what is "gigabit ethernet"?

A 10Mbit (ie, one-tenth of a gigabit) ethernet port will pass data faster than the fastest internet connection. Gigabit ethernet won't do much for your web browsing experience - it means if you have a network of gigabit ethernet systems, they'll move data much faster between them.

In other words, it's fairly useless to the home user unless you run a network in the house and need to get information moved between computers quicker. Otherwise, it currently doesn't effect download speeds because, as mentioned above, the fastest common high speed providers (Cable/DSL) don't run at even 10Mbit/s.

Much like 64-bit processing, it's just another snake oil item designed to elevate prices (not limited to Apple, but the industry as a whole). Current items like gigabit ethernet and 64-bit processors can't even be fully utilized unless in a professional setting. As an example, my other rig is an AMD64-based machine at 2 GHz, but by the time the 64-bit part actually becomes useful, the 2 GHz part will (or should be) antiquated. The same thing will be true when cost-effective, true gigabit speeds are available to the public. There will be new protocols, new hardware, and a whole new set of pricing.

Never buy more than you need in the computer world, otherwise you're just wasting money. The next best thing comes out every week.

That doesn't make any sense.

The Intel chipset in the mini comes with Gb ethernet. It's not a costly extra that Apple just added on and increased the price. Besides, Gb ethernet can be very useful for transferring or streaming data between computers with Gb ethernet.

Gigabit ethernet could prove extremely useful in an environment where you are, perhaps, streaming a movie stored on one computer to a mini acting as a media center - a feature that appears to be supported with the new mini's implementation of Front Row, via Bonjour.

It's not 'snake oil' to provide valid features that help facilitate practical use of the product in a diverse range of applications the user might conceivably have in mind. And where Gigabit ethernet is concerned, it's been common on Apple systems at the very least (and many PCs too) for some years now so it's far from being a new technology that has any notable cost implications.

Regardless, I maintain that those technologies, included or not, are not really in use by the mainstream market. Personally, I don't know anyone who streams movies over a network like that. Maybe I'm old school or something, but it's not something I do either. When I send a large file to my living room PC, I really don't need to send it at more than 10 MBit/S. A 370 MB file gets there in about (you guessed it) 37-40 seconds. For my application, I really don't need it to get there in 4 seconds. In a couple years, when file sizes double, the thenology will get better too. And my point is that by then, gigabit ethernet technology will be old and replaced by new protocols and maybe even "terabit" techonology.

In the end, it's all about having the latest thing again. And even in MacWorld, there are people like me who really don't need to cut seconds off the wait for a cost. And if you don't think you're paying for all that "included" stuff, then you're obviously a vague consumer and the target of many marketing campaigns.

First, adding Gb to these Macs is a no cost option. No one ships systems with Fast Ethernet ports anymore. The price for the components are so close it is not a smart move to put the slower option on.

As for uses... Well, that depends on you, doesn't it? I routinely move 4GB and 8GB DVD images around the network. I use Gb fully. You can buy a home Gb switch w/ jumbo frame support for not much more than a 100Mb switch these days. Start recording and storing HDTV content and you'll see very quickly why this is a good idea.

You may not personally know of anyone who streams movies, but in these very discussions over the last year there have been repeated contributions from those who use, want to use, or hope to use Mac minis as media center systems, and Apple have at last done what a large number of people have been asking for them to do - include options for video streaming in Front Row so that a single data source could then be used for any number of media centers in the home (or indeed any networked environment where there is more than one TV/display device).

To stand in the way of those developments because they are not to your personal liking or in your personal experience is not the way forward. To include gigabit ethernet is, as has been pointed out, a zero cost because it's been around so long that the technology is as generic as 10 or 100 base, and it implies the possibility of cost hit to include slower/older ethernet subsystems since these are not the current standard. Clearly, since it's been in Macs since 2000 or 2001, it hardly rates as 'the latest thing'.

Like other aspects of modern system design, gigabit ethernet is nothing more than an 'enabling technology'. Including it allows development of practical uses of the system which would otherwise not be possible, or only possible in a restrictive manner. Given that it costs nothing to include it, it seems churlish to suggest that enabling the system for uses that people other than yourself have in mind is a bad thing.

my previous employer utilized Gigabit Ethernet LAN for our Production staff of 100 Mac users. it was very fast, every Mac had built in Gigabit or added on Gigabit PCI cards, Cat6 cables, plus the central hub was a very healthy Gigabit switcher.

things didnt get slow until we went outside the LAN onto the Web or transferring data with offsite locations.

really don't need to send it at more than 10 MBit/S. A 370 MB file gets there in about (you guessed it) 37-40 seconds.

Really ? 10 Mbps is only 1.25 MB per second, so it should take 8 times longer to transfer ...

Like I said, Gb is "built in" with the Intel chipsets. You can't use the Intel chipset without not having Gb ethernet. Besides, at some point you have to introduce something. Otherwise, we'd still be using 50 lbs CRT monitors and serial ports.

A 10Mbit (ie, one-tenth of a gigabit) ethernet port
will pass data faster than the fastest internet
connection. Gigabit ethernet won't do much for your
web browsing experience - it means if you have a
network of gigabit ethernet systems, they'll move
data much faster between them.

100Mbit is one-tenth of a Gigabit which is 1000Mbits. 10Mbit 1/100th of a Gigabit.

Oh, it's not that dificult to figure out. I think I posted a little too fast, as I didn't even spot the fact that you mention a speed of 10 Mbps, which would require more than 40 seconds to transfer a 370 MB file. But the Mini's network card supports Fast Ethernet, with speeds up to 100 Mbps ...

Actually, 370 MB in 40 seconds means an average transfer rate of about 74 Mbps (74% of Fast Ethernet's theoretical max. speed).

So maybe I'm actually getting up there then. I know that it flies though, and it's transfer rate is roughly the same speed as my gigabit-equipped PC. The other machine is an older 733 MHz Celeron box (AKA an original XBox) and I think they are equipped with fast ethernet as well.

In any case, maybe I need to try Giga to Giga and then stake my claims. But my thoughts on having the latest thing haven't changed, hence my refusal to buy an Intel Mac. Well, that and Intel is inferior to AMD. 😉

Luc,

Since you still have this thread marked as open - I figure I will chime in with the best place I have found to recall what all the terms relating to ethernet mean.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigabit_Ethernet

If you want the full Ethernet treatment with a description of all the speeds, comparisons, what cable types (and lengths) are needed for each flavor of ethernet, try the next link. (It's really a quality reference...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet

Message was edited by: Michael Bradshaw