New little Apple

[miker]

thing is, it does take Apple to popularise certain things for some reason.

that form factor has been around in the PC world since 2002, and yet none of the major manufacturers offer a mini-ITX prebuilt PC (that I know of)

I suspect that will change if Mac mini is a success.

http://www.mini-itx.com/hardware/history/

[jb_617]

Since I've been lambasted before for diverging from topic, let me reel this baby back in. In Xendar's orginal post, he was talking about being able to run film software. Since, and yes I'm guessing here, most people probably edit their films on computers nowadays, shouldn't we really be talking about the film capabilities of these machines?

Since Apple is not popular, (3% market share according to Miker, I can't be arsed to check if that's true but let's run with it) and is not cutting edge, would they not be best served by trying not to compete in the admittedly lucrative consumer market, but instead build more specialised systems. They have some good ideas (and yes there stuff looks very pretty, but who cares? I don't need a pretty computer I need one that draws so much power that my house lights dim when I boot it up.) and a fairly stable OS platform, surely then can come up with something better than The Mini-Mac?

Apple had their day in the home market in the 80's when they were on top. Steve Job's megalomania (and possible psycosis) ruined a once promising company. Well, tough shit, that's economics. Apple lost, deal with it. But I'm sure they can become strong in a different area. After all, they bang on about the film and music capabilities of the mini, so why not build a grown up machine for serious filmmakers?


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Bring back Atari!!

[twister!]

For what it's worth Apple Macs are the industry standard for the (Graphic) Design industry.

[Xendar]

Apples are becoming more and more popular for video editing as the software is so damn good. I work for a company called Planet PC selling NLE systems. What I've noticed though, is that people aren't necessarily buying an Apple to edit video because it's an Apple, they're buying it for Final Cut Pro or the Video Production bundle.

[jb_617]

Oh yeah, FCP is about as good as it gets in the "affordable" range.


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Most people just steal it though -- bastards.

[jb_617]

Originally posted by Justin M.:
For what it's worth Apple Macs are the industry standard for the (Graphic) Design industry.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah. That's what I'm talking about, more professional apps. and less consumer junk. Trying to compete with the PC in the home market is killing Apple.


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They are easier to use, but is that the point?

[miker]

Have Apples ever been a home computing force in Europe though? During Apple's 'glory' days I had a ZX Spectrum, Atari 800XL, Atari ST, Amiga ... a Mac IIcx or something was what I used at college in 1987/88.

Interesting aside: Microsoft supported the MSX standard for 8-bit computers.

[Mr Blackstock]

i have had more than a few laughs reading this board, while it has not become a pc vs mac debate, people cannot resist those parting jabs.
well what the hell,
pc's are great for tearing them down and rebuilding to your own uses, and then spending hours fixing program conflicts, installing drivers, and config hassles: but, once taken care of, and maintained, a pc can be incredibly reliable!

mac's are great for (in my experience) hassle free everything, sure, download an update here or there, solve an extension clash there, i love them because i know it will work, turning on my pc makes me a little nervous, (will there be a prob!)

computers are like cars, unless they are the latest indie example, do not expect it to perform like one!

i think the mac mini is a good idea, but if you are a person who has to have the latest gear, then yeah, it will cost you, deservedly so.
being addicted to consumerism/and or it's ideas, is a self defeating ideology: "it's the latest thing! i must buy it!"

rant end...

[jungleguy]

Don't forget most photographers are on Mac's, and most magazines are published on Macs.

3% market share is of the general market, if you disect this markert and divide into creative and non creative user's I think you'd find the results are quite different.

Anyhow who care's about owning the top spec Mac or PC. Most people I know who know my Mac or my sisters or my friends Macs would love to own one, and know there's an affordable intoduction Mac, that is far supirior to my 5 year old G4, that I still use.

Apple now has a superb product line that will cater for the basic iPod user, to a hardened High end editing pro.

[jb_617]

Originally posted by jungleguy:
Don't forget most photographers are on Mac's, and most magazines are published on Macs.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oh yeah, I agree. The thing that Macs are very good for are graphics applications. See my post above where I talk about having bought one for an imaging application at work.

3% market share is of the general market, if you disect this markert and divide into creative and non creative user's I think you'd find the results are quite different.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not really sure I know how to use a computer "uncreatively". My point was that since Macs have never made much of an impression in the home market due to the obscene costs and basically all round crappiness of them. Why doesn't the company concentrate on what it is good at? Like the kind of things filmmakers and artists already use it for. They will never beat the PC in the home so why waste money trying?

Anyhow who care's about owning the top spec Mac or PC. Most people I know who know my Mac or my sisters or my friends Macs would love to own one, and know there's an affordable intoduction Mac, that is far supirior to my 5 year old G4, that I still use.
Apple now has a superb product line that will cater for the basic iPod user, to a hardened High end editing pro.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Like I said before (did you actually read anything I posted here?), I couldn't give a crap what system I use as long as it does the job very well. For somethings I use a PC, for others, a Mac, I still e-mail, surf the net, and write with my Atari. I don't care about the Mac/PC debate, I use both. But, as I said, this product will not do that. It's totally useless. This machine is not supereior to the G4 as far as I can see. Most people who are not pro's buy a mac for their home because they look pretty. These people are losers. This product is <u>not</u> affordable, like I said, after shelling out ?340 for a weak and out of date system, I then have to spend money on buying <u>everything</u> else to go with it. It is so cut-down (no wireless, only 2 USB ports, crappy audio, weak video capabilities -- all on the "basic" model) that everyone is better off spending the same money on a proper Mac or PC or whatever.

This is just another example of a huge corporation trying to make their weak product trendy. Apple just reeks of focus groups, branding, identifying-with-subcultures-to-better-exploit-them ("Idiot" subculture mostly, and Mods, they're always behind this shit somewhere!), that I am starting to hate it. In fact, I do hate it now, you've convinced me. No that's not true, that sanctomonious, no-talent, whining, hypocrite "Bono" and the rest of those over-the-hill, lying bastard "rockers" U2 did.

As an aside, I hate iPods, and by association, the people that own them.


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Like I said: iHate Apple.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 14, 2005 12:45 PM: Message edited by: jb. ]</font>