The Mac Mini isn’t just competition for Shuttle computers and mini-tower PCs. It’s also competition for the much smaller embedded development boards that many users are building custom applications around. Peter Seebach takes a look at the Mac Mini as an embedded development platform.
Is that really a picture of the author at the bottom of the page?
Nice informative article. Thanks!
I am like building and tweaking my own hardware, but the mac mini appeals to me in certain ways. Over the years I have come to appreciate much of Apples direction in new hardware and software. Yet while i want to go buy one of these, my concious bothers me because the impression I get from the news is that Apple has a control freak streak.
I get this gut feeling that makes me compare Apple to the RIAA, MPAA, MS, and other companies that I basically dislike, distrust, etc ..
When I was in college, the PC Revolution was just beginning. We had a mixture of [intel] PCs, apples [even the apple II], and eventually the whole line of Macs, and some sun workstations. I remember thinking back then, that the [intel] PC was going to roll over Apple because the non-open , hyper-proprietary nature of Apple.
The moral if the story, if you try to control your customers and fans, instead of treating them like gold, you will lose. Take care of internal issues quietly and politely and truly LOVE your customers. Let your customers control you and learn from them.
I forgot to say that I did like the article. All those IBM developer articles I find very helpful and think it is “nice” of IBM to contribute is so many diverse tech topics.
Interesting, I agree with your liking of Apple to the likes of RIAA etc.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Apple hardware and software, and own an iBook and iPod however lately I have been seeing things I do not like such as the court cases against ThinkSecret, tightening of restrictions to iTunes DRM over the 4.x release cycles and it is beginning to put me off.
I am a self confessed Apple fanboy but if things like this start becoming common then I will loose respect in Apple and move to Linux.
Good reading. Thanks IBM to promote PPC ;-P
the Mac mini is so cute !
The iTunes thing might not be a direct result of Apple, it may be the RIAA influencing things. And the whole ThinkSecret thing… I really don’t get you folks who don’t undertstand the issue. The issue at hand is that somebody within Apple broke an NDA and spilled that info to ThinkSecret. They’re only going after TS for that individual’s information. Passing rumors off that you hear from round and about is one thing, soliciting information or even for that matter accepting information from somebody who intentionally violated an NDA is not ethical.
^ Yay for whitewashing then? Nixon should have won?
Yes, do not misunderstand. Keeping your company’s (legal) secret well secret is a matter of virtue and integrity. However, handle those matters quietly and reasonably and “internally” .. don’t blame the ants who come to your picnic for those tasty morsels you make, and don’t smash them with a sledgehammer .. keep you food sealed better and eat above ground.
Seriously though, its not just this occasion but the entire “vibe” that the company (those in control) over the past few years. Mac fans should not be offended by such statements. Like I said, I really like some of Apples direction and really might end up buying this product. But “inside” my guts tell me that apple is not being nice, and I (more or less) these days am voicing my feelings with every penny of my money.
If consumers had the resolve to speak with their dollars consistantly, corporate “bad behaviour” could be turned around overnight.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love Apple hardware and software, and own an iBook and iPod however lately I have been seeing things I do not like such as the court cases against ThinkSecret, tightening of restrictions to iTunes DRM over the 4.x release cycles and it is beginning to put me off.”
So what you are saying is, “If I create something nobody else has I don’t mind that employees tell others about our secrets so they can go out and make the same thing before we release ours and we lose all our business.”
Is that what you are saying? Apple employees and partners sign NDA agreements which are binding legal documents saying they are not allowed to leak information about a particular product. And when Apple’s only way to find out who is breaking the law is to go to Think Secret and ask them first and then take them to court to get that information, well, this is only RIGHT!
Without trade secrets a company has no competitive edge. Without that everyone else can create the same products as you. So why buy from you?
As for iTunes locking others out of iPods? What do you think Apple is in the business of? Making money right? Right. Now why are you getting all pissed off at Microsoft for blocking out other operating systems from being installed by the big OEMs (Dell, etc.) to the general public at stores like CompUSA, etc. Go start pissing on them for awhile.
It’s just great that you are so concerned about moral issues, and determined to police the world with you consumption habits.
However, is boycotting Apple for protecting their privacy really the best use of your moral outrage? It seems there are so many worse problems in the world. We have industry buying political influence to allow despoilation of the environment, we wage war for economic reasons, witness companies engaging in child labor violations, and see those that get away with the theft of other’s intellectual property.
Don’t you sometimes feel you are straining to find a reason to dislike Apple?
The same kind of form factor but the Shuttle’s are in another league, although I would like to run OSX on mine.
Not strained at all, just listening to my conscience .. it takes me months to buy anything and consider all my reasons for doing so.
Please read everything again carefully. I didn’t say I dislike apple .. I said I “liked” some of their direction and even “liked” the mac mini. (there is an intersting article about it is galaxy.osnews too — someone loaded ubuntu linux on it).
Of course, if someone wants to spend money, as I may soon do, buying from apple thats fine. But I am talking here about how fans and consumers should be treated. If the current problem with Apple is with their employees, why should I have to hear or read about it?
