The real problem is you are now forced to buy wireless even if you don’t want/need it. $100 price hike ain’t worth it. May not sound like a lot of $$$, but it’s a 20% price increase for the base unit. Not good if you’re looking for an inexpensive server box, or whatever. I’m very disappointed in the price hike.

I don't see how you can be upset by $100 more for the increase in performance based on cpu alone, let alone the other improvements that are now standard and once were upgrades. I'd wager those who don't want or use wireless are in the minority.

As for the issues with bluetooth and airport, my core duo's airport is working great. Same speeds and reliability in my experience as the G4 mini. Haven't used the bluetooth yet so can't comment on that one.

I think I may had this problem on my 20" iMac. It ran fine up until about a week ago, with iSync would only sporadically recognise my S-E Z520i phone, although all the other Bluetooth-related apps (Salling Clicker, Address Book, and the Bluetooth app itself) were fine. Then on Wednesday I noticed that it was failing on Software Update, although the other two (PPC) Macs in the house were fine.

I backed up and did an archive/install, but the same thing happened. So I bit the bullet and did a complete nuke-and-pave, which requires manual copying of files over from the backup after the install.

It is running more cleanly now, and the problem hasn't happened again, but it's only been two days. I'll keep an eye on it.

My thoughts as to why it happened relate to the migration assistant not doing a great job in a few areas. It's impossible to pin down of course, but everything seems to be pointing to ~/Preferences' and /Library/Preferences' contents being imperfect.

I've had similar issues. Today i've read that if you put it into B mode rather than mixed mode, it works fine. And if you turn Bluetooth of, Wifi reception increases as well. Potentially firmware issues as opposed to some hardware fault. Now that this is starting to get a bit of press, apple may make some sort of statement regarding this issue. Well we can only live in hope.

Perhaps a digg article is also needed

http://digg.com/apple/digg

http://digg.com/apple/Mac_Mini_-_Wireless_and_Bluetooth_problems

I bought the Intel Mac Mini a week ago. Major Bluetooth problem noticed immediately. Keeps disconnecting the keyboard, mouse sluggish, unable to connect Bluetooth headset. Apple replaced it yesterday. So far the replacement seems to have the same issues. Big problem!

My core duo mini also has very bad bluetooth performance. Replaced and older G4 mini in exact same loacation and accssories so I know it is the new one. Have contacted apple care. They say take it back to the dealer. Have contacted him. Really usless until Apple comes out with a fix to try and take hem anywhere. Hope they get a resolution soon.

My bluetooth wireless devices were working perfectly until the built in bluetooth monitoring tool reported the batteries were running low in my apple wireless mouse. I changed the batteries and the mouse has not worked since. I was on the phone with Apple Support for an hour trying everything they could think of...the bluetooth support would appear to recognize the mouse and try to pair it but the pointer never would respond again...

They are sending a new mouse but I don't believe the mouse went bad..Like I said, the mouse was working perfectly prior to installing new batteries...

An apple rep told me the bluetooth support in the current product isn't very stable. Something that would have been good to know before I bought them...

i replaced my g4 mini with a new core duo model. my wireless performance is horrible now, times-out all the time loading webpages, sometmes i'll have to click a link a few times before any brower will actually start recieving data. when it works right, it's very fast, but right now that only about 30% of the time. i'd run out and get new router, but the g4 mini still gets great internet with the old one. (the intel mini shows full reception, just doesn't work right.) - Dan - www.shugpro.com

I just bought a Mini Core Duo/1 GB/120 GB, Airport Extreme, wireless KB & mouse.
The keyboard lost connection a few times and had to be reinstalled once. I had an older Linksys WAP54 and the mini hooked up okay but was alittle slow. My Airport finally arrived but even in 801.11g mode it is slower than the Linksys 'b' mode. Did Apple send me a old version of a device that they may be updating namely The Airport Extreme?
I ask this because the ship date was supposed to be the end of october but it is already here.

I am using the mac mini intel core duo processor and the bluetooth stopped working, i restarted the system several times and few times it reconnected but then later it goes again...with a symol like this ~ over the bluetooth icon...i have tried desperately to sort it out and am out of ideas, open to suggestions

My bluetooth is kaput. I've got a 2 week old Mac Mini Core Duo 1.8. The bluetooth was fine for a week, became unstable and finally died. I've tried clearing NVRAM using cmd-opt-P-R (no PRAM apparently, I'm not confused here - see Apple docs!), resetting the SMC leaving it unplugged for 5 mins, 1 hour and overnight (no PMU apparently - everything has changed!), deleting the apple.whatever.bluetooth preference file, permissions fix, created a new user, I even ran the hardware test which passed but there was nothing about USB or bluetooth there. It's dead. Logs show that a USB device failed to initialise.

