From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@mac.com>

Date: November 13, 2008 4:04:25 PM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Mac Mini...

Hi Milton, What do you know about the Fly Capture SDK software for the Flea 2. It`s basically a Windows driver I guess? I`m still thinking of buying the 7.4 x 7.4 pixel colour model of the Flea 2 in December. Are there other processing packages for Windows which like Astro IIDC would be useable with the Flea. Not that I want to anticipate Astro IIDCs demise prematurely! Mark.

On 14/11/2008, at 9:27 AM, Milton Aupperle wrote:

Hi Mark;

On 13-Nov-08, at 2:35 PM, Mark Gaffney wrote:

Hi Milton, I don`t know whether you were aware of this update but the  

Mac Mini is due for an update it appears; http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/03/21/eating_our_words_apples_mac_mini_to_rock_on.html

That's just as much speculation as their previous announcement that it is gone. The Mac Mini x86 basically hasn't updated in 2+ years.

The only thing we know for certain is that there are very few left to purchase and Apple's clearing the existing stock out.

Apple's clearing the existing stock of AppleTV's out too.

And were expecting an update for the 17" MacBook Pro  too, which is long in the tooth too.

As to whether with this new chipset, supposed to be similar to the 13"  

Macbook, the firewire port will be preserved I don`t know? Mark.

If it's based off the new MacBook motherboard (basically take it, fold it in thirds and stuff it in a case), then there is no hope of FireWire at all (not on the mother board).

Apple's already said they won't release any new models until 2009, so you'll have to wait until MacWorld in January before we see anything new.

What they release in January will spell out FireWire's fate. No FireWire ports mean it's over, and I expect that to be the case as Steve stays you don't need it.

Milton J. Aupperle