Likely to see an update before 2014?

Am also waiting on a new Mac Mini and am hoping eagerly for an update before 2014.

Looking to replace my Mid 2010 MBP 13" - a bit sluggish with an external 2560x1440 monitor and am hoping that the new Mac Mini will help a bit in the performance aspect of Logic Pro X.

I don't know if there will be a total redesign, but I hope that they remove the Firewire 800 port in favor of a second Thunderbolt port.

My opinion is:

a. before 2013? yes, if no redesign requirement and only Haswell processors with HD5000/ Iris 5100 graphics, PCIe...no TB2, no USB3.1, no Iris Pro!

b. after 2014 Q1? yes, if minor redesign + internal re-arrangement and Iris Pro and TB2 (not sure if USB3.1).

c. after 2014 Q2? sure! but I won't wait so far...

There are some other scenarios with non- replacable RAM etc...I hope they won't happen...

I can't see anything coming out now until after the new mac pro comes out.

It's all guesswork though....

Only 5 weeks to go.

They won't update between Christmas and New Year.

Chances of a silent update with the MacPro are high. I wouldn't count on it, though. If nothing appears in the first half of January, I'd guess the mini will be stalled until May or June and maybe even until the next generation of processors comes long in Q3 (hopefully).

It seems "so Apple" to wait until next July to update something like the mini. Much of the line has been refreshed and redesigned. I can't see Apple doing a redesign of the mini yet, but maybe with the Broadwells… Think about it: when has Apple ever jumped the gun?

They have continually been behind the aware consumers' expectations. This update will either be on schedule (circa 400 days) or way off. Traditional releases came in June/July or October. With Haswell chips already here, Broadwell coming in August 2014, I'm suspecting a July update.

Lesser Evets said:

...Broadwell coming in August 2014, I'm suspecting a July update.

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I don't think so....Broadwell processors will be announced in 2015....

If not in the next few weeks, Haswell update with minor redesign will be announced in late Apr-early May 2014 (the latest!) ...

GrandPhrase said:

Am also waiting on a new Mac Mini and am hoping eagerly for an update before 2014.

Looking to replace my Mid 2010 MBP 13" - a bit sluggish with an external 2560x1440 monitor and am hoping that the new Mac Mini will help a bit in the performance aspect of Logic Pro X.

I don't know if there will be a total redesign, but I hope that they remove the Firewire 800 port in favor of a second Thunderbolt port.

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you need an update. anyone with a high pixel screen needs a better gpu

ShaneBunting said:

Likely to see an update before 2014?

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A new Thunderbolt v2.0 (TB2) display needs Macs which support TB2...

...which means we will see a new Mac mini at same time we will see a new TB2 display. Probably together with the TB2 Mac Pro (December 2013).

It's not clear for what Apple uses the new TB2 connection. Either for more data ports (on the TB2 display) or for a display with a higher resolution.

ioannis2005gr said:

I don't think so....Broadwell processors will be announced in 2015....

If not in the next few weeks, Haswell update with minor redesign will be announced in late Apr-early May 2014 (the latest!) ...

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There was a leaked map with Broadwell located in the second half of 2014. It might/might not happen. There will almost definitely be another Haswell refresh in Q2-Q3 of 2014.

You would expect Apple to launch a mini based on the latest intel releases, but I would never hang a hat on how they work at Apple. It wouldn't be surprising to see them release a 2013 Haswell Mini in June 2014.

It'd be great if Apple could bring back discrete graphics to the Mac Mini like the 2011 models. Or at least, fit the future ones with IRIS 5200 Pro.

Why would people (including me) wait for the iris pro to be fitted in a mac mini if one is not a gamer?

I for instance, do not play games on my mac, (did you ever tried to play games on a mac with a magic mouse en wireless keyboard: it's impossible!)

So, when you don't play games, is it safe to say the mac mini 2012 is just fine and I wont even notice the difference with the new 2013 model?

When I search on youtube for some HD4000 mac mini graphical demo's, i'm fairly impressed I must say... I see people play all kind of games. So why is this HD4000 not good enough?

