The mini Tower and the mini Skirt -- The attack of the Mac mini accessories
By Peter Rojas 
posted Feb 1st 2005 3:07AM
posted Feb 1st 2005 3:07AM
We promise we won't write about every damn Mac mini accessory that floats our way (and to be honest, we're getting a little sick of all the hype), but we may as well admit that stuff like Plasticsmith's acrylic mini Tower (pictured above) and mini Skirt (pictured below) are just the tip of what is going to be a very, very large iceberg.
what? why?
Stylish gadgtets (Yes, the Mac Mini is a gadget) require stylish accesories. And lots of them.
How does the processor cool? I saw that there aren't that many vents on the mac mini. Or am I living too much in an Intel world :)
I'd be more worried about the mini over-heating in that tower, but it is indeed very stylish.
I've got this great idea, its like an acrylic 8" cube with the disc coming out of the top. Oh wait, hang on I think that might have been done. Why did Apple spend so long making this thing as small as possible when others just want to make it the size of a Dell tower!!
Ok, that mini-skirt is really, really stupid. But the mini-tower looks pretty sweet and could actually be somewhat useful. Sure, you could always just stick the thing on its side if horizontal space is at a premium in your house, but that's not very elegant. This looks nice and seems like it'd actually protect your Mac pretty well.
I think these guys are on to something. i mean the mac mini is just too small. i don't think the mini skirt goes far enough-- it only makes the mini about an inch taller. they need to go further. as it stands the mini takes up too little desk space, and very little vertical space. bigger footprint, taller enclosure, please. think alienware or something.
I think Apple needs to release some "Mac Mini Toques", ala the iPod Socks.
Oh, here's a free idea for these guys:
iPod shuffle-- too small, too light. build a case that's about 4.1" x 2.4" x 0.57", add some ballast to make it feel more substantial, and you've got a winner.
We promise we won’t write about every damn Mac mini accessory that floats our way?!?!? WTF!!! WRITE MORE!! We demand to know!
Imagine how well the Mini is going to sell. The iPod was dissed big time back when it was introduced. (It took me all of 20 minutes to decide to buy one, but then I'm a musician.)
It would be good to keep up with the really cool stuff, at least, since you ARE the leading tech website on the net, right?
Right?
I played with a Mac Mini at Macworld. It's quite the little pocket rocket. Not like my dual G5 by any means, but for what it is, it's a winner. Runs Photoshop like a charm.
And contrary to a comment earlier, it runs very cool. Lots of vents on the bottom. So being on its side could only make it even "cooler."
How about this... the Mini Skirt is useless so just add a firewire and USB hub with front mounted ports and a built in USB line-in interface? Someone made one for the flat panel iMac and it just sat on it..
That should be doable for $150.
> #10 How bout no... I'm not against mac stuff in general, but frankly, the non-mac entries are becoming alot more interesting to read than entries that detail yet another stupid accessory.
Ok, it's hard to make everybody happy--some people think we write too much about Apple, others not enough--but the general rule is that we write about whatever new gadgets interest us. If a new Mac mini accessory interests us then we'll write about it. If not, then we won't.
13-- and you don't have to click on the link if you're not interested.
Decent function, but when I throw out my computer in 18 mos., do I need to add a pound of acrylic? Looks to me like just another acrylic fabricator pushin' plastic....and lot's of it. But then again, I wish I thought of it......?
I have never owned anything from Apple, but I appreciate their uniqueness as well as how their design influences other items...and people. Please keep posting interesting items, not matter how useless, controversial, or thematically overdone they may seem. If I just wanted to look at practical, ‘real-world’ electronics I could just visit a web-store, such as Bestbuy. I would have assumed that people who visit gadget blogs on a daily basis do so because the want more than bland, run-of-the-mill electronics.
Erm...is the Mini skirt just a block of acrylic? For $20??
Seriously does it heat up too much ? Does anyone really know or everyone just has 'opinions' :)
when exactly did acrylic become stylish?
Cooling vents are on bottom of the mini - it does not sit flush on the bootom, it actually is sits up about 1/8" from the bottom flat surface.
Cooling vents surround the bottom.
So, any of you with ideas to sit that puppy on a shag-rug should perish the thought.
Mike
Minimalism is a nice philosophy.
But what is so nice about these two products is that they are absolutly not needed, they will be wanted!! And after all isn't that what every designer wants. Simply thier product to be wanted regardless if it is needed or not. Apple is taking a very elegent stand in the market. The mini skirt transforms the computer into a floating piece of art. Simple on the outside and one powerful and robust OS in the inside. Great work Apple!!!!!
hehe, (high q.)acryl became stylish when glass, but the mat doesnt always count, i think a cork bottom would be nice too, but then you have to adjust everything to the cork... so maybe it became stylish(not when, but why I think is the right question) because it is a pure material
i agree the mini skirt appears at first glance slightly frivolous, but the TOWER would (1) look and integrate well in a small-medium-large enterprise setting and (2) protect the mini from idiots and the like from scratching, denting, spilling stuff on it.
The mini runs cool. I own one, have had it for almost 2 weeks now. It's cool to the touch, and there are vents along the bottom and louver-style vents on the back. By the way, with regards to the accessory market, I say bring 'em on. If the mac mini owning public likes the accessories, they will do well, if not, the accessories will fall by the wayside. And who really cares what people who don't own minis think anyway. :-)
Check out my Mac/PC mixed setup at http://computersetup.blogspot.com
Its called a mac mini for a reason?! Why do people what to make it larger?? I know lets build a graphite coloured case with with clear plastic handles on all 4 corners and the Mac mini can hide inside it? We could call it the G4 PowerMac?? or has that already been done!?
Its called a mac mini for a reason?! Why do people what to make it larger?? I know lets build a graphite coloured case with with clear plastic handles on all 4 corners and the Mac mini can hide inside it? We could call it the G4 PowerMac?? or has that already been done!?