Filed under: Macworld, Hardware, Rumors, Mac mini
Rumor: Mac mini supports 1TB storage, SeeFile
Ars is reporting that software company SeeFile may have exposed at least a part of Apple's plans for the new Mac mini. According to a poorly timed press release (it's actually dated January 6th, the same day as Phil's keynote), the "New Apple Mac Mini hardware [will] be supported by revolutionary SeeFile web sharing DAM software." The SeeFile software is used to build a no-fuss, digital asset manager accessible via a web browser and starts at $499US.Here's where it gets interesting. Towards the end of the press release, we find this
"Complete bundled server systems including a Mac mini server with 1 terabyte of storage are available starting at $1,495. The hosted Web service will be available starting in February 2009 at several pricing tiers, starting at under $50 per month."
We can only assume that SeeFile will be selling minis bundled with their software and not Apple. Many people use minis as home servers, and with the rumor of 1TB of internal storage all but confirmed by this press release, building a similar, web-accessible setup should become very easy indeed.
Either way, the lesson here is the same: Don't hit your web editor's "Publish" button unless you really mean it.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Alexis said 4:08PM on 1-05-2009
The "Price and Availability" section of the press release is more explicit than suggested in your post....
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Ed said 4:03PM on 1-05-2009
... or do hit it if you want loads of free promotion...
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Ryan said 4:07PM on 1-05-2009
So....
A DAM which this software is (and says in the press release), is quite a bit different than what is commonly know in the consumer space as a media server.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_asset_management
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Ryan said 4:50PM on 1-05-2009
I'm not crazy, I swear the post used to say media server... :-/
Jeremy said 4:13PM on 1-05-2009
If SeeFile is offering the Apple hardware with their software and web servers for $50 a month, then Apple would have to charge more for MobileMe (and hypothetically, an integrated SeeFile software solution), to be on the same playing field.
If so this could be disappointing. MobileMe gets fab new feature, but you have to pay even more for it? Hope not.
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Brand said 4:13PM on 1-05-2009
With 500GB 2.5" hard drive on the market right now and the rumor of a SATA optical drive that can be replaced by a hard drive this rumor could be very possible.
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gnuguy said 4:21PM on 1-05-2009
I wouldn't take this to seriously I worked for Seefile for a year in college they have no inside info. They are a tiny company with 3 full time employees and a few interns working out of an apartment in boston. They buy all the mini's from the apple store or microcenter.
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SpinThis! said 6:43PM on 1-05-2009
Yeh I doubt they get inside information as well. It sounds like they're just betting on being right—I mean at this point, SATA seems pretty much like a lock.
Mattazuma said 4:20PM on 1-05-2009
Or the Mini from SeeFile comes with an external 1TB drive.
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LD said 4:26PM on 1-05-2009
Or does this mean a Mac Mini with 1TB of storage costs about $999. That's the important takeaway I got. That and the new Mini will support 3.5" drives (think Time Machine footprint).
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brand said 4:42PM on 1-05-2009
Not if it is two 500GB 2.5" hard drives.
Wojtek said 4:45PM on 1-05-2009
Actually the current (to-be-outdated-on-Jan-6th) Mini has exactly the same footprint as Time Machine...
LD said 4:48PM on 1-05-2009
No, it has the same footprint as Airport Extreme. Time Machine has the same footprint as Apple TV, which is larger than the Mini or Airport.
Guiliano said 5:02PM on 1-05-2009
Time Machine is the software, Time Capsule is the hardware
Kevin said 4:38PM on 1-05-2009
$499 pricepoint? That's $100 cheaper than the current model. Am I reading this right?
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kevin said 4:41PM on 1-05-2009
Ok, it's not $499 for the Mac Mini - it's $499 to start for the SeeFile service. My bad, sorry.
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Jon said 4:48PM on 1-05-2009
Why is it so difficult for companies to avoid posting information before its due date? Why are so many companies not able to manage it?
But I happen to think this particular one is pure bs.
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artifex said 6:21PM on 1-05-2009
If you want a press release to be printed on a certain day, you generally have to send it before that day, at least the night before. You don't really want to announce your new product that uses Apple's new product the day *after* they announce, do you? You want it day of. But you have to remember to specify that it's embargoed info until that day. And, actually, if you're a tiny company, you need to work it out with the people you send the release to beforehand, to make sure they don't run it early and burn you.
Jon said 6:28PM on 1-05-2009
Yeah but it had January 6th written on it. It doesn't take a genius to work out what date it should be posted!
brian said 6:28PM on 1-05-2009
"Complete bundled server systems including a Mac mini server with 1 terabyte of storage are available starting at $1,495."
Considering that a PPC Mini can be bought for $300 on Craigslist (hopefully much less as of tomorrow :-) ) and a 1 TB external hard drive is about $200 this is easily doable already no matter what Apple announces tomorrow.
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