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[Deku Tree]

I was going to buy a Mac Mini this summer. I was also planning to buy a Mini Cooper. But now that Mac has announced their chip change, should I wait? Are they going to release a new Mac Mini with tons of new cool features (and an intel chip) in a few months?

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

It is going to be a year before the first Mac's ship with an Intel chip. June 2006. There is no word on which machines will get the chips first, so it could be months beyond that before the Mini gets the change. On top of that, it is doubtful that the Intel chips are going to bring any new features or major changes. It's just a change in processor, but still running the Mac OS. I wouldn't wait.

 

[pxleyes]

I wouldn't get a Mac Mini. At least get something with a decent amount of power...

 

[shantyman]

I would wait. I am going to suggest to my users at work to hold all purchases until then.

 

[SteveMeister]

Actually I'm pretty sure there'll be another revision before the Intel switch. I also wouldn't be surprised to see the first Macintels be laptops, because that is where Apple most desperately needs a performance boost. And remember, Jobs said that the first Macs with Intel processors will ship on June 6 of 2006, so it's not going to be "a few months" anyway.

 

[Shogmaster]

Not much help to your problem, but I find this thing very ironic now. Yep, it's using an Intel processor. :lol

 

[Deku Tree]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I just don't want to buy a Mac Mini if 12 months from now Mac is going to release a new one with the (intellectual property protecting) Pentium D chip and some kind of a (iTunes style) movie download service.

 

[SuperPac]

Even if you wait, you could make the argument that you might as well wait another year for even faster processors... then another year for more... and another, etc. It's not like the minute Pentium-based Macs come out that the Power PC ones will be completely useless. If you need a computer now, then what's the harm in buying? It's not like the Mac mini is so exorbitantly expensive that you'll feel all that bad about it. I give Intel-based Macs two or three years before they're widespread anyway.

 

[Cooper]

I don't know much about the Mac Mini, but I fully support the Mini Cooper decision!

Actually, I do know one guy with a Mac Mini. Apparently he put every single option and upgrade into it, which made it a roughly $1000 machine in the end. But he seems pleased with it.

 

[tedtropy]

I wouldn't get a Mac Mini. At least get something with a decent amount of power...

Pretty much. Once you add the options to make the Mini moderately powerful, you're not saving much money versus the other Apple options and you're still extremely closed in. The Mini is designed to be a cheap Apple with performance as a distant second priority. Is that's all you're interested in, go for it, but I say splurge a little. Get something with a G5 and some room to breath.

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I just don't want to buy a Mac Mini if 12 months from now Mac is going to release a new one with the (intellectual property protecting) Pentium D chip and some kind of a (iTunes style) movie download service.

This is Apple we're talking about here. If a movie style download service comes into existence, it'll be software base (like iTunes) and will run as part of the OS on any Mac, not just ones running the new Intel chips.

If you need a new computer now, than waiting a year seems silly. If you just want a mini because you like their looks, style, etc. and you're in the mini buying mood, than maybe it is ok for you to wait to see what happens. But, a year to wait, in the computer industry, seems like a lifetime. I stand by what I said in my first post, I wouldn't wait.

 

[Hitokage]

A Mini is perfectly adequate unless you do something that actually needs cpu horsepower like movie editing.