MacMini - I get it.

[Brett_Tabke]

File Department: "If you live long enough, you'll see every thing.

Just ordered a MacMini [apple.com].

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I think the MacMini is one of the top computer events in 3 decades.

I think the Mini will reshape the entire computing landscape like nothing has since Win95 came out. Before that, I'd have to go back to the orginal Mac release. Even before that - the PC itself.

The Minimac will do for the IPOD generation, what the Apple 2 did for the 70-80's Geek generation (the real generation X).

[Brett_Tabke]

thanks grelmar. It is hard for me to do a review of them, since this is my first mac ever. I have nothing to compare it to other than a pc.

Personally, after having it less than 24 hours, one thing is clear - this aint no desktop machine, this is a living room machine. I took it home last night and fired it up on the home TV (42inch plasma with dvi inputs). It is so small it fit naturally next to the tv. The dvi input hooked right up.

I spent a very long time trying to get the resolution just right to match the monitor. I never did get a satisifactory solution. The res was either too low (big, jaggy), or too high (hard to read, too small).

Downside:
Why was this not bundled with a wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse? How do they expect people to use it from a sofa or lazy boy chair?
Why no built in WiFi!? Apple has really missed an opportunity to become the default home network box of choice. They could rule homenetworking with this thing.

TiVo does a better job at pics/sound via a network, than the MiniMac does. What's up with that!?

Things so far:
It was very is to get used to using. Felt just like a classic Amiga, Geos, X, or Winders OS.
browser: Certainly not fond of Safari. Opera will replace that.

[roscoepico]

Same deal here, used the DVI cable with my TV as well. Only problem is I now have 3 devices(HD Cable Box, DVD Player, Comp) that all use DVI. My TV only has one DVI input so I had to buy a DVI splitter. I ordered the one with 2 inputs. I now need the splitter with 4 inputs, ughhh. Have you figured out how to use the PiP mode with both TV and computer? I haven't, a friend has and it rocks. Wide screen with tv on the left and desktop on the right.

[mivox]

Why was this not bundled with a wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse? How do they expect people to use it from a sofa or lazy boy chair?

Easily. By buying a wireless keyboard and mouse. The description is pretty straightforward about not including any peripherals.

Why no built in WiFi!?

Because you didn't select the "Airport card" option when you ordered it?

The apple.com ordering page offers options for adding BOTH wireless keyboard/mouse sets AND bluetooth and/or airport/wifi capability.

You wouldn't complain that a new, ordered-from-the-factory car didn't include "power everything" if you ordered the basic model and didn't say "and I want power everything added" when you ordered it at the dealership.

[Jon_King]

Brett, I think you have a point about the smallness, ease of use, and even the future of this thing.... but if we are talking the lowest price unit (most touted) as the comparison, it's a pretty watered down MSRP base unit. Some would say it's like buying a car without wheels and you got it for a good price.

However, a cool little unit next to the big screen, yea why not. An appliance rather than a desktop computer for so many small jobs is big - that's what the Ipod is....

Fortune's review:
[fortune.com...]

[too much information]

Hey Brett, just thought of this today...

When you get a good resolution on your screen you said the text was too small. Click on the desktop so that it says 'Finder' in the bar at the top. Then click on 'View>Show View Options' and you can adjust the text size and icon size for the screen.

You can adjust the Dock and a few other things from the System Preferences panel.

[grelmar]

Ok, as a toy, it might be fun... but does it compute?

What kinda horsepower has it really got under the hood?

Anyone run a dozen SETI units through it, averaged out the process time? Best benchmarking tool out there.