[amsalpemkcus]

Love reading them! But for the sake of posterity why not keep tabs on them? Would love to make these reporters eat crow after some sales figures begin to show. Oh well whatevah!

Here is a brilliant one for starters!

http://weblog.infoworld.com/techwatc...es/000977.html

INFOWORLD TECH WATCH

� Top Virus list for December '04 | Tech Watch Home | Apple's magic extends to Xsan �

January 12, 2005
Apple makes max mistake with Mac Mini

I've been covering PCs since 1981 and I like to think that by now I can spot a winner from a loser.

I'm afraid Apple fans, the Mac Mini is, well, not a winner. I'm not the only one. See Rob Pegoraro at the Washington Post. He's not that thrilled either. Nor is Seth Jayson at the Motley Fool, or Jack Kapica at the GlobeandMail.com in Canada.

For $500 you get far less than what you could get with a much better configured PC.

Let's look at the stats and see what you get and don't get.

Mac Mini, $499, 1.2GHz processor, 256MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW.

For $599 you get a 1.4GHz processor and an 80GB hard drive.

What you don't get are a monitor, mouse keyboard.

Here's two configurations from Dell.

For $399 you get a 2.4GHz processor tower with 512MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, CD or DVD ROM drive, and a 17-inch monitor, a keyboard and a mouse.

For $699 you can get an Inspiron 1000 notebook. It has a 2.2GHz processor, 256MB RAM, a 30GB hard drive, CD ROM/DVD ROM, and a 14.1 inch XGA display. Of course the keyboard and mouse are built in.

It seems to me Apple will have a great deal of difficulty convincing most buyers looking for a solution rather than a nameplate to opt for the Mac Mini.

I know Apple fans will think I'm in the pay of Bill Gates but I'm not. I just don't see value conscious consumers who know how to shop buying a less than complete package for more money.

I predict that you will see Apple lower the price and by next year add a monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Let the hate mail begin.
Posted by E. Schwartz at January 12, 2005 12:25 PM

[amsalpemkcus]

Here is Mr. Fool himself!!

http://www.fool.com/Server/FoolPrint...ry05011203.htm

"It comes with no keyboard, no mouse, no monitor, no speakers. Kind of like Ford promising you a $7,000 car with no steering wheel or windshield. Long story short: Gathering the cheapest components I could find at Apple's online store, I came up with an $800 system before shipping (and the low-end monitor had a wait of six weeks). I think it's ludicrous to expect that someone buying a Mac -- and looking for Apple style, after all -- is going to want to plug in a pizza-stained, three-year-old keyboard and a mouse chock full of desk scum. Why not just shell out the extra $500 for the low-end iMac, which has more juice and comes loaded and packed inside a crisp, flat-screen monitor?"



How insightful!!

[Spheric Harlot]

I love this part:

For $399 you get a 2.4GHz processor tower with 512MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, CD or DVD ROM drive, and a 17-inch monitor, a keyboard and a mouse.


For $699 you can get an Inspiron 1000 notebook. It has a 2.2GHz processor, 256MB RAM, a 30GB hard drive, CD ROM/DVD ROM, and a 14.1 inch XGA display. Of course the keyboard and mouse are built in.

He seems to miss entirely that the PC-using potential Mac mini customers are interested in Apple because they want something that doesn't suck.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by amsalpemkcus:
Here is Mr. Fool himself!!

http://www.fool.com/Server/FoolPrint...ry05011203.htm

"Why not just shell out the extra $500 for the low-end iMac, which has more juice and comes loaded and packed inside a crisp, flat-screen monitor?"

Analysis:



Dear Apple Marketing and Products Divisions,

It's working already. I think you've got a real winner on your hands, either way!

Congrtltns, etc.

-s*

[TETENAL]

Ars technica is also not enthusiastic about the Mac mini:

http://arstechnica.com/articles/paed...e/mac-mini.ars

They also call it "xMac" for some unknown reason. Pretty shitty article if you ask me.

