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mixin visuals · Jan 12, 2005, 02:50 AM

you guys know how fast the industry adapts around Mac products like crazy now

i know there will probably be all types of mounting devices and things of the sort just for the "mini-mac"

anyone care to guess on what the big gadget-guys are going to come up with for the mini?

Disgruntled Head of C-3PO · Jan 12, 2005, 03:29 AM

Hopefully an iTrip.

mixin visuals · Jan 12, 2005, 03:33 AM

i have been using my iTrip constantly since xmas. it would be perfect as long as you don't have to remove it to use other accessories

cjrivera · Jan 12, 2005, 03:35 AM

Originally posted by Disgruntled Head of C-3PO:
Hopefully an iTrip.

Just wondering, how would you use an iTrip with the Mac mini?

DeathMan · Jan 12, 2005, 03:55 AM

I want a way to stream HD from it to my TV, and 5.1 to my HiFi. That of course isn't necessarily a mini only accessory.

OwlBoy · Jan 12, 2005, 03:57 AM

Originally posted by DeathMan:
I want a way to stream HD from it to my TV, and 5.1 to my HiFi. That of course isn't necessarily a mini only accessory.

Get an XBox with XBMC and some HD content.

-Owl

Disgruntled Head of C-3PO · Jan 12, 2005, 03:59 AM

Originally posted by cjrivera:
Just wondering, how would you use an iTrip with the Mac mini?

Who knows, that is their problem to figure out

mixin visuals · Jan 12, 2005, 04:00 AM

Originally posted by cjrivera:
Just wondering, how would you use an iTrip with the Mac mini?

plug in the iTrip, tune radio to 87.9 or whatever you desire and let iTunes do the rest

cjrivera · Jan 12, 2005, 04:09 AM

Originally posted by mixin visuals:
plug in the iTrip, tune radio to 87.9 or whatever you desire and let iTunes do the rest

Couldn't you just use airport express for that? I guess iTrip would be a cheaper option, though.

If the mini Mac ran hot, I could see the iPot as a new accessory, a white/platinum coffee pot you leave sitting on top of the mini Mac so you always have a warm cup.

mixin visuals · Jan 12, 2005, 04:15 AM

Originally posted by cjrivera:
Couldn't you just use airport express for that? I guess iTrip would be a cheaper option, though.

If the mini Mac ran hot, I could see the iPot as a new accessory, a white/platinum coffee pot you leave sitting on top of the mini Mac so you always have a warm cup.

hehee iPot! thats gonna be hot

OwlBoy · Jan 12, 2005, 04:39 AM

Originally posted by cjrivera:
If the mini Mac ran hot, I could see the iPot as a new accessory, a white/platinum coffee pot you leave sitting on top of the mini Mac so you always have a warm cup.

Soon there will be macs to make Eggs!

-Owl

mixin visuals · Jan 12, 2005, 06:05 AM

get-R-done

as lone as J-lo doesn't advertise Macs i will be happy

cjrivera · Jan 13, 2005, 05:57 PM

Originally posted by mixin visuals:
plug in the iTrip, tune radio to 87.9 or whatever you desire and let iTunes do the rest

Well, this isn't an iTrip for the Mac mini, but sounds like it's what you were talking about...
http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/01...etfm/index.php

velodev · Jan 13, 2005, 06:19 PM

Originally posted by OwlBoy:
Get an XBox with XBMC and some HD content.

-Owl

With the price of XBox 2... you would save yourself money by getting a mini.

olePigeon · Jan 13, 2005, 06:42 PM

Matching mini LCDs that flip up from the case, and matching bluetooth keyboards & mouse.

Custom Mac mini cases. Various woods, transparent plastics or glass, black, sliver, or blueish aluminum, and others to match furniture and appliances.

Racks, hooks, and stands. Especially hanging compartments for kitchen cabinets. Flipdown LCD panel and wireless remote/gesture device.

Car kits with GPS, navigation software, radio, etc. MP3s, DVD movies, all that jaz.

rozwado1 · Jan 13, 2005, 07:58 PM

Umm...

A DOCK!

