I’ve been waiting for a machine like the Mac Mini for quite a while. Not because of the cost, but because of the size. Apple has not come out and said it, but it’s pretty clear to me that the primary intent of this machine is to be hooked to your high definition television, which is exactly why I want it. It would not surprise me at all to see Apple release some kind of PVR software built with the Mac Mini in mind sometime this year. While recording standard TV on your Mac is fairly easy and recording HDTV is possible, it can be pretty painful and not as full-featured as you might like. In the meantime, these guys are trying to fill in the gap.
That said, I’m not buying a Mini just yet. By summer, Apple will have released Tiger. I would pay the requested $129 for it. It has also released iLife ’05, for which I also would pay ($99). When Tiger comes out, however, it is likely the Mini will ship with both of these titles included. This would, at least, pay for the bluetooth trackball keyboard I would need for it. Plus the hardware by then will have had the kinks worked out of it. And, perhaps, Apple will have provided a real PVR solution by then as well.