Thinking of Apple, Have You Seen This?

Check this little guy out.  I particularly like the wee slot at the upper right…

This is the Mac Mini.  What a cool “brick” of machined aluminium.  I was happy to spy the little port on the right, that’s an SDXC card port.  How cool is that!  I don’t know why they didn’t screen the icon on that plate, like the HDMI and USB standard icons…

Personally, though I have always been impressed by their design touches, I prefer HP machines as my daily workhorse, solid and well laid out, and easier on the wallet.  Apple markets toward a different type of computer user, with the premium prices  for it not being my cup of tea.  Guess I’m used to doing things the old-fashioned way.

The earlier version of this machine sported a power-driven CD tray with one long slit on the face of the machine.  Guess they dropped it in favor of using an outboard DVD unit.  Those mechanical slide trays were problematic.

Looking a little further, there are some surprises…a 500GB hard drive is in there, all for $599.  Kind of helps in the “expensive” argument, doesn’t it?  If only the MacOS wasn’t so darn bizarre… I think in reverse, I guess, working with the Sansas.  I hate messing with the trash can.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

I love Apple stuff. Looks so simple but unexpectedly powerful. Apple does the best job for design electronic products. 

With one huge bump in the road, of course.  One is literally forced  to purchase proprietary components for the Apple, with the requisite cost.  For example, adding an optical DVD drive  to this machine, the little DVD /RW drive for this unit is available, compatible with the Mini and the Mac Book Air only.

The drive is cheap, but it isn’t compatible with anything else ,Apple or PC,  including a Mac with a broken or disabled onboard optical drive, which is just bizarre.  For business, it’s nice to have a second DVD / CD drive in a machine that’s dedicated to writing quality optical disks, for distribution or backups.  Not necessarily at high speed (you can do this with the original drive on a PC), but a specialty drive for writing.  On a PC, it’s a simple matter.

This very same optical drive cannot be plugged in to the iPad with a USB adaptor, come to think of it.  Watching a DVD on the iPad, to pass the time?  Not according to Apple.  That’s just silly. The whole universe filters through the iTunes Store.

Bob

Do you know what goes into (and how few $$) goes into your Apple product? This former iSheep has abandoned the flock:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Mike-Daisey-goes-after-Apple-apf-2036183637.html?x=0&.v=1

While on the other side of the coin, former Apple co-founder Woz camps out to be the 1st in line to pick up the new iPhone 4S:

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/10/13/apple-co-founder-caught-camping-out-for-new-iphone/

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/14/BABL1LHOV7.DTL

Beings that he already pre-ofrered one though, I see this as more of a self-promoting publicity stunt than anything.

@neutron_bob wrote:

With one huge bump in the road, of course.  One is literally forced  to purchase proprietary components for the Apple, with the requisite cost.  For example, adding an optical DVD drive  to this machine, the little DVD /RW drive for this unit is available, compatible with the Mini and the Mac Book Air only.

 

The drive is cheap, but it isn’t compatible with anything else ,Apple or PC,  including a Mac with a broken or disabled onboard optical drive, which is just bizarre.  For business, it’s nice to have a second DVD / CD drive in a machine that’s dedicated to writing quality optical disks, for distribution or backups.  Not necessarily at high speed (you can do this with the original drive on a PC), but a specialty drive for writing.  On a PC, it’s a simple matter.

 

This very same optical drive cannot be plugged in to the iPad with a USB adaptor, come to think of it.  Watching a DVD on the iPad, to pass the time?  Not according to Apple.  That’s just silly. The whole universe filters through the iTunes Store.

 

Bob

So you rip the DVD onto the Mac Mini, and then add it to your iTunes library, and sync it to your iPad…no iTunes store involved! :stuck_out_tongue:

Seriously, I’ve had my Touch since January, and I have not bought any music or videos from the iTunes Store. Yet I have listened to music and watched music videos and movies, all acquired through various and sundry methods, on my Touch. You just have to “think differently” than Apple would like you to…lol

@marvin_martian wrote:

You just have to “think differently” than Apple would like you to…lol

Isn’t that referred to as “thinking outside the crate”?

:stuck_out_tongue:

@tapeworm wrote:


@marvin_martian wrote:

You just have to “think differently” than Apple would like you to…lol


Isn’t that referred to as “thinking outside the crate”?

 

 

:stuck_out_tongue:

Or “upsetting the apple cart” ? :wink:

In fact, i see no box…lol