Yesterday saw the launch of the new Apple Mac Mini (does this mean we’re getting a Mac Mini Cooper? ) and a fine beastie it appears to be too. Now, I’m probably biased, but I do feel that Apple should be applauded for trying to solve the age-old problems of usability, simplicity, ergonomics by applying radical and often revolutionary design approaches.

Seeing a computer base-unit of little more than a cd in area and a couple of inches in thickness, it makes me wonder about the various applications such a compact and portable unit might have. As this is a call centre site, of course, I have to look at how it might work in the office environment. My initial thoughts were that a unit like this would enable agents to hot-desk much more easily, as the computer can be easily carried around. It is a very compact unit, which should free up important desk-space. It is reputedly very quiet, though I can’t comment on that. If it is as quiet as I’ve read, it should be perfect for keeping the ambient noise levels to a minimum. Sure, most contact centres have so much going on that even a comparatively noisy machine isn’t obviously intrusive, but I’m a firm believer in doing what we can to keep unnecessary noise at bay.

I can also see applications outwith normal computer use; I haven’t measured, but I reckon that the Mini might just be small enough to fit into the standard audio unit compartment of the average car. Which means that it’s ideal for automotive computing. Just imagine, a black-box flight recorder for your car. In some countries, such things have been trialled for insurance purposes, but a more sophisticated unit such as the Mini, reading in all manner of drive information via its firewire or USB ports, and allowing drivers to archive their trip data using cheap CDR media.

Even the smallest hard-drive option could easily hold a very detailed and easily updated navigation system; GPS locators are relatively inexpensive and could be designed to input ongoing location information via the connections on the back. The DVI output could drive a small LCD panel which could show detailed navigation in unlimited ways - relief information, directories of places to visit/eat/shop, weather information, you name it. The beauty of it being the fact that the baby Mac would have the flexibility and (I’m sure) the reliability to be configured any which way. Couple that to a contemporary mobile telephone and it could be configured to communicate with your Mac iBot to switch on the lights, open the garage door and stream your relaxing playlist from iTunes when you draw close to home.

I know, I know, I’m getting carried away here. However, is any of this so unrealistic? The office idea is very practical - these Mini Macs are apparently very small indeed, inexpensive and because they run OSX, they break away from the mess that is Windows on your typical PC. Support costs are lowered, workers are happier and there would be a marked increase in productivity. Macs are, after all, generally far more reliable and easy to use and live with than PCs. Die-hard PC enthusiasts will no doubt complain, but only because deep down they know I’m right.

So here we have it: the new phase in computing - small, powerful and affordable. We’ve had these before, but only two at a time: powerful is normall big, or expensive.

I doff my hat to you, Apple, for pushing technology forward in such a way that might just make a difference - a positive difference - to the lives of the ordinary person.

John