Golden Delicious.
It seems as though everyone is talking about the new products unveiled at MacWorld Expo yesterday, and who can blame them?
The Mac mini was the showstopper, hands down. With a desktop footprint about the size of a single CD carrying case and only 2 inches tall, the Mac mini is poised to become the digital media center for fed-up PC users the world over. With the iLife suite included, as well as a reasonably large hard drive, there is simply no reason for anyone with a digital music collection, a digital camera and a secret desire for rock stardom to pass up an offer like this.
Well, it’s got to cost a fortune, right? I mean, all Apple products are all pretty pricey.
Wrong. At $499, this may be the most valuable Apple product with the smallest pricetag. While it’s true that the Mac mini doesn’t come with any of the peripherals that PC users are accustomed to (monitor, mouse, keyboard, and crappy inkjet printer), this product seems to be aimed at individuals who already own a computer and are either looking to switch to Apple or add a Mac to their network.
The iPod shuffle took me longer to warm up to. Even with its sexy size (think: pack of gum), 12-hour playlist and incredible $99 price tag, the screenless wonder just irked me. But I suppose you get what you pay for, and the shuffle is not all that bad. Turns out it’s not all about the shuffle; you can toggle between playlist in Order mode (which I assume is the order in which the songs were arranged on the iTunes playlist) and Shuffle mode. I imagine this product isn’t for people who insist on total control over their playlist, but it is definitely a stylish choice for many music lovers looking to enjoy music on the go.
I’m not sure abnout the iPod shuffle, but I see the definite possibility of the Mac mini sharing a KVM switch with my VAIO in the future. For my purposes, which include web development, web graphics, and digital media, the mini seems to suit me well. Sure, it’s no G5, but then not everyone needs a G5. Or an iMac. And that, I believe, is what Apple is banking on.