[AB^2=BCxAC]

That Ars article was pretty harsh.

I thought the point of the Mac Mini was to give people a cheap Apple computer to use their iPod and digital cameras with... which it solves pretty well. USB 2? Check. Firewire? Check. iLife? Check. Well, alright then!

[hayesk]

Originally posted by AB^2=BCxAC:
That Ars article was pretty harsh.

I thought the point of the Mac Mini was to give people a cheap Apple computer to use their iPod and digital cameras with... which it solves pretty well. USB 2? Check. Firewire? Check. iLife? Check. Well, alright then!

Agreed. Some people are talking as if this is an eMac or iMac replacement. It isn't. It's for those that have a PC and want to try a Mac.

[chris v]

1. Spend ten years whining that Apple doesn't make a low-end machine W/O a monitor.

2. Whine that Apple's new low-end machine doesn't have a monitor.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

[brapper]

exactly.
Can't please the complainers.

[IonCable]

I'll was just all over the Dell site, can't find a Dell for $399, much less the one they have listed. The cheapest I could find was $499 with 256, 40 HD, Intel Graphics, 2.4 Celeron. It did have 17" CRT, speakers and Keyboard and Mouse.

I bet infoworld thought Microsoft BOB was going to be hit and longhorn would ship on time.

[chris v]

http://www.canada.com/national/natio...e719c90&page=1

[Judge_Fire]

Originally posted by AB^2=BCxAC:
That Ars article was pretty harsh.

Nah, that's just Jade's way of expressing love.

J

[f1000]

Creative lambasts Apple iPod Shuffle

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20688


IRiver CEO 'surprised' at Apple's iPod Shuffle

http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2987/050113iriver/

[Kilbey]

Originally posted by chris v:
http://www.canada.com/national/natio...e719c90&page=1

From that article:

Where, in other words, is the BMW strategy? It is as if BMW suddenly tried to undercut Honda's Accord or Toyota's Camry. While there's no denying there is a large market for value-priced cars, by competing directly against those products BMW would be putting its margins at risk. More importantly, it would be ample reason for investors to wonder whether BMW executives had lost their minds. Why would they suddenly abandon what they did best -- engineering interesting products -- and start trying to sell family econo-boxes?

Is that why BMW is selling the Mini Cooper?

[BasketofPuppies]

Originally posted by TETENAL:
They also call it "xMac" for some unknown reason.

Either they're avid followers of this forum or they just like that name better.

The xMac (I made the name and I like it better than Mac Mini)...

[f1000]

Originally posted by TETENAL:
They also call it "xMac" for some unknown reason.

I'd prefer to see it called the µMac.

[typoon]

Originally posted by chris v:
1. Spend ten years whining that Apple doesn't make a low-end machine W/O a monitor.

2. Whine that Apple's new low-end machine doesn't have a monitor.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Exactly. Apple is Damned if they do and Damned if they don't Well now they did and it's still the same thing.

[FulcrumPilot]

I don't understand all this criticism about no keyboard, mouse and monitor. One can just buy one of the KVM switches and use their PC and the mac mini quiet easily from the same keyboard and mouse I would think. Anyone have any experience with these KVM switches? I think apple would do well to bundle it with mac minis.

http://iogear.com/main.php?loc=produ...y&category=kvm

[Mastrap]

Originally posted by Kilbey:

Is that why BMW is selling the Mini Cooper?

That is correct.

[t6hawk]

Originally posted by chris v:
http://www.canada.com/national/natio...e719c90&page=1

You guys do realize the National Post is only good as toilet paper right? Most canadians read papers that have some semblance of intelligence writing articles, unlike the National Post which has...well you get the picture.

[Kenneth]

Originally posted by Kilbey:
From that article:


Is that why BMW is selling the Mini Cooper?

BMW also offers the 1-series.