looks interesting

http://www.apple.com/uk/macmini/specs.html

Flappo:

looks interesting

http://www.apple.com/uk/macmini/specs.html

Indeed it is.

Resolutions beyond 1080p through two interfaces.

HDMI with audio and still retains the optical mini-jack option.

And an SD card slot (but at the back of the machine).

My only disappointment is that it remains a core duo machine with a small speed bump and a moderate disk upgrade.

A lot of surprise in the Macrumor forums over the USD100 price increase.

 

Come on: This machine is faster than what 95% of the population need. Actually I think for any usage as a kind of media center it's more overpowered.

Christof

elephant:

Indeed it is.

Resolutions beyond 1080p through two interfaces.

HDMI with audio and still retains the optical mini-jack option.

And an SD card slot (but at the back of the machine).

My only disappointment is that it remains a core duo machine with a small speed bump and a moderate disk upgrade.

A lot of surprise in the Macrumor forums over the USD100 price increase.

 

I am kind of attracted to it, I might replace my Apple TV with it since it can do so much more and can be controlled from my BV8 and Beo 4.

 

didole:

Come on: This machine is faster than what 95% of the population need. Actually I think for any usage as a kind of media center it's more overpowered.

Christof

My concern Christof, is should I just have it as a server ... and get something else as the end-point media interface ?

I would be a lot happier if I new the specifications of the rumoured replacement for the Apple TV.

What was at the back of my mind when I was writing my first set of comments was the new MacMini playing a 1080p movie and then recieving requests from other users for large files ... should I be planning for a separation of duties ?

First of all, I strongly recommend the Apple TV as a device to bring your iTunes content (local or on the store) to the B&O world. It is very B&O-like: You just plug in the power chord, the HDMI cable, and the PUC cable, and everything just works. No software installation, nothing. Plus it is SO much cheaper: 260€ vs. 800€.

The new Mac mini is a strange beast to me: Yes, I like the looks a lot, and the specs are also great. But 800€ for JUST a basic computer? The previous model was ok (started at 600). Remember that you will need additional RAM, a keyboard and a mouse, and you will still not be able to enjoy the (to me) beautiful UI of the Apple TV.

This being said, I unfortunately cannot tell you whether the CPU of the new Mac Mini is capable of decoding Full HD and serving large files over the network at the same time. I assume this mainly depends on the Codec used for the movie file.

elephant:

My concern Christof, is should I just have it as a server ... and get something else as the end-point media interface ?

I would be a lot happier if I new the specifications of the rumoured replacement for the Apple TV.

What was at the back of my mind when I was writing my first set of comments was the new MacMini playing a 1080p movie and then recieving requests from other users for large files ... should I be planning for a separation of duties ?

 

I actually agree with your recommendation; I am just waiting to see what form the rumoured ATV 2.0 looks like.  If it appears in the form of the rumours I think I can see myself buying at least 3.

I am in the "lucky" position that I already have an bluetooth Apple keyboard and two bluetooth mice.  One consideration you have not mentioned which is probably important for me is heat - my hand-on-the-top test indicates that an ATV runs hotter than a MacMini, and I think the new one should be cooler (certainly it takes less power). 

However you are right (and I had forgotten) that the ATV 1.3 interface is better than the Front Row that I have today (and which I associate with the ATV).  But on the other hand I am a proud user of Phillipe's LinkPlayer . . . 

I found this post a very useful analysis of the difference between the various recent announcements: http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=10160563&postcount=10

Thanks for your input -- and a belated welcome back to BeoWorld posting.

" Remember that you will need additional RAM, a keyboard and a mouse".

A keyboard and mouse will not be needed if you have an iPhone or iPad, you'll just use apple remote as a track pad and keyboard. However it doesn't look like the new mini has an IR, so maybe no PUC control. Hope I'm wrong on that front.

PUC should be fine, IR remote is listed is accessories.

The new Mac Mini will have more than enough power to do home entertainment. I have the old 1.83ghz Mac Mini with 1, yes 1, gb RAM and I use Plex, EyeTV (stream to iPad), Ripit, and iTunes on it. I haven't tried watching Plex while streaming EyeTV but I suspect it might work. It runs on 802.11g and still there are no hiccups in the EyeTV streaming. While playing iTunes on the B&O through BeoPort and ripping a DVD. Long story short, there's nothing anemic about the new Mini. It'll do everything you want in home entertainment.

Indeed :)

I am happy with my purchase

I have this late 2010 MacMini and have connection problems with my BV 7-40:

Whenever I boot the Mac, it always disable audio via HDMI and reverts to internal audio jack. So, I have to go into the OSX Audio/MIDI settings and change audio outputs back to HDMI.

Anybody else experiencing that? Any solution?

I don't quite have that problem ... or maybe I do but my usage patterns are different.

When I recently did an OSX upgrade I found the behaviour of the handling of HDMI and the internal jack had changed.

Now if OSX detects that the internal jack has an electrical connection (i.e. something is plugged in) it will default the sound to that output.

Apparently Apple's view is that if you have plugged something in then you want to use it, and so it switches the HDMI soundoff, whereas previously it would keep using the HDMI.

My (unhappy) solution was to unplug the minijack.

Since that unhappy discovery (I did post a warning here about that upgrade) I have "drifted" to the state of using my MacMini as a "black box" media server and accessing it via my Apple TV .......... see my reply to your other post.