I think your perception of moral outrage is indicative of your own mind .. I am having moral ponderings .. not outrage. BTW, I contribute money to causes of Environment and Intellectual Freedom.
Do you really think what I said or buying/not buying a mac mini constitutes “policing” the world?
I will not elaborate on this anymore .. sorry for stirring up the fuss.
Its easy to come up with excuses for not buying Apple, but as John Kerry said, those are not reasons.
John Kerry works for Apple?
I just figured out how to link comments I think ..
“John Kerry works for Apple?”
When did this happen?
Hey I have no problem with Apple defending their trade secrets. I remember in the 80’s and 90’s when Apple was just a wimp when it came to protecting their intellectual property and they paid for it. Apple litigates no more than any other company. I feel bad for Nick and hope he makes it through OK.
Still sounds like you’re searching for reasons to dislike Apple.
It’s funny… Everybody is talking about how they’re not going to buy Apple products anymore because of this, but the kid that runs ThinkSecret (you know the guy who Apple is suing to disclose the names of his informants (an action you are all sooooo morally outraged about)) would happily buy Apple products.
It was one of the presidential debates when President Bush gave his reasons for invading Iraq. I recall John Kerry retorted that those were ‘excuses’ and not ‘reasons’ for going to war. Somehow that phrase stuck in my mind. It appears, after reading comments from PC aficionados (sometimes Mac haters) in various forums, that they all have one or other excuse for not buying the Mac-be it the one button mouse, application not quitting when the close button is clicked on or the window not maximizing to encompass the whole screen, price etc.
By the way I have both a Powerbook and a ThinkPad Express-so I know the relative merits of both Oses.
Cheers
I actually agree with you. I bought a power mac. I could not get past my desire to get off of Windows and I needed something that could run Dreamweaver and a decent graphics program.
Anyway Apple seemed overly controlling to me. They also treat their customers like they should be thankful they can buy Apple. I have read numerous articles all over the web about Apple fans getting bad treatment. The dead pixel LCD replacement petition is one such indication.
You will find that there are people who as soon as you say anyhing bad about Apple will jump down your throat. Apple fans will believe that it is somehow a good idea that only ipods should be able to buy music brought from the store.
Apple has many good qualities but they treat their customers like crack addicts. Sometimes there is not a whole lot of difference.
Without trade secrets a company has no competitive edge. Without that everyone else can create the same products as you. So why buy from you?
Yes, disclosing certain facts a couple of weeks in advance is really going to threaten Apple. Seems Motorola has the oppostite view. Just today they announced that normally they preview new products in advance, but Apple does not do this so they can’t talk about the itunes phone.
Anyway I think this is more about Steve’s ego, which must be considerable, getting in the way. He basically throws a hissy fit because he can’t surprise people and the next thing the lawyers are making money.
The problem is that you are treating all trade secrets equally, some are actually important to the company, others are just important to a CEO’s ego.
I think most people’s excuse is that Apple has a proprietry interface and proprietary hardware. You buy an Apple and forget about running your OSX apps on anyone elses hardware.
That was my “excuse” before I finally got a powerbook.
I recall John Kerry retorted that those were ‘excuses’ and not ‘reasons’ for going to war.
If I recall correctly Kerry voted for the war. I wonder if he had reasons or excuses?
It always amazes me that we will take a few bad encounters with a company and extrapolate them to the point that the company is no good. This is done in spite of the vast majority of purchasers who are satisfied. (Apple has the highest ‘satisfication’ rating from their customers in the area of service, etc. of all of the manufacturers. If you want verification I suggest that you search the web).
I am not an Apple fanboy or an Apple apologist. As a former Apple dealer (as well as several other computer manufacturers) I can assure you that they did make some very dumb decisions (from my point of view). But, so did the other computer manufacturers.
When the polls show that a company has a terrible track record then it would be reasonable to assume that something is seriously wrong. Using a good reputation as a reason for not buying sounds terribly counterporductive and warped thinking.
If one buys Photoshop for Windows it won’t run on a Mac. Same with most software including the ubiquitous Windows, (it won’t run on Apple machines). Word processing, video editing, games are all proprietary. Windows may be the dominant platform but it is not an agreed upon standard (thats good!).
I do agree that there should be uniform standards of saving documents or files, including music/media files, so that one can use one’s program of choice (or MP3 player) for opening them. Here’s to hoping this will happen soon (wishful thinking!)
The Mac mini is a great product. What truly makes it great is not the OS, the PPC processor, or other hardware features. It has the two features that consumers have been dying for but haven’t been able to articulate: it is small and mass market (available retail).
The traditional mini-tower PC is an anachronism because of it’s size. The use of computers is quite pervasive today and the consumer no longer just wants easy to use GUIs and access to the Internet — they want to be able to put their computer(s) where they want them rather than where they fit.
The Mac mini is a great step in that direction. It’s possibly overkill and too expensive yet for some things (for example, what I really want is an under-the-cabinet direct-wire fold-down wireless thin-client w/ wireless input devices for the kitchen), but ideal for deployment in tighter spaces. There are issues: too many wires, no hibernate / instant on, unnecessary DVD drive, etc. but it’s getting there.