[MW Forums]

Apple's decision to replace PowerPC chips with processors from Intel may have long-term benefits for both the company and its customers. But the processor switch could potentially hurt near-term hardware sales, if the attitudes of those surveyed in the Macworld Reader Panel are any indication of what Mac users are thinking. more

[Machound]

I am waiting to buy a Mac Mini for my third Mac at home. When is Apple going to update the Mini with digital audio output, 512 GB base RAM, and stronger video output (core video, no DVI problems)?
Forget all this CPU talk. We need improved functionality in shipping Macs. Fix a few issues and these computers will really sell... notwithstanding dire predictions about "lame duck Apple."

[minderbinder]

What's the point of digital audio on a mini?
It would only be used by a tiny fraction of users, and if you do need it, you can add it easily via usb or firewire. It's not worth raising the cost of the machine for something that's such a niche feature.
By "core video" I assume you mean core image? Again, I don't know that that's a feature that the mini's demographic will need. You'll have people editing video, but how many doing real time gaussian blur on video clips? And I think Quartz extreme is supported on the mini.

[jrpelayo]

Well, I'm happy to announce that my dual 2.0 PowerMac is being shipped to me today. Considering I have an aging G4 tower (going on six years now!) that I've upgraded to death, I couldn't see the rationale in waiting another two more years for a Mactel tower. Besides, when I'm ready to upgrade again, the Mactel hardware/software issues should all be ironed out by then. Until then I'll be happily computing on my Mac.

[Nobody]

Complex issue. I want a laptop. But I had put off buying a laptop because the Apple offerings include only G4 processors. Then along comes the Intel announcement. And I realize my wait is going to be longer than I had expected. Might buy a used PB in the meantime. Hmm.

[moose_n_squirrel]

In reply to:

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What's the point of digital audio on a mini? It would only be used by a tiny fraction of users, and if you do need it, you can add it easily via usb or firewire. It's not worth raising the cost of the machine for something that's such a niche feature.

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While the mini should be minimalist, digital audio is probably closer to the gray area than most mini features. There seem to be a lot of threads all over the net where people are curious about attaching the mini to their home theater and they all ask about two things. PVR capability and digital surround audio. If I was running Apple I would see what might be done with this niche because Apple didn't point the mini at them but home theater users are a huge market, already buying minis and trying to make it work.

[macnuke]

heh heh...
i will happily buy the biggest baddest last of the PPC PowerMacs.
m

[minderbinder]

True. But PVR capability can't be done either without an extra peripheral. I don't see much point in including digital audio on a box that doesn't have video input/record capability.
It would be cool to see a mini with PVR and digital or surround sound, but if it raised the price of the box as much as the extra peripherals cost, would it be worth building in?
Are there any boxes in the mini's price range that have pvr or digital audio?

[Daren_Mitchell]

Can you say, "Mac mini media center"?
...knew you could...

[Railbird]

For the past 6 months, Apple has enjoyed a tremendous rise in the value of its stock, and only recently has the steep climb flattened out. I have a hunch that we will likely see a cooling of Mac sales, as many people wait until Apple makes or completes the transition to Intel-based Macs. Unless Apple can get the gnomes of Wall Street to understand, I have a gut hunch that the company's stock price could take a hit for a period of time.
It's no fun for someone holding Apple stock, but this should be no surprise. Patient investors will ride this out. And for people seeking what I believe will be an opportunity, I plan to buy back into Apple when sentiment is at its most negative. I was lucky enough to buy Apple a few years ago when it was at $13 (pre-split), seeing the company's stock was badly undervalued. We may be presented with such an opportunity once again.
Apple has paid off all long-term debt and is sitting on a large horde of cash. In short, the company is ready to ride out the dip. As for me, if I need a Mac in the next year, I won't hesitate to buy one. I am sure that it will be useful for many years and be a great machine. Long-term, I think the move to Intel was the company's only choice. There will likely be some rancor in the short-term, as pundits do so well, but in a few years, we may wonder what the noise was all about. Until then, I will view this as a buying opportunity, both for the stock and the wonderful machines Apple creates.

[azzaman]

I just wouldn't like to be in the position that 3rd party software was becoming limited in their development. It's going to be interesting, but eventually beneficial. Personally I wouldn't by a PPC based machine. I also think some people undervalue the shelf life of the current Apple computers.

[ekc]

FWIW, I ordered 3 PowerBooks the very day I got home from WWDC. (I am worried about the legacy in-house apps we use at work that will surely break under Intel but are not worth the time and effort to rewrite.)
It will be interesting to see how this transition plays out. I doubt it will go as quickly and smoothly as the 68K -> PPC transition did. There are a number of things that could help it along. An overwhelming consensus that Intel kicks butt over PowerPC would be one. (AltiVec still seems to clobber SSE2, for example.) A more capable Rosetta would be another. An easier alternative for CodeWarrior developers would also help. I guess a possible silver lining there would be that at least today's Intel compilers are more mature than the early PowerPC compilers were.
At any rate, I doubt Apple will stop supporting PowerPC anytime soon. Having kept an Intel build alive for 5 years, I would expect no less for the PowerPC. There is still plenty of talk at Apple about PPC performance-tuning, and the official company line is that we all need to maintain universal binaries that will support both architectures natively into the distant future.

[hmurchison]

I thought there would be more people reticent to purchase the current Macs but I'm still seeing people purchase on an "as needed" basis. If you're a positive "half full" kind of person then you jump in knowing that your computer purchase is still the same value it was prior to the intel announcement. If you're the "half empty" kind of person you obsess over minutae and keep your slow computer.
Waiting isn't always the best solution and even when Mactel ships you'd be buying into 1st generation hardware with the inevitable kinks that come from that. The safe bet may be to grab a PPC based Mac and ride out the transition.
Don't be fooled by the reports of your PPC Mac being obsolete. Macs are NEVER obsolete. Just the fact that all the PPC computers can run classic means you have more options in resales than a Mactell will have for legacy support.

[Spark]

I'll say it again...if the combination of existing Mac and software will help you get something done now, buy now. There is little doubt that Mac sales will suffer for until the new Intel machines hit the market; you don't need to be an analyst to grok that. A dual G5 with Final Cut Pro makes a tremendous audio/visual production platform...today, right now. It's ability to do what it does right now is not going to evaporate with the introduction of IntelMacs. Same with Mac minis, et al. I am going to buy another Mac mini to attach to my kitchen television so I can read the morning news at the breakfast table and hit Food.com for recipes. Intel inside isn't going to change this functionality. I would definitely wait for laptops; they will be the most likely products out of the gate with new Intel hardware. Buy desktop machines now and enjoy; you'll be able to relax and watch the transition to Intel with less anxiety.