SillyDog701

[Antony]

The Plasticsmith has produced a few accessories for the new [sdt=8030]Mac mini[/sdt].

mini Tower, something interesting, if you really don't have 16.51cm by 16.51cm footprint space on your desk top to put your Mac mini flat. (That's 6.5" by 6.5".) The footprint space for G4 Cube is slightly larger than 8" by 8".

mini Grandstand is a cool design to put monitor on top of the Mac mini.
In my opinion, this is a very stupid design, very old fashioned, and worst of all, very un-Mac. Apple Cinema Display is not meant to put on top of another computer.

mini Skirt, this is the coolest product. It helps your Mac mini stands out more

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[Jeffredo]

The mini Skirt is the least functional item listed. Might as well sit it on a book. The Grandstand gets it out of the way while keeping it in easy reach and elevates the monitor. Then again, I'm a PC user so I don't have any preconceived "Mac" notions.

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[Antony]

I guess we have different views.
"Look" is a very important factor as well as "functioning".

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[Al]

I think a Mac is good the way it is with out dressing it up. Even though the tower is too PC like and the stand is really like a old PC/Mac

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[Andrew T.]

I think that the Grandstand is by far the most functional and desirable of these available accessories. It allows you to place the monitor exactly where it belongs: On top of the computer's case. This saves space on the desktop or floor, allows the monitor to be raised to a comfortable eye level, and places the computer case and features such as the CD/DVD-ROM drive in easy access in front of you. Plus, it looks good.

In my opinion, this is a very stupid design, very old fashioned, and worst of all, very un-Mac.

Why should this functional and attractive accessory be considered "un-Mac?" All non-compact desktop Macintosh computers prior to the short-lived Quadra 700 and 900 of 1991 came in horizontal cases for a seperate monitor to be placed over. In fact, this reminds me of a similar stand available for the Apple IIe years ago.

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[Antony]

This saves space on the desktop or floor, allows the monitor to be raised to a comfortable eye level,

Research (sorry can't remember the source) says, placing monitor higher (in the eye level) is actually not "comfortable" if you place it right on the desk. For computer users, when you look something a little downwards, it is more comfortable when you look things right in your eye level.

You have plenty of space under Apple Cinema Display... You don't need to put the Apple Cinema Display on top of Mac mini for more space.

In my opinion, this is a very stupid design, very old fashioned, and worst of all, very un-Mac.

Why should this functional and attractive accessory be considered "un-Mac?"

Did you go to the website and see the picture? They use Apple Cinema Display not an outdated CRT. That style is OUTDATED. You don't put monitor on top of desktop computer or even try to higher up the monitor, unless you don't really need to save space.

All non-compact desktop Macintosh computers prior to the short-lived Quadra 700 and 900 of 1991 came in horizontal cases for a seperate monitor to be placed over. In fact, this reminds me of a similar stand available for the Apple IIe years ago.

That was back then when people believe monitors *must* be put on top of computer... thanks to original iMac, things started to change.

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[Jeffredo]

Did you go to the website and see the picture? They use Apple Cinema Display not an outdated CRT. That style is OUTDATED. You don't put monitor on top of desktop computer or even try to higher up the monitor, unless you don't really need to save space.

Whether or not a display needs to be raised a few inches depends on an invididual's physiology and computer desk. If I had my LCD sitting on a mini Grandstand it would be just about right. And a Mac mini is hardly what you would call a traditional desktop (or Mac). Isn't it supposed to be breaking those old molds?

Oh, I did go to the website. It looks fine! Just what I would get if I should choose to buy a Mac mini!

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[Andrew T.]

Excellent points, Jeffredo!

That was back then when people believe monitors *must* be put on top of computer... thanks to original iMac, things started to change.

I still believe that.
I'll take a traditional desktop case to place a monitor on over a tower any day, and I like the Mini Grandstand, particularly the steel version, which looks very professional.

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[Antony]

I was just checking MacMall.com.au's Mac mini page:

The mini Grandstand is A$ 109 where a Mac mini is only A$799. And the mini Tower is at ridiculous price - A$ 149...

The mini Skirt is something interesting, but still way to expensive (when you compare it to the price of Mac mini itself.)

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