Turning Apple's black sheep into the white knight of the lounge room
By Adam TURNER
Apple has once more failed to deliver a Mac Mini update, so I think it's time to turn the Mac that time forgot into the mother of all media centres.
Every time Steve Jobs says "oh, and one more thing" I'm hoping for an Apple media centre, or at least a Blu-ray-enabled Mac Mini, but it doesn't look like its going to happen.
It's been more than 400 days since Apple updated the specs on the Mac Mini, which is an eternity in Cupertino time. Rumours have had the Mini on death row for some time, but then someone gets up my hopes with talk of an Apple media centre - you know, what the Apple TV should have been.
I'm sick of fighting with my bipolar Vista Media Centre. While I love the TiVo's ease of use but, like the Apple TV, it's only a partial solution. I've been very happy with my move to Apple in the office and I think it's time Leopard made the leap into my lounge room. I'm thinking about a Mac Mini combined with Elgato's EyeTV3, IceTV, a Logitech Harmony remote, a Time Capsule for storage and a few Airport Expresses. I'll be able to watch DVDs and CDs (from discs or the hard drive) as well as DivXs and MP3s. I'll also be able to run a BitTorrent client as well as record HDTV. On top of that I'll also be able to stream content from the iTunes store and other online sources, pumping audio around the house courtesy of AirTunes and the amazing Airfoil. Throw in my iPhone as a wifi remote control and you've got an impressive setup. Running on Leopard rather than Vista means it's far more likely to "just work".
The only thing holding me back is the fear of Apple announcing an upgrade to the Mac Mini just after I take the plunge. I'm not worried about the processor or the storage, as trawling the forums reveals the Mini has the grunt to play ripped 1080p Blu-ray content. The problem is the graphics. Until the Mini is HDCP-compatible it won't even be able to play a Blu-ry disc from an external drive.
It seems the Mini's Intel GMA 950 graphics chipset is HDCP-certified, but HDCP isn't implemented in the OS X driver. Rumours would indicate the next Mac Mini will feature the GMA X3100 graphics chipset, which is HDCP-compatible and currently used in the MacBook and the MacBook Air. If Apple comes to the party with drivers, perhaps in Snow Leopard, it might solve my Blu-ray woes. What I really need is a Mac equivalent of SlySoft's awesome AnyDVD HD.
I don't think I can rely on Apple to turn the Mini into a Blu-ray player or PVR, because every minute you spend watching television, or a Blu-ray movie, is a minute you're not consuming content from the iTunes store. Jobs just wants people to buy an Apple TV and live in Cupertino's luscious walled garden.
We've got a few years before Blu-ray becomes the predominant optical format, so for now I'm prepared to install a Mac Mini at the heart of my digital lounge room.
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4 comments
I personally see no logical reason why Apple would rid themselves of the Mini.
It is very unique in its shape and size and I too have read that it runs software well.
And the Mini can act as an introductory Apple product for those who only use PC. I mean the desktop trend is moving towards smalller...i.e. Dell, so why would Apple buck the trend and leave itself with no small desktop and no small desktop to compete with the likes of Dell?
Cc.
I guess as long as I can hook it up to my 1TB NAS to stream my media and use PLEX then any version will do, but I sure would like the new version.
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The digital lounge room is Adam Turner's office and it's also becoming the new battle ground for the hearts, minds and wallets of the masses. Reporting from the front line where PC converges with AV, Adam offers a view from the couch of everything from digital television and hard drive recorders to piracy and digital rights management.
