By Jo Best, 14 January 2005 15:40
NEWS The "most affordable" Mac it may be, but according to one analyst, the newly launched Mac mini won't be the key to a PC-to-Mac cavalcade and is especially unlikely to convince businesses.
Gartner analyst Martin Reynolds said in a research note that software issues will hamstring the growth of the stripped-down machine.
"To be widely adopted by businesses, the Mac mini would require more available software. Windows has become such a pervasive part of the computing culture that business users who are accustomed to the Microsoft operating system will not likely switch their allegiance.
Nevertheless, the small Mac does have some elements to woo the CIO. "The portability and small size of the form factor of the Mac mini will likely appeal to business users... and [it] will likely keep the Mac interesting to those few businesses that do use them," Reynolds added.
Although the Mac mini "will not cause a significant shift away from the PC", according to the Gartner analyst, its lifestyle focus could see Windows users snapping it up as a media player to sit alongside a conventionally used PC.
The report also added that to configure the Mac mini with desirable extras would see the Mac's little brother move from bargain basement to penthouse personal computer.
"The base unit is priced low, but adding memory for a total of 1GB, a faster processor, a recordable DVD drive, wireless keyboard and mouse, and internal wireless will drive up the price to more than $1,300," the research note said.
Comments
There are 16 comments. Join the discussion
1. anonymous
The Base price is low but add a few things and the price goes up.
Gee we can try the same game at Gateway's or Dell's websites too. Cheap base prices but then add the things that you need and the price is a lot higher.
I wonder has Silicon.com noticed that is how the PC business has been operating for the past few years.
Apple is simply doing what everyone else has been doing for years and Silicon.com still tries to spin the same old tired BS about Macs being more expensive.
Why don't you do a comparison of a similarly equiped PC with XP Pro and comparable software to the Macs? And see what the price differential is. The evidence is that Macs are priced very similarly to high quality PCs.
2. impartialasalways
What rubbish!
If you wanted to, you could upgrade anything and make it expensive. If you wanted to upgrade a Wintel to 1GB RAM, faster processor (and I have the feeling this idiot's directly comparing Apple clock speeds with intel CPU's - great 'analysis'), you could, and you'd end up paying more.
If you really had to upgrade in that way, any machine would be more expensive. If you absolutely must have an Apple wireless keyboard & mouse, then fine. On the other hand, you can get a wireless mouse/keyboard for £20 if you're worried about cost. (worth pointing out that apple keboards/mice work with PC's too, and any USB mouse/keyboard works with mac). Other 'budjet' Wintel boxes also require you to buy these peripherals, and the choice is the same, regardless of which machine you buy.
Also, in my experience, companies are rarely that bothered about keyboards, mice & monitors, as they already own them. I've certainly never come across a CTO being too avaricious over RAM in client machines.
Once again, this 'analysis' fails to take cost of ownership into account, including things like MS office, AV software, timeless hours spent on support (debugging, patching etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.)
3. anonymous
And how many businesses will need wireless keyboards/mice/networking, 1GB of RAM or faster processors?
In an upgrade, they'll already have at least a monitor. That leaves maybe having to purchase PS/2->USB adapters for the older keyboards/mice.
It's basically a terminal.
4. anonymous
"Analyst," right.
Apple comes out with iPod, and everyone's on the bandwagon saying, "how stupid, no one will buy it." What happens? Right.
They Apple goes on to report ridiculously high earnings, year over year. With billions in the bank, and what does everyone say about that? "That Apple still has too high a P/E ratio, they're never going to do well..."
So Apple comes out with a product that everyone's been asking for -- "Oh, not enough added," failing to mention a similarly equipped PC (WITHOUT the requisite adware blockers, virus protection) costs near the same. Please.
I smell Microsoft apologists...
BIG> YAWN>
...
...
...
...
5. EJ
Dell and others have offered small desktops to the corporate market without much success. I don't see why Apple should have any greater success, especially since they've been rejected by the corporate market before (from an OS standpoint).
6. Dean
This article is missing the main points of this design: the mini Mac is a tremendous reduction in size, weight and power consumption for a low cost desk top pc. The smallest form factor in common use is four times bigger and much heavier.
