<p>Of course the Shuffle isn't as nice as the hard drive based iPods: it's specifically appealing to people who want a flash-based player, because it's tiny/it won't skip/they refuse to spend more than $100. In all these categories, the Shuffle is now the best product on the market. It seems to be slightly larger than a USB keydrive, which is significantly smaller than most players. Instead of a tiny screen it has no screen, which is ideal for the target audience (i.e. people who are going to be moving around so much that skipping is actually an issue). And $100 from most companies seems to get you 128MB or 256MB at best, not 512MB. I'm not going to buy one, because I already have my iPod, but this seems like the perfect device to win over the last few people who didn't want to buy anything that expensive.</p>
<p>The MacMini, though, seems awesome. I mean, it's 6.5" by 6.5" by 2". For $500, this is faster than my iBook that cost 3x as much, and just as portable (except for the lack of keyboard and monitor but yeah :p). Now, when people ask me what kind of computer they should get, I can recommend a Mac without having to add "if you're willing to pay a little extra".</p>
<p>Oh yeah, I love the new Mac, but I'm getting a new powerbook anyways, so it doesn't do me any good. I just hope they can come up with a powerbook G5 in time for when I start college :) The Ipod isn't bad. Its cheap and handy; I may get it just for jogging (its really small and light).</p>
<p>The iPod shuffle looks good for its intended purpose. Definitely not terrible. I love on the site where it says that its smaller than a pack a gum but more fun, it has a footnote that says, "Do not eat the iPod shuffle."</p>
<p>I think Steve Jobs is starting to realize that, except for people who need to run apps that are actually powerful, personal computers as we know them have to start phasing down. The iPod already handles music better than any computer (all that's left is a device that can automatically rip CDs to an iPod, or a wireless-enabled iPod that can download music from iTunes without a computer), online consoles will gradually make PCs unnecessary for gaming (that is, I personally think that, in the near future, even big-name PC game companies will shift to consoles-only), and I've thought for the past three years that some company will eventually create Bluetooth-enabled paper-thin (and paper-sized) OLEDs that feel just like paper, except if you type on a Bluetooth keyboard, text will show up. Just like typewriters, except that you'll be able to spell-check and change fonts and word process like you're used to, just on a screen that is much less cluttered and easier on your eyes.</p>
<p>But I digress... my point is that the future is specialized devices, not general-purpose PCs. So while Apple could remain profitable selling only to the higher-end, their market share would decrease to the point where third-party developers no longer had any reason to create new Mac software, and they'd be slowly squeezed out the market. Apple is very clearly selling this Mac for marketshare, so that long after HP and Sony exit the computer business (heck, HP might go out of business entirely... the latest news is that Dell is slowly eating away HP's printer business, which is their only profitable operation) and Gateway goes out of business entirely, people still think of Apple as a solid company that makes high-quality products. Just like iPod users are disproportionately more likely to buy Macs, MacMini owners will probably be disproportionately likely to buy whatever new post-PC gizmos Apple introduces.</p>
<p>i think the mini mac is awesome, and if i had money, i'd definately buy myself one. that's a great litle computer. i've wanted a powerbook for a long time, but don't have enough money.. so i bought a toshiba, next best option in my mind. so once i need another desktop, maybe i'll look at the mini mac.. just because it's affordable.</p>
<p>I believe it just depends on what you are used to. I grew up with a PC while my friend grew up with an Apple. He just got a Dell PC and loves it, but still would choose Apple over PCs anyday. I have used Apple a great deal too, because all the computers in all my schools (elementry-hs) used to be apples, but they changed it and got all PCs later on. Personally, I think they are similar in many ways, but I still like PCs because I am more used to them. Also, I am a gamer.....but dont forget, many games are compatible with BOTH Apples and PCs. </p>
<p>Apples and PCs both crash, so all this stuff about Apples not crashing is nonsense. My friends Mac has crashed plenty of times, and he has had to turn the power off (which soemtimes didn't work) or had to turn off the entire switch that gave power to the Mac. This has happened to my PC also. So they are both pretty much even in crashing.</p>
<p>In other words, I say that you get what you are comfortable with, because it will help you more than the comptuter that will take you a while to get used to.</p>
<p>"In other words, I say that you get what you are comfortable with, because it will help you more than the comptuter that will take you a while to get used to."</p>
<p>Best advice yet. Get what you are most productive with.</p>
<p>After racking my memory, I'm going to have to agree with everyone here... my first computer experiences, aside from MS-DOS computers at home, were with Macs at school. A large part of why I like them better, I think, is because I'm just more used to them.</p>
<p>Also, when I bought my iBook, thin & light computers and powerful computers were distinctly two separate breeds. The only computer manufacturer that built computers as well as Apple was IBM (this is still true to some degree, though I've heard good things about Dell), and ThinkPads were not only as expensive or more than iBooks, but ran much hotter and had much shorter battery life.</p>
<p>Since then, Intel has come out with PentiumM/Centrino. Centrino-based computers are able to achieve Apple-like battery life, and in some cases more (the Thinkpad T40 can get seven hours). While IBM PentiumM-based notebooks still cost more than iBooks (although, with the 50% education discount, they're much cheaper), they're also clearly a much better deal, and Dell's PentiumM notebooks are also surprisingly well-made.</p>
<p>If you want to get a PC laptop, absolutely make sure you get a Centrino laptop at whatever price point you're aiming for: Dell sells one through Brown (the 600M) for $1,160, which is significantly more expensive than their cheapest computers, but it's worth it because you'll get a real laptop. But everything I'm reading (and hearing, from my friend who recently bought an Inspiron 8600) suggests that those Centrino laptops have all the hardware advantages of Macs, for $200 cheaper. If you're more comfortable with PCs, any of them will be a great choice.</p>
<p>even the school the Gates kids go to uses Macs ;)
I remember when my daughter first attended that school almost 17 ! yrs ago, and playing Oregon Trail on a black and white monitor on a classic mac! ( and KidPix)</p>
<p>anyone think macs will make recent comeback and take over the market? i like to go with the mainstream, and i am just worried over the scarcity of mac programs (i know they are abundant, its just that i see more windows products). are there any good mac games that are up to par of halo or red alert?</p>
<p>Ah, KidPix. I had some great times with that program. Somehow, knowing which keys to punch to make the strawberry get 10x bigger was the coolest thing ever. If only I was so easily amused now.</p>
<p>Halo is out for mac
and I know the first C&C came out for mac, stopped folliwng the series though, so I don't know about Red Alert... I went more toward the Blizzard games. Now though, I mostly game on my PS2.</p>
<p>KidPix and Oregon Trail are awesome!
Johnny has a cold.
17 pounds of food spoiled.
I liked using the smallest eraser on the hidden pictures in KidPix..... yeeeeaaa.</p>
<p>gh0st: " how often do you guys game? i cant image bringing a game system to college. i was thinking of computer games, to fill in the odd minutes that appear every now and then. with homework and the 'college/social life', i cant imagine having the time to sit down and boot up a system regularly. is my outlook flawed?"</p>