You could have a dock at home and at the office - just bring the mini along for the ride.

sworthy · Jan 13, 2005, 08:26 PM

How about a hard drive that stacks right on top of the mini and clips on somehow? I'm looking at my lacie d2 and it's almost the exact same dimensions.

Or similarly, a usb/firewire hub that clips on top. This could be the ultimate modular computer

Scifience · Jan 13, 2005, 08:31 PM

A battery pack and battery-powered display? Using a battery pack, battery-powerd display, and bluetooth keyboard/mouse, you could cart it around like a laptop.

Such a device would allow it to serve as a desktop when you were at home, and as a semi-portable computer when on the road.

FulcrumPilot · Jan 13, 2005, 09:37 PM

Originally posted by rozwado1:
Umm...

A DOCK!

You could have a dock at home and at the office - just bring the mini along for the ride.

The dock is a sure thing!

Millennium · Jan 13, 2005, 09:46 PM

Originally posted by sworthy:
How about a hard drive that stacks right on top of the mini and clips on somehow? I'm looking at my lacie d2 and it's almost the exact same dimensions.

Back in the days of the original all-in-one Macs,"zero footprint" hard drives were quite popular. They were the same shape as the bottom of the Mac, and you would set the Mac on top of the drive. Returning to this idea, by creating a hard drive that sat on top of the Mini (or that the Mini sat on top of) certainly isn't far-fetched.

Or similarly, a usb/firewire hub that clips on top. This could be the ultimate modular computer

Ideally, such a hub would support both USB and FireWire, perhaps offering two ports of each kind in front and two in back. A headphone jack would also be useful.

fireside · Jan 13, 2005, 09:47 PM

Originally posted by velodev:
With the price of XBox 2... you would save yourself money by getting a mini.

why does your sig link to a site that doesn't exist?

velodev · Jan 13, 2005, 10:49 PM

Originally posted by fireside:
why does your sig link to a site that doesn't exist?

you getting a 404? no? then it exists, it's just being developed as I write.

fireside · Jan 14, 2005, 02:16 AM

Originally posted by velodev:
you getting a 404? no? then it exists, it's just being developed as I write.

earlier i was getting a drop down that said "This site does not exist."

Lancer409 · Jan 14, 2005, 05:01 AM

Originally posted by Scifience:
A battery pack and battery-powered display? Using a battery pack, battery-powerd display, and bluetooth keyboard/mouse, you could cart it around like a laptop.

Such a device would allow it to serve as a desktop when you were at home, and as a semi-portable computer when on the road.

a laptop would do that ...

Xeo · Jan 14, 2005, 05:08 AM

Originally posted by olePigeon:
Car kits with GPS, navigation software, radio, etc. MP3s, DVD movies, all that jaz.

It'd be cheaper than doing it with an iBook like those pics from a while back. Would be kinda fun to do, as well. A 5" LCD mounted in your car with a bluetooth keyboard for those times you need extra control. Would be pretty cool (but expensive).

Xeo · Jan 14, 2005, 05:11 AM

Originally posted by Lancer409:
a laptop would do that ...

Haha, yes I think he wants an ugly laptop, at this point. Heh.

It's only a bit more powerful than an iBook. The thing is, you gotta be creative on the parts that make this different than a laptop. If you are traveling a lot, a laptop is better. If you are going back and forth from 2 locations (home and work), a dock and this thing would work nicely. Turning this into a laptop seems silly.

pathogen · Jan 14, 2005, 09:05 AM

I think docks are a bit ugly, and I've never felt compelled to get one for my powerbook.

The main accessory I'd like to see, which would make me consider getting a mac mini, would be a USB 2 television tuner (cable, HD, Sat, too) with a built in remote control and recording software, that would sit underneath the mini with the same color and width/depth, and let me turn the thing into a entertainment component. El Gato's current products are great, but there could be more synergy here.

TheJoshu · Jan 14, 2005, 09:37 AM

Originally posted by velodev:
you getting a 404? no? then it exists, it's just being developed as I write.

that's some serious multitasking!

Mr Kino · Jan 14, 2005, 01:54 PM

Originally posted by olePigeon:
Matching mini LCDs that flip up from the case, and matching bluetooth keyboards & mouse.

