[Stradlater]

http://www.billpalmer.net/2005/01/ap...and-stick.html

Personally, I think he's missing the point.

I do, however, agree that Apple should make a budget monitor available (15 or 17" LCD, or any CRT -- although I realize that Apple wants to move away from CRT).

[Goldfinger]

Who the **** is Bill Palmer ? Dvorak 2.0 Media Center Edition ?

[kcmac]

Palmer's being a tot a$$ cheek. Going crazy to drum up business on his site(s). Must be a lot of pressure on him to pay for the bandwidth or something.

I used to enjoy his stuff. Now he just sounds like an idiot.

[effgee]

Why should anyone care what Bill Palmer has to say on the subject?

[xi_hyperon]

Aside from being a blogger, who is he? Never heard of him.

[turtle777]

Originally posted by Stradlater:
Personally, I think he's missing the point.

Personally, I think he's missing a brain

-t.

[Stradlater]

Originally posted by effgee:
Why should anyone care what Bill Palmer has to say on the subject?

They shouldn't; it's just amusing to read moronic rants.

[Stradlater]

Originally posted by turtle777:
Personally, I think he's missing a brain

-t.

[waxcrash]

Yeah, who is Bill Palmer and why should we care?

After reading the article, this guy is just a blogger and wanna-be journalist.

[Stradlater]

Originally posted by xi_hyperon:
Aside from being a blogger, who is he? Never heard of him.

He's a self-proclaimed Mac-zealot, I believe. I've seen his name in blog circles in the past but never really followed him; recently saw a few links to this post.

[effgee]

Originally posted by Stradlater:
They shouldn't; it's just amusing to read moronic rants.

Oh - so the condition he's suffering from is chronic, then? In that case I gotta go back and check out his site after all - sounds like fun (as long as he's not as much of a self-righteous bore as Gruber, that is.)

[SimeyTheLimey]

I think he makes a couple of very good points. There is a huge disparity between a $499 cpu and a $999 monitor for it if that is the cheapest monitor in the store. That probably won't matter if people buy the computer at a CompUSA where they can get a cheap monitor as well, but it is going to be pretty embarrassing in an Apple Store.

I agree with him also that the mini calls out for a smaller and cheaper monitor. Quite likely a CRT. If Apple can't stand to sell lower-level goods in its snazzy Apple stores, I would recommend they quickly start stocking the 19 inch Lacie Electron Blue IV CRT monitor. They already sell other LaCie products, and that looks to me to be a very nice partner to the mini.

Second, Apple could include a PS2 to USB adaptor with the mini. It wouldn't cost that much to toss one in the box. That way people wouldn't run into the got-it-home-and-found-I-couldn't-use-my-PC-keyboard problem that this author (correctly, imho) anticipates.

[ort888]

I think he's got a somewhat valid point (even though he's presenting it in a terrible fashion). I can see some people being put off by what the Mini lacks. I myself was thinking about getting one for a minute until I went to the Applestore and realized that if I got everything I wanted for it, it was going to end up running me closer to $800 bucks without a screen. That includes me having to buy my RAM elsewhere and void my warranty by opening it up. It's just too bare bones.

I also think Apple would be very wise to release a budget-friendly 15 inch LCD screen for $299.

Here's what I realized when I speced out the Mini I would want.

Mac Mini $499
Hard drive upgrade $50
Keyboard $30
3rd Party Mouse $30 (for a good one)
Super Drive $100
Airport Card $80
3rd Party LCD screen $250
1 Gig stick of RAM = $150

That's $1,200 bucks. I would much rather pony up the additional doagh and get a more expandable machine. I'm not saying that the Mini sucks or anything, but it has a target audience and that audience ain't me. The price is deceptive.

[billybob128]

he is totally missing the point. the idea of NO peripherals at all is that the user has the choice to get say a cheaper two button mouse. cheaper possibally more ergonomic keyboard that apples.

and the screen choice is that apple really doesnt have a normal screen line up what they offer is more classed as pro. so it just give so many more options at a very good price.

another vote for him been a total a$$

[Oneota]

The guy has a definite attitude problem, but he's not 100% wrong. I could see his scenario happening.

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally posted by billybob128:
and the screen choice is that apple really doesnt have a normal screen line up what they offer is more classed as pro.

That's precisely the criticism. If you are going to sell a low end relatively inexpensive computer, you need to offer some kind of comparably-priced monitor in the same store. If you send them down the road to buy a Dell monitor, they are pretty likely to walk out of that other store with a Dell computer to go with it.

Just stock something like the LaCie. They are pretty.

[thunderous_funker]

Originally posted by ort888:
Here's what I realized when I speced out the Mini I would want.

Mac Mini $499
Hard drive upgrade $50
Keyboard $30
3rd Party Mouse $30 (for a good one)
Super Drive $100
Airport Card $80
3rd Party LCD screen $250
1 Gig stick of RAM = $150

That's $1,200 bucks. I would much rather pony up the additional doagh and get a more expandable machine. I'm not saying that the Mini sucks or anything, but it has a target audience and that audience ain't me. The price is deceptive.

You're right. I think Apple doesn't expect to sell many Minis to first time computer buyers. I suspect they want Switchers.

By definition that would imply that 90% of those Switchers already have a display, keyboard and mouse.

The secondary market is for people who want a cheap 2nd Mac. Again, by definition they would already have DKM (although if they have an AIO they might need a diplay--another reason I dislike AIO designs).

Of course I'd like to see a 17" Apple display (not CRT, no reason at all for Apple to compete in that space), but again I think they primarily think Mini buyers are going to be people who already have one.

If I was working in Apple's marketing dept, I be throwing in a stylish KVM switch with the Mini or at least having a KVM bundle prominantly displayed/marketed with the Mini. It wouldn't surprise me at all if a huge percentage of Mini buyers will be using one.

How long before Belkin or someone has a Mini styled KVM switch? I'm guessing we'll see them almost immediately.

[hagheid]

Originally posted by thunderous_funker:
You're right. I think Apple doesn't expect to sell many Minis to first time computer buyers. I suspect they want Switchers.

Agreed! e.g. most folk on these forums would be experiencing a downgrade if they bought a mini......

[spectre]

Well, Apple does actually sell at least one relatively cheap CRT monitor, albeit it is kinda difficult to find: http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL....3.1.1.0?55,52

[BasketofPuppies]

La Cie makes some of the best CRT displays this side of Barco, but for someone buying a $500 to $600 computer, they're too expensive.

NEC-Mitsubishi would make more sense. It makes a wide variety of CRT monitors in many different sizes to fit anyone's price range and even the cheapest displays are of reasonable quality.

Not to mention many, such as gamers and professional graphic designers, often prefer the faster refresh rates and truer colors only CRTs can offer. (Read: Power Mac owners user CRTs too.)

Not that I'm suggesting Apple retail stores pick up the entire line of NEC-Mitsubishi displays, but if sells CRT monitors - which I agree it needs to - it needs more than two to choose from and starting at 17", not 19.

[Big Mac]

Apple does make it clear that they don't expect mini customers to buy cinema displays - BYODKM. Apple should have an inexpensive monitor to offer customers when they select the mini online or in the retail stores. Some probably don't realize that Macs are compatible with other vendor's monitors.