Twitter user @DongleBookPro has today shared images of a prototype first-generation Mac mini with a built-in dock for an iPod nano.
The images show a first-generation Mac mini with a 30-pin dock connector cutout on the top for an iPod nano. Otherwise, the computer appears to be virtually identical to the version that came to market in 2005. These types of docks were more commonly seen on speakers at the time, such as Apple's iPod Hi-Fi that was released in 2006.
The 30-pin connector was never directly implemented on computers, with a cable required for syncing. It is therefore intriguing to discover that Apple was seriously considering adding an iPod dock to the Mac, starting with the Mac mini in 2005.
According to the Twitter user who shared these photos, the project was scrapped internally before it saw the "light of day." Given that the size and shape of the iPod nano changed consistently over the years, this Mac mini would have only been compatible with the first and perhaps second generation of the music player.
@DongleBookPro regularly posts images of unreleased Apple devices and prototypes. Earlier this month, they revealed images of an unreleased first-generation iPod touch prototype with a 2013 Mac Pro-style glossy black finish.
Saturday August 10, 2024 5:00 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series in the fall, and a possible September 10 announcement date has been floated this year, which means we are just one month away from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design...
Apple's M3 MacBook Pro is seeing multiple high value discounts on Best Buy and Amazon today, with up to $1,000 off select models. This includes a new all-time low price on the entry-level M3 512GB 14-inch MacBook Pro at $1,299.00, down from $1,599.00, and a massive $1,000 discount on the high-end 16-inch model exclusively for Best Buy members. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best...
Tuesday August 13, 2024 4:01 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Multiple rumors have suggested that the iPhone 16 models are going to have an all-new button that's designed to make it easier to capture photos when the devices are held in landscape mode. Apple calls the button the Capture Button internally, and it is going to be one of the most advanced buttons that's been introduced to date with support for multiple gestures and the ability to respond to ...
Apple is beta testing iOS 18 and the first update to iOS 18 concurrently, and we got the second betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 today alongside the sixth betas of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia 15. Many of the changes in iOS 18.1 are focused on bringing the .1 betas in line with the standard betas, which recently received updates to Photos and Safari, while...
Thursday August 8, 2024 4:40 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
Apple's rumored iPhone 17 "Slim" could be positioned as an iPhone "Air" to boost sales, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained how the "fourth" model in the iPhone lineup since 2020 (the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 15 Plus) has largely been a commercial failure. In the case of the Plus model,...
There were rumors in 2003 about a feature to move your OSX home-folder to your iPod (so that you can easily move it to another Mac). This actually makes a lot more a sense in combination with this Mac Mini with dock-connector ... See @ https://www.macrumors.com/2003/10/08/pulled-panther-feature-home-on-ipod/
