“Apple this week was granted three new patents from the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) for its sub-desktop Mac mini computer, fluid cooling, and improved image compression techniques. The patent for the Mac mini could pave the way for future (and rumored) media player/hub designs for Apple and provide Apple with an advantage in diminutive desktop computing market,” MacNN reports.
Full article here.
Related articles:
AOpen’s ‘Pandora’ Mac mini clone to ship by Christmas, US$399 for Linux, $499 for Windows – September 30, 2005
AOpen Mac mini look-alike to be named ‘Mini PC’ – June 03, 2005
Intel’s prototype AOpen ‘Pandora’ ripoff of Apple’s Mac mini photos posted online – May 31, 2005
AOpen Mac mini look-alike unveiled; based on Intel Pentium M, runs Windows – May 30, 2005
Now that we’ve moved on from the mini toaster ovens known as G5s, do we really need a patent for the whole liquid cooling thing? Perhaps in a system with 33 dual core Xeons…..
Does this mean the AOpen MiniPC is breaking Apples patent?
“The patent for the Mac mini could pave the way for future” why?
Andy:
Exactly. The mini has been out there for years. Why would a patent NOW enable some hypothetical media center mac?
wow, someone agreed with me in a comment string, never happened before
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” /> lol
Yes, Good one Andy. I too agree
It would seem as they learned from their iPod mistake and filed for a patent before they released it.
It’s by far one of the greats industrial designs. It takes like 20 minutes to convince people that it’s not a CD burner, that it is in fact, a fully functional, incredibly fast computer.
This patent says they’re going to stick with the design (which is still 3 years ahead of the market), dramatically increase it’s ability to handle compressed video AND…more importantly, going to be able to handle much faster, much hotter processor chips.
What does all this mean? For 600 dollars, you will get a DVR/HD Cable Tuner/Full Feature computer.
Remember, all you need to turn you regular CRT TV into an HD CRT TV is a tuner and a cable connection.
Pretty genius if you ask me.
Toby, I don’t think I understand your “turn you regular CRT TV into an HD CRT TV” with a tuner and cable connection. A SDTV CRT Television will NEVER be capable of producing an HDTV image.
Now, an HD CRT Television would be able to do it, but that’s a given.
Unless I misunderstand the system, you cannot apply for a patent after you have ‘sold’ the technology. But, then, neither can anyone else. Once the first mini was bought …
Anyway, it takes a while for patents to be approved. This is just a case of “it’s finally been approved”. And, yeah … any system out there stepping on whatever they patented can expect a delivery from the men in grey pin-stripes. We, OTOH, can step up the hype on that ‘entertainment center’ model, or whatever your fevered imagination can come up with.
MW = analysis … this program a pre-cog or something?
Well, I guess Apple will start suing Shuttle Computer immediately. Shuttle has been making small form factor PCs for years.
http://sys.us.shuttle.com/Scgsupport/NewProducts.htm
http://us.shuttle.com/
^^^ Particularly *this* model:
http://sys.us.shuttle.com/X100.aspx
I agree with Andy…
what did he say?
Try configuring that X100 to match the Mac Mini Core Duo…it comes to the same price of $799 but without the airport, bluetooth or superdrive-although the X100 does have a slightly better graphics card. But you don’t get OS X with it.
Biscuit, at that price, you also don’t get Core Duo processor with the x100
Shuttle’s X100, like the Mini, gives the impression of something smaller and sleeker than it truly is by relying on an external power supply. No thanks.
The *real* shuttle, like the one I have at home, is a truly integrated marvel that reflects what the Mini might be when it grows up. Room for two full size disks plus an optical drive, fire wire, USB, audio in/out plus optical, two card slots, two RAM slots, IDE and SATA support, all readily accessible. And the power supply’s internal.
I’m confident such a box with an apple compliant motherboard and an Apple logo on the front would be an instant winner. It would fill the remaining gap in Apple’s line, as there’s no “headless” Mac between the Mini and the Pro.