Pigs can fly

Looks like I’m eating crow after my bold and erroneous statement last year that Apple would not release a headless iMac. Ever.

Launcing the Mac Mini is a bold move on Apple’s part and of course every nerd wants one. No, every nerd needs it. [Insert Gollum joke here.] A gorgeous piece of hardware with enough power to handle day-to-day tasks at a great price point–what’s not to like?

Most likely we’ll see a huge run on the Minis as they make their way into the sales channel, but it’s what happens later that will be interesting, after the nerds have bought their second (or third, or fourth…) machines and harassed their parents into buying one.

Will the switchers pick one up together with their iPods? Will it tip the scales and provide the hoped-for easy-entry-point into the Mac universe, or will it sink like the Cube? It certainly looks like Apple has learned from its mistakes with the Cube, and has created a product that incites the same exuberant techno-lust, but is targeted toward definite market segments, and has a price point that will make it attractive to those segments.

Smells like a winner.

Oh, and the first person to whine about the Mac Mini being underpowered gets a big smack upside the head. I mean it. Don’t test me.