Mac Mini approaching end-of-life?

[Paddy]

http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread....;threadid=79790

One has to wonder, given that it's had no major changes for over a year, and now lags behind the iMac considerably in features. For $300 more than the best Mac Mini, you get twice the HD storage, a better video card with dedicated VRAM, a keyboard, a mouse, and a gorgeous 20" monitor with the low-end iMac. My sister is thinking about a new Intel Mac to replace the old G4 400 upgraded to 1GHz that she inherited from me. It's either that or get a PeeCee (we're working hard to dissuade her from going THAT route, considering that she'd need to spend almost as much as she'd spend on the iMac) as she really needs to be able to access her school system's awful Windows-only report card system from home. I had a look at the Minis to see if that was a viable and cheaper alternative and came to the conclusion that they really weren't worth it, considering how much more you got with the iMac. I wonder if others have come to the same conclusion and if sales have stagnated or fallen?

[Mayo]

I think that the Mini was originally positioned to entice Windows folks and perhaps some Mac folks who already had a monitor, keyboard, etc.  It is a very capable computer but the drop in iMac prices has certainly affected the perceived value of the Mini.

As far as the Mac vs. PC decision goes, it seems to be a No Brainer to get the iMac and run Windows on it when necessary. And, of course, while you can run Windows on a Mac you cannot run OS X on a PC...  From what I have read XP would be a better choice than Vista, and presumably a cheaper way to go too.

[Xairbusdriver]

I have to agree with you Paddy. I had a retired Pastor ask for info on replacing an older PC with a Mac. Since he would probably have a monitor and hopefully a USB mouse and keyboard, the mini appeared to be the choice. But it's a hard sell if my assumptions were incorrect. And I was also hoping he had an external modem (he's still on dial up). But if it was a super-cheap, 'headless' model, he might be spending another 30-50 bucks for one that would work! Add MS Office, since I'm sure he uses that stuff already (even if an older version) and you'll soon be talking real money to those on fixed incomes. While the extra hard drive space is always nice to have (who throws anything away?) the monitor he has may not work without another extra cost adapter. Same with the mouse/keyboard.

While I bought a mini for use at the church, I mainly needed a very small height screen, although the small size of the mini was an asset also. What settled it for me was the ease of use for one guy who is fearful of touching a computer. I'm now trying to create an AppleScript or an Automator workflow so the thing will startup with an automatically and correctly named aif file. :-)

Apple has never been attracted to the cheap end of the market. But I'd think they'd keep their foot in the door making a switch easier for the PC crowd. Of course, I was wrong wonse!

[Gregg]

Yes, the size of the iMac is a drawback in some cases. If the darn thing isn't going to fit in your desk's monitor compartment, and you have to back away so far from the screen to focus properly that you can no longer reach the keyboard, that's a problem.