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Apple released some new stuff today:

The iPod shuffle is a combination USB disk key and a MP3 player. However, it only works in shuffle mode ... so you can only go forward/back. My initial thoughts were that it sucked. But the more I think about it, the more sense it makes sense for people who work out. Flash-based drives don't have moving parts, so this is perfect to take out when biking or running (or for P. Diddy, having sex). Although this certain is not meant to replace any MP3 players, it's really handy as a fun tool... I personally am the type of person who listens to one song on repeat for hours, so this really isn't for me. But who knows ...

Edit: For those of you who have iPods but want an iPod shuffle, there is a great hack to make your iPod into an iPod shuffle!

The Mac Mini is a keyboard-less, mouse-less, monitor-less Mac. I like.

With the iPod becoming a cult classic, I think the Apple brand has gotten much more popular to mainstream America. For those curious about the Mac experience ... we had two choices before: iMac or G5. The G5 is too pricey, and the iMac just seems ... too gimicky (I can still see the original iMac and it makes me shudder). The Mac Mini seems perfect for those people who already have Dell systems (keyboard/mouse/monitor) and just want to experiment on a cheap Mac. It's the perfect transition computer...

Those who say the thing is missing monitors/keyboards/mouse are missing the point. Who, nowadays, doesn't have a monitor, keyboard or mouse? For those few who still don't, Apple offers the iMac as an entry-level computer. The Mac Mini is geared to be a transitional computer ... cheap enough to let people experiment, but weak enough that once you get hooked, you need to buy the G5.

The Mini is severely lacking in technical specs though (which may prevent me from buying it). it comes with a measly 256megs of RAM ... if I remember correctly, OS X needs a lot of RAM to play with ...