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Apple, the next new thing
February 28, 2006 -
Videos: Apple, the next new thing
February 27, 2006 -
Microsoft hinting at new gadget?
February 26, 2006
The new Mac Mini will be available, starting immediately, in two models. The low-end model sells for $599 and comes with a 1.5GHz Intel Solo single-core chip, a 60GB hard drive and a combo drive that can play DVDs and burn CDs.
The higher-end version will sell for $799. It comes with a dual-core 1.67GHz Core Duo processor, an 80GB hard drive and a SuperDrive that burns CDs and DVDs.
Both models come with 512MB of memory, Gigabit Ethernet networking, FireWire ports and four USB ports.
"We think this is going to be a strong product for us," CEO Steve Jobs said at a special event at company headquarters here.
Apple also unveiled the "home stereo quality" iPod Hi-Fi, which Jobs said is of higher quality than the speakers available today. The large speaker system comes with an iPod dock built-in, as well as an auxiliary port to connect an iPod Shuffle or other device.
"It's really a home stereo reinvented," Jobs said. "It's home stereo reinvented for the iPod age."
Video: Apple's new Mac Mini
At Apple headquarters, CEO Steve Jobs shows off the new Intel-powered Mac Mini to a group of reporters.
The iPod Hi-Fi will sell for $349 and goes on sale on Tuesday. The device can plug directly into the wall or run with six "D" batteries.
Jobs also introduced Apple-branded leather cases for the video iPod and iPod Nano. The cases will sell for $99 and will be available in mid-March.
The new Mac Mini does move Apple a step closer to offering a living-room PC similar to a Windows Media Center. The new computer is loaded with the company's "Front Row" multimedia navigation system, which allows viewers to use a remote control to browse and play music and video files, and the company showed its capabilities connected to a flat-screen Sony TV.
But Mini still lacks built-in abilities to record video from a television, which would turn it into a natural TiVo competitor, or a simple way to hook into a cable or satellite TV system. Analysts said that neither the industry overall nor consumer expectations have settled on a mainstream blend of computer and TV functions.
See more CNET content tagged:
Apple iPod Hi-Fi, Apple Intel Mac Mini, home stereo, Steve Jobs, Apple Intel Macintosh
tille April 1st. Ekscuse my Englisch.
set to announce additional products today. They probably
figured that a MS event attempting to "steal the thunder" was at
least a possibility, and thus had a contingency plan to hold back
on certain products. Since MS did exactly that, they put plan B
into motion. Again, this is only a hypothesis...
BTW, Apple DID low-key this event. As others have pointed out:
most of the HYPE of this event was generated by media, pundit-
wannabees, etc. The whining, criticism, etc. is-- in my mind--
self-inflicted punishment resulting from unwise expectations.
Watch for the 30th anniversary event...
a boom box
some cases
and a bumped price mini?
thats all.....
WEAK
http://70.84.186.131/content_images/idf_images/goldengate4.jpg
I think of it this way, sometimes you are walking your dog and he takes a crap. You look in your pocket and realize that you don't have any bags. At that point, you think to yourself "oh well, I can't win them all"
Bluetooth, which were add-ons before. Also has: much faster
processors, Front Row and the remote, 2 more USB ports, digital
audio out, and 20 GB more hard drive space.
On the downside, integrated Intel graphics. Still, on the whole, it's
worth the extra $100.
but is anyone excited by it? Plus who has been dying for an Apple
stereo? Hasn't everyone already figured out how to play their iPod
on their current system.
they don't really do anything new and with no native Tivo-ness
going on, it's no media center. The inflation in price reflects
their new found power, so why not market them to people that
would need this increase in speed. Playing music and watching
photo's and videos (which they're plugging) doesn't need this
extra power and makes it look way over priced. The PC
alternative, doesn't look so attractive to me now... not until a
price drop!
New speakers...pish. If you really care about good quality sound
that much chances are you'll own or want to own a good set of
hi-fi seperates, which you can plug your iPod into and do a
whole lot more with too, rather than blast your wallet with this
purchase.
$5 piece of cow skin + Apple logo = $99 iPod case. They're
really aiming for the more money than sense crowd now then.
Your turn Microsoft.
(Though whats happening on 1st April?)
Ditto on the iPod HiFi. If you want REAL hi-fi, and not just hi-fi in name, Apple shouldn't be your first stop. Of course marketing means more than real world performance, go figure.
a big step backward, but I guess they had to skimp somwhere to
keep the price down.
videocard installed in it? A GeForce FX 5200 with 64 Mb of VRAM.
So 64 Mb is perfectly fine for routine work, which squares nicely
with the target customers of the Mac Minis.
The GMA950 uses "Dynamic Video Memory Technology" (DVMT)
to support up to 224MB of video memory; system memory is
allocated where it is needed dynamically. It has 64MB of DDR2
SDRAM of its own, shared with main memory
Still, on paper, the GMA950's specs best those of the Radeon
9200 card used by the PowerPC-based Mac mini. For instance,
the GMA950 claims 1.6 billion pixels per second vs. 1.1 billion
pixels per second for the Radeon 9200. And the GMA950
includes a 256-bit graphics core running at 400MHz while the
Radeon 9200 uses a 400 Mhz 128-bit core.
Again, benchmarks have yet to be recorded, but we wouldn't be
surprised if the new Intel-based Mac mini's integrated graphics
performance exceeds that of the previous PowerPC-based
generation with a separate graphics card for most tasks.
