I really hope rollercoaster was being a bit sarcastic. Those are features that either just came out TODAY on the $1299-1799 iMac G5 (Gigabit Ethernet) or are only on pro gear (FireWire 800). I can't imagine the Mac mini getting either of those things. Ever. Okay, maybe in 4-6 years...
A mini doesn't require either of those to be cool and useful. May as well go balls out and ask for a PC card slot and two extra drive bays!
Seriously, the graphics and hard drive will address 85% of the complaints out there. No one is expecting a $499 Mac to have some of those crazy high-end features. Hell, the 12" PowerBook - at $1,499 - doesn't have either of those, and it's considered a "pro" machine. How/why on earth would a machine costing $1,000 less have them?!?
64MB graphics, 5400rpm hard drive and 512MB RAM will push about 94% of the fence-sitters out there into finally getting one, I guarantee you. Those are the three things you hear griped about the most.
I like the idea of someday AirPort just being built onto the board and EVERY Mac is simply "wireless ready", out of the box. I'm sure that'll happen within 1-2 years.
And yes, 768MB RAM is an odd duck number. You can't get that with one DIMM (which is all the Mac mini allows). Either 256MB or 512MB, but I'd be happy with 256MB soldered on and that slot left open.
And redesign the damn case so you can push two tabs or turn a little lock with a coin and the entire top EASILY pops off. No one should have to take a Home Depot putty knife to a brand new $500-600 computer...
