ability to play non-iTunes videos.

Fun would be adding more games to the iPod... fixing all the little things wrong with the iPod. Not introducing over priced products in a hyped up forum. Honestly, those leather cases cannot cost more than $3-5 and just because of the Apple iPod brand, they mark the price up to $100.

I find it hard to believe that the HiFi deal will sound that much better than my iM7 that does the exact same thing.

Yes, it was time for a new mac-mini... to me, that was the only decent thing to come out of this "FUN" announcement.

[J.G.]

Virtual truth serum

Fun would be fewer lies from Seize Control.

In lieu of that, here are some corrections.

1) iPods don't scratch any more easily than other small
electronics. Most of the people complaining are too cheap to
buy a case for their iPods. Wipe it with a proper cloth and keep
it in a case and your iPod will look fine.

2) The "TV Shows" category is for those purchased from iTMS.
You are free to set up a second playlist for television shows not
purchased from iTMS.

3) Non-iTunes videos, including movies, can be played on the
5g iPod. However, one must encode them properly, which
means buying Quicktime Pro or some other application. You are
probably too stingy to do that.

4) There are 5g iPod cases for as little as $29.

[mattvogt]

Didn't expect too much, got even less

I wasn't expecting anything ground breaking, but this was less than I expected.

Let's see, I could buy a $299 30GB Ipod and a $100 case with no control window, OR I could buy a 60GB Ipod...hmmmmm.

The boom box...you're kidding right?

I don't doubt the quality of these products, it's the value I question. I also don't doubt that these will sell, because people, for whatever reason, are willing to pay double if it has the Apple logo.

[SystemsJunky]

You're Right

c®Apple is Lame,Overhyped, and not to mention, meddling in the stink of your underpants.

This is overhyper iGarbage coming from iSteve who is standing eye deep in iPoo.

[SystemsJunky]

No iPun intended :)

® The stinch

[KsprayDad]

Steve must be busy at Disney...

Because these announcements are CR@P. Ohhhh...look at my big honking stereo box...my gawd..I thought the freakin iPod was supposed to be portable! If I want to hear it LOUD Steve, I connect it to my quality system that I already have, not a breadbox.

$99 Ipod cases...are you CRAZY Steve? Oh, I forgot, you wear $185 Turtlenecks....

[open-mind]

Yet more useless whining.

How about describing something you might actually buy.

Personally, I would like a stereo rack component that IS an iPod. It would sync with my computer in the next room (ala Bonjour), have a remote, and use my TV as its display. The low-end model should start at about $200 and be at least 30GB. The high-end model should have a big drive for audiophiles that want loss-less compression.

Apple could call it the "iPod Maxi". Or maybe they could call it the MaxiPod so that women would buy it. ;-)

[sanjaynanda]

Great and not so Great

Undoubtedly, Apple has done a great job in these products, but I can safely say, Many people , including me are dissapointed because there's no Intel iBook, or a touchscreen or camera iPod. Have to wait till April 1.

[Michael G.]

High Prices Offer Impression of Quality

So here's what's being offered:

1.A new computer without a mouse, keyboard, or monitor, and with less features than your average PC for $599. Basically a paperweight out of the box, unless you spend another $599 or so to buy the (aesthetically) proper basic components as well as any other various accesories, such as a decent printer and computer speakers. Bottom line---a half-complete computer sold at a full price.

2.A large iPod stereo dock of poor design, with conventional, ordinary technology for $349---if you add at least $200 for the necessary cost of the iPod, that's $549 and still no AM/FM radio to listen to at the party, no detachable or surround speakers, and no DVD or CD capability. For $349, I can purchase an entire home theatre, with every one of these practical features included, and save the iPod for on the go, as it was designed to be.

Both items above come with a small remote control with small, fragile buttons that don't glow in the dark. No buttons on the front of either of the above products, in case the remote control is lost or broken---which could happen easily.

3. A leather case for an iPod for $99, that is worth probably no more than $19, that will fade, wear, and crack in the elements much easier than vinyl or plastic.

Line up, suckers. This just goes to show that like Bose and Gucci, people will pay if they believe a product is valuable by name brand, such as Apple.

[open-mind]

Hi Pretense Offers Impression of Knowledge

Until you realize that Michael G is yet another news.com Apple-
hater, relentlessly disparaging products never used or seen.

[hal Summers]

A step in the right direction

I think both of these products are a step in the right direction, a
FIRST step, like when iPod started working with Windows.

Don't like the way either of these products look? Wait a few
months. Apple is always refining it's products and improving
their performance.

In the past year iPod has been improved how many times? Let's
see, first it got a color screen, then it got picture capability, then
it got VIDEO capability, got smaller, got more memory AND still
cost the same. Don't worry about Apple improving these
products, they will. If anything people complain because the
company improves their things so often that if you have a year
old product it's a friggin' dinosaur. I think that about my iMac
(that I still love, BTW).

I would love to have a computer to use as a home entertainment
center. Who know, maybe April 1 they will introduce the
MediaMac, the be all and end all home entertainment computer.
The Mini doesn't quite cut it for me, but for alot of people it
should work great. To sell a ton, I would suggest Apple hook
one up to a 50 inch plasma TV in their stores so people can see
how it can work for them at home.

I'm interested to see the evolution of the HiFi. Right now, I have
FIVE stereos in my house. FIVE. And that's not counting the
computer that holds all my music-and that I'm listening to now.
But they take up too much room and it'd like to replace them.
My wife thinks the HiFi is ugly and while that might just be
enough to make me want to get one, I'll have to hear how it
sounds first.....or maybe I'll just wait a month and see what else
they come up with.

[thedreaming]

They can't be all jems

Jobs can't always come out with brand new, state of the art products every single time. Sometimes, he has to just give us something predictable. Everyone knew that eventually apple would put out a mac mini with an intel chip in it and a boom box for the ipod. It was only a matter of time and I'm glad he did.

[thou]

html code for sale

a little bit off the topic, there is a site www.milliondollarhtmlpage.com selling every character of the html code of the home page. The home page it self is a html page. Very cool!

[veniex]

I wont be getting this

I heard this thing is heavy so I wont be getting it. If I cant travel with it then I'd rather stick with my p.c speakers instead.

100 movies for your ipod:
http://veniex.googlepages.com/

[Andrew Penick]

Mac mini performance data

I read on insidemacgames.com that the first Mac mini benchmarks
are in and that the Intel-based Mac mini did really well in the
graphics performance test:

"The 1.5GHz G4 Mac Mini scored 75.94 while the 1.66GHz Intel
Core Duo Mac Mini scored 185.87, more than double the G4's test
result."

http://www.insidemacgames.com/news/story.php?ID=12974

[srfrxx]

IPOD HIFI- WHY?

As a die hard mac fan, it kills me to say this but the HIFI is not well
a decent piece of audio- it sounds like a 35 home thaetre when
turned up to any decent volume. I've tried to like it, but hearing it
today beside a BOSE home dock it was impossible to ignore.
Hopefully the next version hopefully coming quickly, is up to
normal Apple standards-
I hate it when my never touched a Mac except their shuffle,
ignorant, pc loving, friends get any ammo.