[Reid]

I have had my finger on the trigger waiting for a good deal on a Mac mini for a couple of months now, to use in a home theater setting. I was hoping for an update at Macworld, but if it didn't come was prepared to get the current low-end model.

Then they came out with this Apple TV update, and suddenly I didn't see a need for the mini anymore. Now that it can do so much more, with rentals, HD, AirTunes, etc., the Mac mini suddenly seems like overkill for my needs. The only thing I feel like I'm giving up is broader codec support (and the fact that I'll have to hang onto my existing DVD player). But when it came down to it, I just couldn't justify an extra $300 for a few extra codecs, when I can always transcode stuff through VisuaHub.

Anyway, now that the Apple TV is so much more appealing than it was, I wonder if Apple will see a dip in Mac mini sales. I've never been clear on how many people are using them in the living room (the only people I know who have a mini are).