Rumor PING!
Thanks to Cabojoe for the heads up.
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Posted on 11/28/2005 11:29:33 PM PST by Swordmaker
November 29, 2005 - Apple's Mac mini will be reborn as the digital hub centerpiece it was originally conceived to be, Think Secret sources have disclosed. The new Mac mini project, code-named Kaleidoscope, will feature an Intel processor and include both Front Row 2.0 and TiVo-like DVR functionality.
While the specific model and speed of the Intel processor in the new Mac mini is unknown, sources are confident the system will be ready for roll-out at Macworld Expo San Francisco, in line with other reports Think Secret has received that Intel-based Macs will be ready some six months sooner than originally expected.
The new Mac mini is also said to sport a built-in iPod dock, a feature that was scrapped from the Mac mini Apple first introduced one year ago. Other hardware specifics are unknown, such as whether the Mac mini will feature video recording out of the box or whether an add-on will be offered for those looking to employ the Mac mini not as a second computer but as their living room command center.
It is similarly unknown whether Apple will scrap the 2.5-inch hard drive currently featured in the Mac mini in favor a standard 3.5-inch hard drive, both to boost storage capacity that heavy media users demand and to trim costs; such a move would undoubtedly result in a larger Mac mini.
Specifics surrounding Front Row 2.0 and Apple's DVR application are limited at this point, although sources with knowledge of the project have dubbed the latter a "TiVo-killer." The moniker might not be without some bias, however, as sources report that talks of an Apple-TiVo deal recently fizzled, prompting TiVo to independently announce this month that it will soon offer customers the ability to copy stored content to a video iPod.
While Apple surprised watchers when the company delivered Front Row alongside updated iMac G5s recently, Apple's media center intentions have become startlingly clear in the past year since Apple first delivered the Mac mini and customers first started connecting the system to home theaters and installing it in automobiles. Sources have hinted that additional media announcements will further propel Apple's strategy, and with the hardware, software, and iPod sales behind it, Apple now seems poised to firmly plant its footprint in living rooms.
Rumor PING!
Thanks to Cabojoe for the heads up.
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Oh my goodness...who woulda thunk that this could have been done for less than $2,000?!
Ha!
Picture this:
You're a parent. Your kid wants a computer for school, you want TiVo to record your SexndaHood re-runs, and your kid also wants an XBox-360 videogame machine. Oh, and you want a new stereo that can play MP3's/IPOD songs and music CD's.
But instead of buying all those devices when you go into the store, you buy one Mac Mini media device. It's a TiVo DVR. It's a home computer that has a free giant screen (your home TV), and it plays lots of video-games as well as plays your DVD's and your MP3's and music CD's.
Now add an option to it: Voice over IP telephone service with a kicker: two-way TV.
It would be a great addition to a Samsung DLP HDTV at 1080p resolution - the best picture available.
This is coinciding with Intel's Viiv release. Look for other manufacturers to use the same technology, but if the mini is still priced the same it will be a unit that will be hard to beat. Viiv release info: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27982
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
You can do all of this and a whole lot more with a PC already.
Be advised will be difficult to use most Mac applications on a standard analog television set, due to the low resolution. You really need at least a 720p HDTV set to have an good experience. You'll probably want to use the DVI connector, or the VGA adapter, most of the time.
Right, including a remote control with 48 buttons, and the usual security headaches. Apple's remote has six buttons, and it's simply a better system.
Here is Apple's web page which describes Front Row 1.0 - link.
Apple also has an excellent demonstration of Front Row on a streaming video.
I've got DVR's in my cable boxes. Why would I buy aftermarket?
Let's assume you have an HDTV and a good set of speakers in your living room.
You connect the new Mac mini with a wireless remote control, keyboard and mouse, and an Internet connection, then settle back in your favorite chair and start using the standard Mac applications on the big screen. For example -
* Record and watch television programs with the DVR feature
* Edit and present your digital photo albums with iPhoto
* Play music with iTunes, with realtime visualizations and album art
* Edit your home movies with iMovie and burn discs with iDVD
* Surf the Internet with Safari or Firefox, and send email
* Text messaging and 4-way video conferences with iChat
* Much more...
Since it is Intel based, it should run Windows too.
That is a lot more functionality in a small box than a regular DVR.
I posted that before I saw all the other features the new Mac box offered.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
The current Mac mini does have Firewire and USB, so the iPod can be connected that way. According to the rumor, the new Mac mini will have a built-in iPod docking station which will be a little more convenient.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Wouldn't it be funny if Mac struck a deal with Sony where the "Home Mac" could play PS2 (PS3?) games? Technically, I'm sure that's a pipe dream, but how cool would that be?
It's definitely a pipe dream. The Cell is not a PowerPC (no matter what some people here will claim), and the PS3's RSX GPU isn't matched by anything available on the video market right now, let alone anything available for the Mac.
The Mac is great at a lot of things, but gaming isn't one of them.
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