Still, while we may be trash-talkers, we're not liars. A while ago, we swore that as soon as Apple released a Mac mini-based TiVo killer, we'd buy one. Luckily for us and our bank account, what Apple released isn't a DVR. Much like the latest generation iPod, which (as Apple is careful to remind everyone) is an iPod that happens to be able to play video, the new Mac mini is a computer that happens to be a little easier to hook up to a TV and stereo.

We're not the only ones underwhelmed by Apple's announcement last week, although some took it worse than others. You could just write it off as a case of unrealistic expectations built up by too much hype, too much speculation, and too many rumors. But if you take a step back and look at the past few announcements in Apple's iPod and computer lines, it's a little easier to see what the company's doing and what it might have planned.