M1

The M1 Mac mini – A Short Review and Unboxing

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Mac mini M1

Edit: this post was supposed to come out last December, so yes it is very late. And I know we will likely have a new Mac mini in twenty four hours’ time.

Yes, it is true. The M1 Mac mini has been out for a full year. Why did I buy it now? Because the M1 Pro Mac mini did not materialize in 2021, and because I happened to have a good deal on the existing silver model.

I have yet to replace my main Mac with the Mac mini, and it is currently connected to my TV, but it happens to be the only desktop I have that runs Monterey, and it is a champ at that.

The Mac mini is silent, runs fast, and does all the M1 stuff I need it to do. I am just slightly regretting not getting the 512GB model now, but a TB3 drive should suffice for additional storage.

If you are thinking of buying one today in Feb 2022, I will wait until March to see if a M1 Pro Mac mini is out by then, and if that model is a better buy. A theoretical M2 successor to this Mac mini probably will not come until later this year.

Here are some unboxing photos.

Mac mini M1

Mac mini M1

Mac mini M1

Should you preorder or buy the 24 inch M1 iMac?

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apple_new-imac-spring21_hero_04202021

It is only less than an hour before preorders for the new 24 inch M1 iMac start. Have you decided if you are going to buy one?

First things first. Uninformed outlets (including the idiots whom MacWorld UK pay to write their trashy articles) think that Apple shrunk the 27 inch iMac to 24 inches and gave it a low end processor, making it a “down grade” in their eyes.

That is not the case.

The new 24 inch iMac is a replacement for the 21.5 inch iMac, which was always a low end computer filled with low end parts to meet a price point. If you are a current 27 inch iMac user (like myself) you should wait for now.

If you were already thinking of buying a desktop Mac and price is more important than more performance and the absolutely biggest screen size, then the 24 inch iMac is a no brainer (unless of course, you prefer to use your current monitor to save some money or you hate all-in-ones).

The 24 inch is an absolute steal. You get power that’s better than the majority of intel Macs being sold until today, all at a starting price that is only 50 USD more than the 12.9 inch M1 iPad Pro (which comes with no accessories).

Of course you should really buy at least the mid range model to enjoy the benefits of the new system, like the TouchID keyboard and the power adapter with built in Ethernet. But if you prefer to save some money the entry model is definitely as powerful as the other two models. You just will not have the choice of purple, yellow or orange colours if one of those is what you wanted to go for.

If you are a first time Mac desktop user and wonder if the iMac will last you long enough to make your investment worth it, here is an example – my first iMac is the 2007 model, and it is still being used today. Macs are built to last, and the massive performance overhead of all the M1 Macs ensure that you will have them at a usable performance level for probably way longer than the latest Intel Macs (or any x86 machine, for that matter).

The final question is, of course, what colour will you pick? (I pick purple, because while I cannot decide between blue and purple, purple is limited to online sales and only reserved for the higher grade models).

Registration of Interest for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus for all telcos

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If you have missed Apple’s preorders for the new iPhones last Saturday, or if you buy your annual iPhones from the local telcos like most of us, here are the various links for registering your interest to purchase this year’s iPhones.

Singtel

Starhub – Preorder closes 16th Sep, 12pm.

M1 – Registration now closed.

Unlike previous years, it seems like this year, at least for Starhub and M1, the telcos will be doing a staggered registration process where groups of customers will be invited to pre-purchase the iPhone online at differing time and dates, probably to prevent the annual server-crashing preorder load.

Singtel, Starhub, M1 Prices for iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c revealed!

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Finally the last two telcos revealed their prices for the new iPhones. Below are the price comparisons at the various plans. Images sourced from HWZ. Click on the images to view in full size.

Got questions about iOS 7 and the new iPhones? Visit sgmac.net today!

M1 and Singtel Price Plans for iPhone 5 in Singapore

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Ahhhh… After a horrible day yesterday I am now sure I am switching from Singtel to M1. Why? You ask. Cause I just can’t stand Singtel’s ways anymore. Everything wrong with Singtel reflects everything that is wrong with this country.

And here are the M1 prices.

And here are the Singtel prices, sourced from Lester Chan’s site. As usual, Singtel has the HIGHEST prices with the WORSE service. Singtel’s mobile internet is completely unusable in many places in town, even if there are full signal bars being shown.

iFlexi Plans

iFlexi Lite – SGD$39.90
2GB Data
100 Mins Outgoing Voice
800 SMS
iPhone 5 16GB Price: SGD$478
iPhone 5 32GB Price: SGD$598
iPhone 5 64GB Price: SGD$758

iFlexi Value – SGD$59.90
3GB Data
200 Mins Outgoing Voice
900 SMS
iPhone 5 16GB Price: SGD$198
iPhone 5 32GB Price: SGD$308
iPhone 5 64GB Price: SGD$468

iFlexi Plus – SGD$99.90
4GB Data
500 Mins Outgoing Voice
1,000 SMS
iPhone 5 16GB Price: Free
iPhone 5 32GB Price: SGD$48
iPhone 5 64GB Price: SGD$198

iFlexi Premium – SGD$205
12GB Data
2,000 Mins Outgoing Voice
2,500 SMS
iPhone 5 16GB Price: Free
iPhone 5 32GB Price: Free
iPhone 5 64GB Price: SGD$58

iPad 3rd Generation Singapore Launch at M1 Paragon

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Just some quick photos before I go to sleep.