I worked in an industrial environment where most of the computers we used were for data collection, processing and storage. Since these computers ran all the time, UNIX was the preferred operating system because of its reliability. In that environment a head-less mini Mac would be perfect. They could be managed remotely with a wireless connection from a central location. I don’t see a cheap pc that is as good a fit. They are too big and clumsy. It’s only a matter of time before businesses figure this out and start buying the mini Mac.
Further, because the mini Mac’s quality is so closely linked to it’s small size and weight, why is this article making inappropriate comparisons to bulky, cheap products. Price differences are meaningless when quality is not considered.
7. mitch
Yeah, this story is total ignorance.
I work in IT for a huge international corporation and we have a corporate account with Dell.
I recently had to order a OPTIPLEX GX280 with 17" LCD and "wired" keyboard and mouse, it cost approx. $1100.
This is without MS Office which I had to purchase separately, so add on another couple of hundred.
This is the "standard" office PC, not anything souped up.
I priced the mini Mac with everything I would need including the 3 year AppleCare and it comes out roughly the same, maybe a little less.
And we wouldn't be sacrificing anything by going to the Mac, all the necessary software (this is for our Accounting dept.) is available; Office, Filemaker Pro, Lotus Notes, Citrix, etc.
Don't even mention that it would make my life so much easier because I wouldn't have to worry about applying the ever present security patches and all the other fun PC related stuff we in IT have to deal with on a daily basis. Wait a minute, I might wind up out of a job if we went with the Mac...
Nevermind.
8. Bob Moore
Remember These Words
They will taste delicious later when the writer has to eat them.
Software will not prevent businesses from buying this. It will cause them to buy it.
Bundled software is excellent. And certain programs will not run on mini mac: viruses, Trojan horses, spyware and malware.
The negative cost of malware is more impactful for business today than the positive value of existing software.
The only two options are becoming: take company computers offline or switch to Mac OS or LINUX.
All of the above is just seasoning. The words will provide the meal.
9. anonymous
Mac mini also comes with PDF export, mail redirect, pro-level OS, a complete lack of internet viruses and Firewire which tests faster than USB 2.0 amongst many other features cheap Dells don't.
10. mac dood
Those who can.... do...
Those who havent a clue... are called "analysts"...
The Mac mini wasnt designed for businesses !!
(what a moron !) .... It was designed for those who are sick and tired of fighting the virus du jour.... and the pop-up du jour... and the spyware du jour ... and just plain malware du jour !!
THESE are the people who are most likely to take a look at Apple !!
Businesses ?? Faggetaboutit !!..... Most bussinesses are so afraid to dump Microsoft in favor of a much more secure platform, like OSX... that they dont even know that they can also use MicroSlop apps on a Mac... And...they even run much better, too !!
Face it.... the Corporate big-wigs have to grow old, and retire...or die off, before things in that arena starts to change !!
Hey... corporate big-wig.... Ya wanna see what MicroSlop Longhorn will look like (whenever they finally releas it).... look at OSX today !!
Yeah, LongHorn might look like OSX....but it still will be a virus magnet !!
11. Joseph Awad
And really how many businesses need more than Microsoft Office and a web browser for 90% of employees.
Small to intermediate sized businesses and schools now have a reasonable pathway to switch.
12. anonymous
Hmm this all seems very interesting, the lovers of different OS's are all on the band wagon.
This is about a cheap PC that Apple are producing (not which OS is better).
Only a cretin would sell a PC without a Keyboard and mouse. Simple little things that cost the manufacturer next to nothing.
Put a keyboard and mouse with it and i might consider buying it!!!!!!
Well probably not.
As for Bob Moore's comments remember this, If apple take over from M$ in the OS market make sure that all Mac lovers and users have got AV software because that's where every virus writer will be aiming their viruses!!!!!
13. Simon
FWIW, the Mac Mini won't make my employer start switching, but if we'd had it a year or so ago then there's a better chance we wouldn't be (nearly) entirely Windoze today.
When the decision was being taken, it was a matter of 40 units, PCs about 500 quid (or less), iMacs about 600 quid (or more) - I think there was well more than 100 quid difference but I can't remember the exact figures. Intangibles like 'easier to use' just don't matter to an FD whose requirements are 1) cheap, and 2) runs Excel and Word - so it was case of PCs are much cheaper, bye-bye Macs.