Custom Mac mini cases. Various woods, transparent plastics or glass, black, sliver, or blueish aluminum, and others to match furniture and appliances.

Racks, hooks, and stands. Especially hanging compartments for kitchen cabinets. Flipdown LCD panel and wireless remote/gesture device.

Car kits with GPS, navigation software, radio, etc. MP3s, DVD movies, all that jaz.

Those are actually really neat ideas. do you know something we dont?

joltguy · Jan 14, 2005, 02:47 PM

One obvious one would be a carrying case with a pouch for the power supply and some cables.

Peter · Jan 14, 2005, 02:50 PM

Originally posted by rozwado1:
Umm...

A DOCK!

You could have a dock at home and at the office - just bring the mini along for the ride.

winner.

Millennium · Jan 14, 2005, 02:55 PM

A very small LCD screen (or better yet, blue-LED screen) which could fit into the front of the machine and display arbitrary information. They have stuff like this on the PC side; usually it fits into a drive bay, though it really only replaces the faceplate.

I'm thinking that this could be extremely useful for headless installations. People are already working to retrofit cars with Minis, and this would let you mount one in-dash as a music player.

KP* · Jan 14, 2005, 05:32 PM

I think there would be a big market for a cheap monitor in a casing that matches the Mini, for those who can't afford an Apple Display (and given the cost of the Mini, it will probably attract a lot of those people).

d4nth3m4n · Jan 14, 2005, 05:43 PM

Originally posted by rozwado1:
Umm...

A DOCK!

You could have a dock at home and at the office - just bring the mini along for the ride.

exactly what i was thinking. kinda like what the oqo was trying to do. but no screens or anything on this one.

velodev · Jan 14, 2005, 05:45 PM

Originally posted by TheJoshu:
that's some serious multitasking!

Well, I want to get it up as soon as possible... and until the name was announced (or even a real product announced) I had only a framework/IA design.

Shaddim · Jan 14, 2005, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by mixin visuals:
get-R-done

as lone as J-lo doesn't advertise Macs i will be happy

Heh. If she wiggled that a$$ at me, I'd buy anything she's selling.

effgee · Jan 14, 2005, 06:21 PM

Originally posted by MacNStein:
Heh. If she wiggled that a$$ at me, I'd buy anything she's selling.

She can't do that - that's assault with a deadly weapon. The judge would put her away for good.

rozwado1 · Jan 14, 2005, 08:03 PM

Originally posted by MacNStein:
Heh. If she wiggled that a$$ at me, I'd buy anything she's selling.

You're saying that you currently own all of her music, movies, and clothing? Wuss.

Millennium · Jan 14, 2005, 08:58 PM

Originally posted by KP*:
I think there would be a big market for a cheap monitor in a casing that matches the Mini, for those who can't afford an Apple Display (and given the cost of the Mini, it will probably attract a lot of those people).

Maybe something like those chibi display screens that clip onto game consoles?

Shaddim · Jan 14, 2005, 09:11 PM

Originally posted by rozwado1:
You're saying that you currently own all of her music, movies, and clothing? Wuss.

No, but if she were selling them in person, I just might.

rozwado1 · Jan 14, 2005, 09:18 PM

Originally posted by MacNStein:
No, but if she were selling them in person, I just might.

Understood.

So, you're saying that you would buy Gigli if J. Lo was selling it herself?

You gotta draw the line somewhere...

Mafia · Jan 14, 2005, 11:11 PM

Originally posted by rozwado1:
Understood.

So, you're saying that you would buy Gigli if J. Lo was selling it herself?

You gotta draw the line somewhere...

if she was naked or seminaked for that matter i probably would but i'd just throw it away and use the dvd case for a burnt dvd

Shaddim · Jan 16, 2005, 03:17 AM

Originally posted by rozwado1:
Understood.

So, you're saying that you would buy Gigli if J. Lo was selling it herself?

You gotta draw the line somewhere...

missed this earlier.

To be honest, I did buy Gigli (yeah, I was one of the 3 who did). It wasn't that bad... Ben and Jen have decent chemistry in it.

olePigeon · Jan 18, 2005, 02:25 PM

Damn, I really missed something. Two of my predictions already came true.