Woe is me...

I have the exact same issue with my bluetooth, just bought a new card on ebay, to see if its hardward or software. Figured for $20 bucks I could rule out HW and then look into the software side. This all started about 2 weeks ago but I cannot tie it to an update.

Ive just put A can of rubicon ontop of my mac mini and guess what!!!!

*touch wood* My bluetooth has been fine, could be a coincidence, could be that a beverage has solved all my wireless keyboard and mouse troubles

would the can be working as an ariel????? Im not technical minded enuf to know such a thing

our keyboard has been fine up until very recently, but now our wireless keyboard is only working intermittently on the mac intel mini...

what should we do about this?

We have a core duo that's 1 year old 1.83 with 1gig ram and airport. After 1 month of the bluetooth going in and out at will and messages coming up saying bluetooth was not installed we called support. they replaced the system board yesterday and today it happened again. We also experience intermittent wireless failures that are reset by turning off the the airport and turning it back on again...
It was fine for 11 months now it's freaking out. The support tech who replaced the system board said they also have some problems with the little antenna's inside the box... I thought it might have been a heat problem but obviously I was wrong.

To those who hare having problems with wireless connectivity, do you have anything stacked on your mini? I've seen cases where a Mac mini will have terrible wireless performance, but it turned out to be because something sitting on top of the mini was obstructing the signal and directly causing the worsened reception.

Yes, this airport problem is happening to me. My signal on the mac mini is very poor where as the macbook's signal (right next to it) is strong. Doesn't make any sense.

No there is nothing on top of my Mac Mini... that would be awful... they scratch way too easy. If I put anything on top of it my wife would kill me! The bluetooth and the Wifi just cut out and turn off... in order to get them running again I need to reset the power management. and that only works about 80 percent of the time. When it works it works when it doesn't it doesn't REALLY irritating!

Ater having this issue for months I have searched Apple support forums and talked with Apple rep's several times. They do not seem to believe my problems - and are most reluctant to do anything - other than ordinary systems housekeeping stuff - repair disk, use other keyboards and mouse etc...I have also updated the Bluetooth module with a disk from Apple that came with the mighty mouse.

Finally I found this posting in Apple support forum's that to me seem to explain that the issue is not only related to Mac Mini's:
"iMac G5 internal Bluetooth module shows that it's "Not Available". "

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300429

There seem to be problems with some USB devices that interfere with the Bluetooth devices (I don't know how). I disconnected some extra USB devices and restated the computer - and now it seems that the Bluetooth module is again working. (I'm not using Airport here at my work).

My iMac 24" has suddenly started to lose the wireless keyboard connection; in fact the entire Bluetooth preference panel disappears. i still have the bluetooth icon in the title bar but it tells me the "Bluetooth preference is not available to you...". I toggled Bluetooth off, then on and it came back. Weird.

Quote

Anonymous wrote:
My iMac 24" has suddenly started to lose the wireless keyboard connection; in fact the entire Bluetooth preference panel disappears. i still have the bluetooth icon in the title bar but it tells me the "Bluetooth preference is not available to you...". I toggled Bluetooth off, then on and it came back. Weird.

I still have problems with my Mini - and after the 10.5.1 update numerous users are reporting on similar issues on all kinds of Apple machines: The Bluetooth module is reported to be missing. As for the Mini I bought an external Bluetooth and plugged in - but Bluetooth works on my PB g4 here.

In the Apple discussions user forum you will se several suggestions how to fix the issue, some have even got a new Bluetooth module from Apple, but I have not seen a solid explanation, and fear we have to wait for the 10.5.2 update that some think will be around in January.

cracked the lil' bugger open this morning!

To open it with a putty knife, follow detailed instructions on ifixit.com

I fixed the intermittent bluetooth connectivity by re-routing the antenna cable away from the USB ports.

The root of the problem appears to be interference with USB ports, even if they are no longer used (probably a build up of electrostatic charges). That makes it very difficult to troubleshoot.

For me, this intermittent problem started appearing around the time I plugged in my first usb device, half a year after purchasing the mini. The problem just got worse when I bought a usb keyboard and mouse to troubleshoot the problem.

If you have the mini in this configuration:
Mac mini 1GHz intel core duo, 2007

the only thing you have to do is this:
1. open case
2. remove bluetooth module (right beside the airport module, back facing where power button is) by unscrewing the single philip screw holding the module in place.
3. carefully, unplugged the antenna cable from the module (i used pliers and pulled gently)
4. remove the cable from running in the back where the ports are and re-route on top of the drive or elsewhere, cable length permitting.
5. re-attach antenna cable to module, re-attach module, snap cover back on.

-Rene