I like the idea of using several of them with a KVM switch.

E-mail iTunes and browsing on one
Graphics and pictures on the second (the Mini has the same horsepower as my Powerbook which is enough for my needs.)
Other items like Quicken, and letter writing on the third.
I'd only turn on the one I need, or turn on the first two, start something rendering on M2 and KVM over to M1 and surf without slowing the graphics down. I'd only turn on M3 when I needed it so my financial and personal files would be more secure. I could also use M3 as a data backup for the critical files on the other two. Three of these little beauties would cost the same as my G4 tower.

Hmmm...

My ideas:

1: X10 house controller - had just started messing around with this when my G3 iMac died 'orribly. It needs to be in the center of the house to get good coverage, which means either the kitchen or the living room.

2: Bittorrent server - both for security and to keep the processor load down. Probably need to throttle down the bandwidth to keep it from choking the rest of the pipe...

3: Airport Extreme Plus! - Airport base station, hardware firewall, iTunes/AirTunes server, printer server and file server all in one, for one low, low price!

Quote

B-sabre wrote:
... 3: Airport Extreme Plus! - Airport base station, hardware firewall, iTunes/AirTunes server, printer server and file server all in one, for one low, low price!

PC Magazine has the much more objective, actually fact-based scoop. See, Ms. Delio, with a admittedly-regrettable-but-common-in-budget-and-Apple-computers-and-not-terribly-expensive BTO upgrade to 512MB RAM, PCMag reports that the Mac mini can actually play pretty darn modern games. Like Halo. At framerates of 21 fps. And at 1024x768 resolution. Obviously the $499 Mac mini isn't a performance heavyweight nor is it intended to be. But weak? I'd like to see your Celeron/Intel Extreme graphics combo handle Halo so well.

Yes, you tried to couch your poor performance evaluation (on what basis, I wonder? Specs alone, without actual use?) in terms of the "core market" of "creative professionals" (though I strongly suspect there's a big contingent of us regular consumer users as well), but you can't hide from your command to "banish any thoughts of desktop use from your mind." Because not only are there anecdotal reports of various creative professionals liking the mini, folks like PCMag and AnandTech tested the mini as a desktop and found performance to be just fine.

Another bright idea:

Connect it to a good-quality LCD screen which you hang on the wall. Then use it as wireless-enabled digital picture frame.

http://www.ceiva.com/home/hp/index.jsp - very small frame...
http://www.digi-frame.com/df1710.html - very 'spensive!
http://www.wallflower-systems.com/ - middle of the road

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how2/article/0,20967,784539,00.html - DIY