And an iPad Launch won’t be an iPad Launch without scalpers, with a big bunch of them gathering at Starbucks after purchase to get paid by the big boss.

Oh and here’s my iPad.

P.S. I’m going to Singapore Polytechnic in the morning for the notebook sales. Anyone there tomorrow feel free to drop by the Apple booth (Sapura) to say hi. Not bringing my iPad though. :p

The 2011 M1 iPhone 4S Launch

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While I didn’t go to any of the launches myself, that doesn’t mean no one went to one on my behalf.

The guy arguably is a lousy photographer with a really outdated camera phone, but it beats having nothing at all.

Here’s two shots from the M1 Paragon Launch on the evening of the 27th.

And here’s the shot from the Ang Mo Kio Hub M1 Branch launch on the morning of the 28th.

These launches are always the same every year that it gets really boring to put any serious effort to reporting them. Unless, of course, you want to be engadget, or you have too much free time on your hands.

M1’s Prices and Launch Details for iPhone 4S in Singapore

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Was really waiting for all carriers to come up with their prices before posting this, but I guess I can’t be bothered to wait for Starhub.

M1 was the earliest with their prices, and these were released since last Friday.

M1’s launch is a first come first served event at 12am at the usual Paragon M1 shop, with no web preorders allowed until the 28th itself, unlike Starhub and Singtel.

Other M1 shops will start selling the iPhone 4S at 7am on 28th October 2011.

More information at here.

Possible iPhone 4S Pricing in Singapore

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Judging from the various news/rumors circulating around these few days, finally we will be seeing the next iPhone in 3 storage capacities, 16GB, 32GB and for people like me, 64GB. And the news is that we are going to get them at a lower price, namely, the current price for the 16GB will get you a 32GB iPhone 4S / iPhone 5, the current price for the 32GB will get you a 64GB iPhone 4S / iPhone 5. And that brings us to the 16GB model, which will probably be around $130 cheaper than the old 16GB pricing of $480 (Singtel pricing) on contract with the cheapest iPhone-specific plans, such as Singtel’s iFlexi Lite. That is a big deal. Not only because it will make the “current generation iPhone” a lot more attractive for people who aren’t willing to spend over $400 on a phone, it also effectively pushes the “last generation iPhone”‘s pricing down to a possible $200 range.

Judging by the latest exchange rate Apple uses for Singapore, and assuming that carriers keep their current subsidy amounts, I believe we are looking at these possible prices;

Non-Contract iPhones from Apple

16GB iPhone 4S / iPhone 5 – $708
32GB iPhone 4S / iPhone 5 – $838
64GB iPhone 4S / iPhone 5 – $968

8GB iPhone 4 (Plastic Casing, Made in Brazil) – $578

Contract iPhone from Singtel on iFlexi Lite Plan

16GB iPhone 4S / iPhone 5 – $310
32GB iPhone 4S / iPhone 5 – $430
64GB iPhone 4S / iPhone 5 – $550

8GB iPhone 4 (Plastic Casing, Made in Brazil) – $200

Unfortunately, the contract prices will be harder to predict, basically due to the fact that Apple’s profit levels are different on the various models as compared to their sales price, so you will often see a bigger subsidy on the higher end models simply because Singtel and other telcos get the higher end models cheaper.

Also note that I am using “iPhone 4S / iPhone 5” simply because I have no idea what is going to be announced tonight. This is really exciting.

EDITED: Prices above are probably totally wrong due to 2 factors;

1. The US exchange rate has spiked since the last Apple product released with a lower exchange rate – the MacBook Air

2. News about how the capacities are going to double at the same price are totally wrong.

Also, since Apple Singapore has just released prices for the 3GS and the iPhone 4 8GB, we can somehow safely assume that the exchange rate used for the old iPhone 4 prices will be slightly different for the new iPhone 4S.

That means;

Non-Contract iPhones from Apple

iPhone 4S 16GB – 928
iPhone 4S 32GB – 1068
iPhone 4S 64GB – 1208
iPhone 4 8GB – 788 (Apple SG verified)
iPhone 3GS – 548 (Apple SG verified)

Contract iPhone from Singtel on iFlexi Lite Plan (assuming subsidy prices remain the same)

iPhone 4S 16GB – 520
iPhone 4S 32GB – 660
iPhone 4S 64GB – 800

P.S.: Note that contract pricing is a running target and the prices are often different among the different carriers, so they are highly unreliable, but it’s a rough estimates based on current contract pricing.

P.S. Again: I am 20 to 30 dollars off on all the prices. Apple revealed those prices to be as following;

16GB 948
32GB 1088
64GB 1238

iPhone 4 Singapore telcos’ pricing!!

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Starhub
$38/m, 16GB @ $500, 32GB @ $630.
$58/m, 16GB @ $230, 32GB @ $380.
$98/m ,16GB @ $0, 32GB @ $70.
Any plan above is $0

M1
$36/m 16GB @ $480, 32GB @ $620.
$56/m 16GB @ $210, 32GB @ $360.
$98/m 16GB @ $0, 32GB @ $60.
Any plan above is $0

Singtel
$39/m, 16GB @ $480, 32GB @ $620.
$56/m, 16GB @ $210, 32GB @ $360.
$95/m 32GB @ $60.
Any plan above is $0

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