Ok, so I received my Mac Mini today. Everything is nice about it, as you would expect. However two items in particular compelled me to post.
Sheer messaging genius. How many people do you really think need to transport their mini enough to warrant a handle? Probably very few. What does this say about the product though? Volumes. It’s small enough that you could carry it by a handle. To me, that was intentional design at it’s finest. How many computers can even come in a box like that let alone sport a handle to carry it with?
Not manufactured, not engineered, not even built. Designed in California. This hits at the core of apples brand perception. I buy clothes that are designed, furniture, and even shoes, but who buys a computer that’s designed? I just did.
It’s really refreshing to purchase a product in which the creators paid attention to the details of the experience. What I find most fascinating is how small these things are. I wouldn’t have thought any less of Apple if the packaging was standard, or they didn’t note the product was designed in my home state. The point is that when those things are done, they stand out, and tremendously so. Sometimes differentiating yourself isn’t always about doing the same things better than the other guys, it’s about doing the smallest of things that no one pays attention to.
Published on March 28, 2005
Resides in General
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8 Responses to “Mac Mini: In The Details”
1
Travis on March 29th, 2005
I thought the same when I purchased my PhotoPod a few weeks ago. Even the smell of the box after opening it. I even had a co-worker smell it to prove to myself that I wasn’t insane. He agreed, it did smell nice. I am sure that he was just being polite.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that outloud…
2
Timmargh on March 29th, 2005
I can’t remember how my iMac box smelt when I opened it, but I’m sure it would’ve been nice.
Good luck with the Mac Mini - I’m looking to expand my collection (of 1) with a PowerBook soon.
3
ryan on March 29th, 2005
Brilliant, the user experience of smell! I don’t recall what my box smelled like either. A nice smooth musk would have been nice.
4
Paolo on March 30th, 2005
That puddle of drool under your blog is from me looking at your Mac Mini.
Sorry.
5
Nicholas Shaff on April 20th, 2005
LOL you arent alone Travis. The “new Mac” smell should be made into an air freshener ;). Always love opening a new box to that smell. Generally their machines give off the smell for a while too after they are unpacked.
6
Brandon on July 12th, 2005
Nice. I too just bought a Mac Mini. It will be here at the beginning of next week. That and an Apple 20″ display. 20″ is not huge, but will seem so after using my 17″ PowerBook for so long. I’m going to get another Mac at the beinning of 2007 after the Intel transition is complete, so the Mini is just bridging the gap until then.
I was at MacWorld Expo when they announced the Mini and immediately I saw that they would be a hit. People love minature things, just look at cell phones.
7
Jorge Alvarez on January 26th, 2006
I am waiting for a Mac Mini too and I promise that smelling the box will be the first thing I will do.
Brandon, you are right Pepole do love miniature things (if we are talking about cell phones and computers)
8
Bullock on April 7th, 2006
Apple just has great branding in whole on all of their products.