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So, how long until we start seeing external drives, hubs, etc. using the 6.5" rounded square footprint of Mac mini so we can starting building a mini tower stack? I predict a "Mac mini economy" of stackable accessories, similar to the iPod ecosystem. Magic word: "ahead," as in good times ahead!

I may be mistaken but I thought that there were no iMacs even available for sale most of the previous quarter. If that is the case, the increase in total mac sales isn't that dramatic is it?

Long live the mac. However, isn't the Mac mini designed for windows-switchers? If so, how come they don't come with at least a keyboard? Because the common PC keyboards don't have volume / eject controls on them...

Looking back, it's obvious that Apple had a master plan all along. Open the Apple stores, introduce the iPod and iTunes. Get people to come in to buy the iPod, let them play with a mac. Now, for the ones that are ready to consider a mac, there's a low cost mac that they can use with their existing monitors and keyboards. In their minds, a low investment, just in case they don't like the mac and want to go back to windows. Next computer after the entry-level Mini Mac will be a higher priced, more powerful mac. Brilliant.

Yes!!!

A professional photographer across the street walked into my office this morning. He knew we used Macs and he asked me outright if I thought the Mac mini was a good deal on a Mac. I pulled up Apple's website to review the specs, we talked about the software (the software really, really interested him, especial iLife) and he even talked about adding the Superdrive and bluetooth options. He frequents CompUSA and said that the Mac section is his favorite section. He is drooling over Apples 30" monitor. He uses 2 PCs so this will be added to his network through a KVM switch.

This just makes my day!!! May there be more such interuptions of my work!!

Hurry up Apple! Make more of these…fast!!!

Question: What's the market-share Apple has of soley Hard-Drive MP3 Players? I know it's like 65% of total MP3 players, flash included, how about just hard-drive based MP3 players?

Just wait....3rd party hardware makers will come out with a "Mac mini Accessory package" that matches the color scheme and all that.

I cannot believe a photographer uses a PC to do his images. Even with 512MB of RAM the PC is crawling due to the fact it uses shared memory for screen output. It requires a good GIG of RAM to be smooth and work with 50MB+ layered images without choking on the screen redraw.

Asinine!

BriAnimations wrote:

"Long live the mac. However, isn't the Mac mini designed for windows-switchers? If so, how come they don't come with at least a keyboard? Because the common PC keyboards don't have volume / eject controls on them..."

Despite the rhetoric, I'm not sure the mini was designed specifically for Windows switchers. Regardless, you don't need special eject and volume controls on the keyboard. F12 is the eject key. Volume will just have to be controlled on screen--not that big a deal. More of an issue is the Apple/Command key. Do Windows keyboards (or typical USB keyboards) have the command symbol on them?

giofoto wrote:
"I cannot believe a photographer uses a PC to do his images. Even with 512MB of RAM the PC is crawling due to the fact it uses shared memory for screen output."

Not if his PC has a standard video card. Not *all* PCs use shared video RAM.

Michael Sansoterra, meet Jeff Embersits. Jeff, this is Michael.

BriAnimations wrote: "Long live the mac. However, isn't the Mac mini designed for windows-switchers? If so, how come they don't come with at least a keyboard? Because the common PC keyboards don't have volume / eject controls on them..."

Uh, since when has this been a problem. You can go out and buy a Logitech keyboard for your PowerMac and it will still work. Sure, you miss some of the functionality of an Apple keyboard, but it doesn't mean it won't work. Plus, this may encourage sales of Apple branded accessories.

If you look at the keyboards made by Dell, you'll notice that there is a Windows key, a window pull-down key, volume keys, internet browser keys... I have never used them! All these things can be done with the mouse!

Jump wrote: "I may be mistaken but I thought that there were no iMacs even available for sale most of the previous quarter. If that is the case, the increase in total mac sales isn't that dramatic is it?"

Quarterly sales are measured Q4 2003 to Q4 2003, NOT Q3 2004 to Q4 2004. If you measured things the latter way everyone would look like sh!+ in Q1 because retail sales drop precipitously after Christmas.

BriAnimations wrote: "What's the market-share Apple has of soley Hard-Drive MP3 Players? I know it's like 65% of total MP3 players, flash included, how about just hard-drive based MP3 players?"

Something ridiculous like the high 80s was reported here in September. If you do a search you can find the numbers.

edgeknight wrote: "If you look at the keyboards made by Dell, you'll notice that there is a Windows key, a window pull-down key, volume keys, internet browser keys... I have never used them! All these things can be done with the mouse!"

The greatest keyboard in the world is Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro (honestly I have yet to see MacAlly or Kensington keyboard that was as flexible). Even better, since Microsoft has discontinued them and you can only find them on eBay, buying one won't support Uncle Bill (go figure M$ gets something right so they kill it quickly). It comes with 20-extra programmable keys (which can be tied to an application, a pref pane panel function, or an Apple Script), I can't live without that one-button shortcut to Calculator, the right delete, the media keys for controlling iTunes & Safari, and the return to F1, F2, F3, and F4 of Undo, Cut, Copy, and Paste. Anyway I have one at home and at work, and I recommend them to people who use Powerbooks and iBooks, and who are stuck with those horrible cheap keyboards that Apple shipped with the G3s, early G4s, and early iMacs. The only downside (which to be honest is minor) is that you must decide whether to use the Windows key as your Apple key or let it retain the natural Mac position of the option key (mislabeled or mispositioned).

OOOOOPS: Quarterly sales are measured Q4 2003 to Q4 2004, NOT Q3 2004 to Q4 2004. If you measured things the latter way everyone would look like sh!+ in Q1 because retail sales drop precipitously after Christmas.

Dennis,

On PC keyboards, the option key is next to the space bar, followed by the Windows key. When connected to a Mac, this key serves as the Command/Apple key. There is software to remap the option key:

http://gnufoo.org/ucontrol/ucontrol.html

Dan/Dennis.

On the newer model keyboards from (dare i say it) Microsoft and Logitech there are the command symbols, but not the apple displayed on the key.