[Swordmaker]

Mac Mini being redirected as a home entertainment center device?

Rumor PING!

Thanks to Cabojoe for the heads up.

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[Southack]

Oh my goodness...who woulda thunk that this could have been done for less than $2,000?!

Ha!

[goldstategop]

I gave in and bought a Mac Mini. Does any one know what cable can connect it to an analog TV with s-video inputs? Mine doesn't have any DVI jacks so for sure my next TV will be equipped with those ports.

(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.")

[Bob J]

I've got DVR's in my cable boxes. Why would I buy aftermarket?

[SunkenCiv]

TiVo-like DVR functionality... 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.

Considering this is an Apple CPU, capacity will be frustrating, and it will be necessary to order a pre-ship RAM upgrade. But this is buzz-inducing, because it sounds like this Mini will be the first of the Intel Macs. Towers will be next, then (sometime late in 2006?) laptops. Then, early in 2007, a supply of used machines as the bleeding edge Mac mavens spend $thousands on the upgraded models. ;')

[antiRepublicrat]

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

Also, I don't think Apple would do that. It would make the box much bigger and give off a lot more heat an noise -- all things anathema to a mini.

However, Hitachi has made a breakthrough with perpendicular recording on hard drives, so a 160GB 2.5" drive could be in the wings.