If the Mac Mini had been around, then at least the costs would have been similar and I would have been able to at least discuss benefits without having to start from a position of defending the price.
14. Stig Inge
Agree with all comments above.
And for those with MacPhobia, they can still enjoy the wonderful iMac Mini running availlable Yellowdog Linux (YDL) http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/store/index.php?submit=hardware&submitimg[hardware][apple]=1&PHPSESSID=90f8926230956594f6db7cd718468663
Remember Linux is the major force against the evil Microsoft empire. Businesses and Governments around the world are switching to Linux, and the iMac Mini may be one of the very best machines so far to run it.
Besides, even the machines Terrasoftsolutions sell with YDL installed also has the wonderful MAC OS X instaklled too, so you get the advantage both ways.
15. anonymous
Here's another comparison between the Dimension 3000 that Dell that just recently and defensively price cut to $499 (the same as the Mini). What do you gain with the Dell? A slightly faster spinning hard drive, low-end CRT, keyboard and 2-button non-scroll wheel mouse, unnecessary and essentially unused chassis space and totally unnecessary (on a Mac) virus/spyware/malware tools. What's the same? The 2.8 GHz Celeron is pretty much the same as the 1.25 GHz G4, they both have 10/100 BaseT, a modem (the Dell's consumes a PCI slot), USB ports and personal finance software. What do you lose? Win XP Home instead of OS X, a shared memory video pseudo card instead of a real 3D card, no ability to display to ADC, DVI and VGA, a plain CD (actually, the defensive sale bumps it up to a CD-R) instead of a CD-R/DVD-ROM drive, a 90 day warranty instead of a full year, no firewire, no built-in wireless or BlueTooth antennas, no iLife, no spreadsheet and no real games. To get the Dimension 3000 as close as possible to a Mini with a decent LCD monitor and three-button scroll wheel mouse at the Dell store it will cost you $943 ($444 more); however, you'll still be missing iLife, a real 4x AGP video card, a secure by design, easy to use, 3D accelerated, operating system, included developer system, scripting tool kit, etc.) If I had to, I could buy a good LCD monitor, powered USB hub, keyboard and mouse for less than it would take to buy the Dell and add an after market PCI 3D graphics card. Also, after that, there would be no free PCI slots, the video card would be hobbled in a plain PCI slot instead of a 4x AGP slot, a huge case of wasted space, fan noise, and if I added wireless Ethernet or BlueTooth, I'd have to deal with USB interfaces because all my PCI slots are already consumed by the modem, firewire and video cards and I'd have antennas sticking out. Likewise, for me, another key point is the "if I had to" clause. I've got an extra USB keyboard and mouse and an LCD display; so my extra cost is $0. To be fair, I could buy the Dell with the cheap CRT (I can't drop the monitor entirely), keyboard and mouse (I'll assume for now that I'd be able to find a PeeCee video card that would drive my LCD monitor) and try to sell them. If I graciously assume I could get an even $100 for the three, that would drop my net cost down to $691. That's still $192 more and I've still got the incurable defects (noise, size, external antennas, cheap Dell components (my Dell laptop went through 3 keyboards and two motherboards), Windows OS, etc.). Any way I look at it, the Mac Mini is still a bargain over the nearest comparable Dell.
16. anonymous
Software abounds for the mac mini.
Software choices are all around for the MacOSX platform. JAVA/WEB shops should have very little problems getting started. Memory upgrades are the most important. There is more software for the MacOS platform than for Linux. Lotus Domino shops can run full Notes Clients. iSeries shops have 5250 Emulators and of course 3270 emulators. Office runs on the Mac (but costs almost as much as the mini)
The MacOS platform is an excellent development platform, with XCode and other tools like Eclipse. I use to use a G4 tower for all of my work. A cheap UNIX platform has great potential especially for client-server development. Having a headless mac-mini to run JBOSS while remote debugging from your other machine open great possibilities. Don't forget about dedicated systems such as in-store consultants who only need a web browser now have built-in security and a spell checker. The form factor of the mac mini would work great in a kiosk.
I think the author of this article has a narrow scope of what a business machine should be. He definately is thinking in the PC-Box.