And no, it is not a step back. The early benchmarks make the graphics out to be more than twice as fast as those of the G4 Mini. Doesn't seem to be a step back to me.
My $.02.
and that's what they delivered. Anything you guys are mad at is
because you all over hype anything they call call attention to.
Apple never said they were after the Tivo market, never said they
would release a new iBook, what do you guys want!?! Seriously!
Did they rent out a convention centre? Did they Send out an
invite saying they were changing the way you view television?
No. They are new products that Apple thought needed more
explaining then just posting on the website and a PR release.
The mini looks awesome and I like the new feature in front row
(I'll be upgrading) and the HIFi sounds like it has some killer
audio reproduction. Nothing was promised, so you can't feel let
down. Stop putting so much weight behind rumors. Also, they
sent out emails. They didn't take out full page ads in the Times
or buy air time during "24", so how did apple over hype?
Who would like to buy a 100$ case for 145 $ nano? its crazy. The speakers sound interesting but price to statisfaction ratio will be a big deal.
The OS is the reason people buy Macs, their hardware is a bonus.
If you just want to run XP, buy a Dell. If you want XP on high quality hardware, buy Alienware.
Mactel computers are OS X only. As they should be.
http://aopen.jp/products/baresystem/mp915-b.html
cant find item in ENG page of the same company HP
im sure ordering through JP using just English is possible
Ipod Cases: Big **** deal, like that has not been done before, you can get a nice leather case for a lot less then 99 bucks, 10 bucks leather 89 buck apple logo
Hi-Fi system, again big **** deal, I have a Bose surround system and a high end reciever, why would I pay 3xx bucks for this? ok so its portable on batteries, so what if im outside im not expecting the greatest sound in the first place.
sucks. Why the full paragraph? A person who would buy a Bose
sound system would also buy the new Apple sound system. You
are either insincere or a liar.
So would everyone quit whinning....if you think apple should come out with this product or that product...well then build it yourself if you think it is so easy.
In fact it was Apple who made this a big thing by sending a mysterious invitation to the press.
all this over-hype about an announcement that was clearly not big news. if it were huge new products, they would have made it public and not just secretly to the media. the public wasnt even supposed to know about this announcement.
this announcement was leaked to the public by the media but apple never intended this to happen. wait until next macworld
I can only hope Ol' Jobsy's flogging the design engineers as I write this.
available. i think it was absolutely excellent of apple to go high
quality sound instead of skimpy cheap tinny speakers like most
every other accessory maker did.
kudos to apple for going for big heavy GOOD sound!
What makes you think groundbreaking stuff would be released
today? Especially after Steve Jobs started the event talking about
"mid-level" stuff.
And why would they possibly release groundbreaking stuff now,
half way through a quarter, especially when their 30th
anniversary is 32 days away? (April Fool's Day.)
I would expect more to be announced on their anniversary.
- Your kidding right?
- by mozart11 February 28, 2006 12:45 PM PST
- That's it?
- Like this Reply to this comment
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- Welcome to the real world
- by J.G. February 28, 2006 1:07 PM PST
- DM (Dyspeptic Man), it is not Steve Jobs' fault you prefer to buy
- Like this View all 2 replies
Processing -
- These products are so "FUN"!
- by sanenazok February 28, 2006 1:29 PM PST
- I also remember watching the PBS Nightly Business Report which stated that Apple stock went up slightly in "anticipation" of new products.
- Like this
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Showing 1 of 3 pages (172 Comments)A friggin leather iPod case?
Yeah I know the mini and boom box.
That's it?
I know I enjoy the Apple mystique. But I can only imagine how
the tech press feels schlepping all the way to Apple
Headquarters via a mysterious invitation? I know as a consumer
how I feel. That's it? A friggin iPod case?!
I can only assume Jobs is giving Gates the opportunity to shine
today with whatever he's announcing. Unless it's a leather case
for carrying around your Windows install cd!
The financial markets, consumer markets, music markets and
film markets as a whole have been looking as Apple/Jobs as the
innovators and visionaries of the tech sector leader for the
future of technology innovation. They lost a lot of credibility
today in my opinion. Calling an event and summoning the press
to them for a truly non-event amazes me. And I bet everyone
else too. As the stock fell almost $3.00 so far.
I'm an Apple devotee. But a non-event is damaging to Apple and
the leadership they've earned the last two years.
Stop stroking your ego Steve with the ability to make the press
jump. You introduced nothing today. These items are a press
release at best. But in reality these products should have just
shown up in the Apple store and marketplace.
A friggin leather iPod case. I got mine on eBay for about 10
bucks each. Yes for my 40 gig, 20 gig, mini, 30 gig video, 60 gig
video and shuffle ipods. So yes I am a Mac person. Always will
be. But today is a shame. or sham?
also rans at a discount from eBay. Those of us who prefer
quality believe the three items announced today live up to
Apple's reputation.
Apple promised 'fun' items and delivered. No rational person
really believed it was going to produce peripherals for the Game
Boy or a rival for the Tmobile Sidekick. People who held
unrealistic expectations should blame themselves, not Apple.
I also am not expecting Yahoo's subscription service to suddenly
become iPod friendly or Microsoft to co-brand a new Apple
product, either. That is because I'm realistic person. Reality,
more people should try it.
Wow these are so FUN!!! Let's generate money for stockholders.
Guess it'll be that much harder for the media to care about Apple if this happens once or twice more.