NEWS: Test Drive a Mac Mini

GEEK: Test Drive a Mac Mini

The Mac Mini is a tiny $499 Apple that comes with no keyboard, mouse, or monitor, and is Apple's attempt at cracking the mass market. Compared to Apple's other computers, the Mini is a low-priced bargain, but apparently it's not selling as well as Apple hoped.

In order to boost sales, Apple is allowing people to "test drive" their Mac Mini. If you don't like the Mini, you can return it after 30 days for a full refund.

Does this sound like an informercial or what? Is Apple getting desperate to move Mac Minis off the warehouse shelves?


UPDATE: Wow, am I behind. Less than 24 hours after announcing the deal, Apple has pulled the offer already, no explanation given.

Wait, didn't they do this before with the PowerMac? And didn't it fail terribly?

I'm sketchy on the details, but I do remember stories of horribly trashed Macs being return to stores for refunds.

apparently they already cancelled this promo for some unknown reason.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050831-5266.html

What a great way to accomplish... absolutely nothing.

We do.

We have one, I mean. I know two other people who have them, too.

[Edited on Aug 31, 2005 by Shalome]

does anyone actually WANT to spend that on Mac with no keyboard mouse or monitor when you could buy a PC with all that for a couple hundred dollars more that would fuck circles around it?

So before publishing this article, I said to bean, "You know, you can get a comparable system from Dell complete with keyboard, mouse, flatscreen monitor for about $100 less than the Mac Mini costs." His reply?

"Yeah, but it's a Mac."

It has no keyboard, no mouse and no monitor. problem solved.

We're using it as a file server/storage for music and backups and whatnot.

Man, do I feel old.

i worked for apple for nearly 2 years and they're normal return policy was always 10 days and unopened for full refund on computers.. or there was a 'refresh' fee if the computer had been used. so i was pretty surprised when i read that offer!

i wonder why they pulled it so fast though?

i doubt they ran out of supply (as one site suggested) because i remember numerous promos continuing despite a lack of product on the shelves.

oh well. i'll stick to my powermac in the meantime

I have a mac mini and am using it right now. I've had no crashes or complaints. Also I am thinking about putting one in my car.

I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

I have a mac mini

I 80 gig hard drive, gig of ram

It's pretty sweet

I use it to automate my house.

Because of it's small size I can mount upside down under the lip of my desk.

As for those asking why you would get one if you could get a PC with MKM thrown in for less... it's a switch computer. It's for people who already have a PC and have realized they are crap and even at their best make you a slave to Microsoft...and want to switch to mac.

Other than that I have no opinion <GRIN>

the thing that makes mac superior is the OS. thats it. well maybe well tested hardware that diesnt require all fucked up chipset drivers etc...

I have been a pc guy for ten years, i work in the field, work on PC's everyday, use linux and windows all the time, hell I administer windows servers from my linux laptop (its just RDP) but since I've been using my bros mac mini, I like it. I like the features of trhe os, I like how its designed more utilitarian than windows etc...it's not the answer to all of the worlds problems, but at the same time, no spyware, no viri, no worried about weird bizarre drivers that fuck up the your HDD performance or whatever etc.

When Apple gets the the OS to run on x86 based machines, then we will have a powerful desktop.

M$ has done a good job convincing people that their platfrom is best, forcing people to program to it, making it "easier" with gui driven IDE's etc etc, in turn making you rely on their back end products.

All apple has on them is cute boxes that run their OS, other than that its no different than any other PC, the smaller it is, the slower it is. The bus speed on the mini isnt as good as a comparable tower, but it works fine for the basic home user. and what does a KMM cost now adays? almost nothing, in the end you pay almost the same.

just my drunken 2 centavos.

[Edited on Sep 01, 2005 by illrevue]

Cool. Thanks for clearing that up. From memory, I think Apple Australia tried something similar with the PowerMacs not as long ago as 1984, but it was met with similar response.