iMac

mini Holiday Shopping Picks

Your Mac mini is coming up on its first birthday, and I’m confident that your Macintosh has been good all year long. So, whatever your excuse, now is a great time to pick up a gift for that special someone – or something. Below are a few of our favorite mini accessories.

 

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Make your mini Mighty!Mighty Mouse from Apple

If you grabbed an old mouse for your new mini, now is the time to make it up to your machine. Get mighty with multiple buttons and psycho-cool scrolling.

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Be heard! Add an audio input to your miniiMic from Griffin Technology

You can’t use Skype or Garage Band until you get some hardware to get audio into your mini. This USB audio solution from Griffin Tech provides you with mini jack inputs for your aux out or microphone.

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Mobile Music with AirPort ExpressAirport Express from Apple

If you don’t already have one, the AipPort Express can be a useful addition to your mini and your home network. Use to it stream iTunes across your network, using your mini as a wireless music server.

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Keep your mini going through the stormUninterrupted Power Supply by Belkin

Watch your back with a continuous power solution. Depending on what peripherals you use, this backup power solution can keep your mini going for hours during a blackout.

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Go flat and save spaceLCD Monitor by Samsung

Reward your Mac and your eyes with a flat panel monitor like this Samsung. Using the DVI connector, the signal sent to the monitor is digital and sharp.

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Clear stand has you coveredAcrylic phone stand

Don’t laugh. A clear acrylic phone stand provides the mini with adequate breathing room and protection while providing you a place to store your keyboard. Remember, Apple doesn’t like you stacking things on top of your mini!

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Squelch iMac jealousy, get a remoteWireless Remote by Kensington

The new iMac comes with a remote, but there’s no reason you mini shouldn’t. This palm-sized USB wireless remote will have you clicking from your couch.

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Bulk up your storage spaceExternal Firewire Drive for the mini by LaCie

The mini is a little short on drive space. Rather than dragging it to your Apple Store or cracking it with a putty knife you can pick up a spacious external drive like this LaCie external drive made to fit under your mini.

Don’t wait too long, the holidays are here and it would be a shame to have that stocking empty! For the team here at MacMerc, we wish you and your Mac the best for the season!

We’ve brought in ”the new,” now it’s time the throw out the old…Mac models about to be deemed obsolete

On December 9th, just in time for Christmas, the following items will be officially deemed “vintage” or “obsolete” in Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Japan, Latin America, the United States and retail Apple Stores. After that date, Apple will not provide service parts or documentation for these products and the items cannot be sent in as Mail-In Repairs to AppleCare Repair Centers. Time to hit your parents up for some new tech, boys and girls.

Here’s the “vintage” list:

  • iMac (Flat Panel 2003)

  • PowerBook G4 (12-inch)
  • PowerBook G4 (17-inch)
  • iBook (14.1 LCD 900 MHz 32VRAM)
  • iBook (800 MHz 32 VRAM) & (900 MHz 32 VRAM)
  • Airport Extreme Base Station (Early 2003)

…and here’s the “obsolete” list:

  • iBook (Dual USB)

What’s the difference between “vintage” and “obsolete”? It’s kind of a legal thing. Service parts for vintage products are only available to repair older Apple products purchased in the state of California, as required by statute.There is no difference between vintage and obsolete products anywhere else.

Note:

Love it or hate it, the PowerMac G4 Cube is about to become officially obsolete

Apple can’t keep replacement parts on hand for every old Mac model out there. Nor can they expect their technicians to stay up on the latest technologies while also being skilled in fixing the decrepit ones. That’s whay, every so often, Apple has to clean house and decide what products it is going to continue to support and repair and to which ones it must say a tearful goodbye. The list below represents those products. On September 16, 2008, they will be classified as “vintage” or “obsolete”:

G4Cube 2 2 20080722 185431 Love it or hate it, the PowerMac G4 Cube is about to become officially obsolete

Products to be designated as vintage in the U.S. and obsolete everywhere else:

  • Macintosh Server G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors)
  • PowerBook G4 (1GHz/867MHz)
  • PowerMac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors)

Products to be designated as obsolete:

  • Apple Studio Display
  • iMac (Early 2001)
  • PowerMac G4 Cube

What’s the difference between “vintage” and “obsolete”? It’s kind of a legal thing. Service parts for vintage products are only available to repair older Apple products purchased in the state of California, as required by statute. There is no difference between vintage and obsolete products anywhere else.

Note: