tagged w/ Mac Mini
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I don't like it. Not one iota. But frankly, it doesn't much matter -- Apple's officially done with the optical drive, and there's no evidence more strikingly clear than the mid 2011 refresh of its Mac mini. Last year, that bantam box arrived with a $699 price tag, pep in its step and a personality that could charm even the most hardened desktop owner. This year, a $599 model showed up on my doorstep promising the same, but instead it delivered a noticeable drop in actual functionality. Pundits have argued that you could tether a USB SuperDrive to the new mini and save $20 in the process compared to last year's rig, but does relying on a cabled accessory go hand-in-hand with beauty and simplicity? No, and I've every reason to believe that Apple would agree.
Despite the obvious -- that consumers would buy a mini to reduce the sheer burden of operating a convoluted desktop setup -- Apple's gone and yanked what has become a staple in both Macs and PCs alike. For years, ODDs have been standard fare, spinning CDs, DVDs, HD-DVDs (however briefly) and Blu-ray Discs, not to mention a few other formats that didn't do much to deserve a mention. Compared to most everything else in the technology universe, the tried-and-true optical drive has managed to hang around well beyond what it's creator likely had in mind, but it's pretty obvious that 2011 is to the ODD what 1998 was to the floppy drive. At least in the mind of one Steven P. Jobs.
For those who claim to be a bit newer to the world (read: not "of age"), you may not be intimately familiar with the backlash that came as the original iMac was introduced. Front and center sat a tray-loading optical drive, but a 3.5-inch floppy disc drive was nowhere to be found. "On a computer aimed at the home office and education?!" Yes, on a computer aimed at the home office and education. Without polling a soul, Apple decided the industry should move right along, and those insistent on maintaining a legacy profile were given the oh-so-abhorrent (I kid, I kid) option of snapping up an external alternative. I'm guessing here is where you start to see history repeating itself.
Over the past few years, Apple's been slyly but deliberately severing ties with a piece of hardware that most rational humans still view as essential on a full-scale computer. Nearly three years ago to the day, the original MacBook Air was introduced alongside a $99 external SuperDrive -- a peripheral that was nearly as tall as the laptop it was designed to complement. At the time, I never really saw it as the beginning of the end. My failure was not realizing that Apple rarely does one "thing" without eventually spreading that very "thing" as far as it can reasonably go... and oftentimes, further. I also cheered the move; it was a necessary sacrifice to craft the slimmest ultraportable known to man, and the simple reality is that ultramobile machines are engineered with compromise in mind. It's a well-recognized assumption that a ludicrously small computer will be lacking a few features that are prevalent on larger machines, just for the sake of being abnormally small.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/27/editorial-apples-officially-over-the-optical-drive-for-better/
more @ linkI don't like it. Not one iota. But frankly, it doesn't much matter --... more
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Today Apple introduced a even smaller version of the Mac called the Mac mini. It comes loaded with an HDMI port, an SD card reader and much more graphics and processing power all within a small form factor. It only..........
http://itgrunts.com/2010/06/15/the-all-new-mac-mini-released/Today Apple introduced a even smaller version of the Mac called the Mac mini. It comes... more
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Apple has released several updates today for their MacBook products, including an update to the EFI as well as a firmware update for the SuperDrives. Updates are available via Software Update.
http://perpetualradio.com/news.php?action=read&article=142Apple has released several updates today for their MacBook products, including an... more
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It appears as though the new iMac rumor is gaining credibility with rumors saying retailers have been told that their stock of old Apple hardware won’t be restocked for the time being.It appears as though the new iMac rumor is gaining credibility with rumors saying... more
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If his story is to be believed (and it seems pretty believable), an anonymous tipster to Engadget Japanese got a nice surprise with his recent Mac mini purchase: a Snow Leopard install disc. It's one of those vanilla hardware-specific install discs, dubbing itself Mac OS version 10.6, and clearly packing the goods if the screenshots don't lie.
This only adds confusion to the ship date, which has been listed as August 28th on Apple's online store, dubbed as "September" elsewhere, and obviously been totally disregarded in this specific case. No matter what, it looks like we won't have long to wait. Hit up the read link for a couple of Japanese-infused screencaps.If his story is to be believed (and it seems pretty believable), an anonymous tipster... more
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Either Apple's about to launch a Mac Mini, or somebody is really determined to get into the Apple Rumor/Hoax Hall of Fame.Either Apple's about to launch a Mac Mini, or somebody is really determined to... more
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