Do i need the iris pro for newer OS X systems? Wil streaming HD content to an external monitor be slower with a HD4000 chipset?

Elho said:

Why would people (including me) wait for the iris pro to be fitted in a mac mini if one is not a gamer?

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No idea.

I'd assume they want it because it sounds new and different and "the next thing". If anyone is maxing their mini, they need to buy an iMac or even a Pro.

There will not be any Mac mini updates this year! why?
Because there is no Intel Haswell processor that is faster than today fitting in Mac mini. The only thing that is better or faster is Intel Iris graphics.
I think Apple is waiting for a faster and better processor to come out so you can count on a speed bump. You have to go to iMac if you want a faster computer that the top Mac Mini, that is what I am going for now!

Elho said:

Why would people (including me) wait for the iris pro to be fitted in a mac mini if one is not a gamer?

I for instance, do not play games on my mac, (did you ever tried to play games on a mac with a magic mouse en wireless keyboard: it's impossible!)

So, when you don't play games, is it safe to say the mac mini 2012 is just fine and I wont even notice the difference with the new 2013 model?

When I search on youtube for some HD4000 mac mini graphical demo's, i'm fairly impressed I must say... I see people play all kind of games. So why is this HD4000 not good enough?

Do i need the iris pro for newer OS X systems? Wil streaming HD content to an external monitor be slower with a HD4000 chipset?

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It have more to do with improved Open CL support in the newest and more advanced Intel iGPUs.

and an improved Open CL is good for what exactly? Is it worth the wait, also for non gamers?

Would you guys buy the Mac Mini if it stayed the same but with lower prices? It is after all the entry point to the Mac hardware. I think it will suffice as a server without any significant spec bumps. Also, I think if dedicated computers are beginning to take a back seat, cheaper Macs might allow apple to expand its user base. Not everyone wants to put $1000 into getting a MacBook Air 11". Mac Mini at a lower entry point might be awesome.

That said, Apple isn't really a company that sells things at a discount. iPad 2 and Thunderbolt Display are cases in point.

Elho said:

Why would people (including me) wait for the iris pro to be fitted in a mac mini if one is not a gamer?

I for instance, do not play games on my mac, (did you ever tried to play games on a mac with a magic mouse en wireless keyboard: it's impossible!)

So, when you don't play games, is it safe to say the mac mini 2012 is just fine and I wont even notice the difference with the new 2013 model?

When I search on youtube for some HD4000 mac mini graphical demo's, i'm fairly impressed I must say... I see people play all kind of games. So why is this HD4000 not good enough?

Do i need the iris pro for newer OS X systems? Wil streaming HD content to an external monitor be slower with a HD4000 chipset?

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no gaming with a 1080p screen and the 2012 is fine.

Hi guys

I'm seriously considering buying the 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, but after reading this should I be patient and wait to buy the next model?

Doesn't sound like there is any definite ideas of when the updated model will be released.... I just dont want to spend £679 then a few months down the line be wishing I'd waited for the new one.....

Im going to be using the mini for Logic Pro, Final Cut, Various Adobe programs (flash, photoshop, illustrator and perhaps a little bit of non-serious gaming on the side. Not all at the same time!!)

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Noetics said:

I'm seriously considering buying the 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, but after reading this should I be patient and wait to buy the next model?

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If I can't scrape together enough money for a new Mac Pro then I'm going to be in the same situation and will definitely wait if I can.

The question really is what you need; an update to Haswell CPUs won't increase CPU performance by a huge amount, though it has a few neat improvements for things like virtualisation performance if you need that.

The big benefit of Haswell will be the updated graphics, as all the possibilities are a big step up from what the current Mac Minis have. I'm hoping for Iris graphics across the line, maybe with Iris Pro on the high-end model (maybe models if they keep the server option). Though I'm not sure how likely Iris Pro is; the MacBook Pros can have it, but Mac Minis aren't really positioned as a pro product so who knows for sure?


In my case I'll be replacing an 8-core early 2008 Mac Pro, and the current quad-core Mac Minis already outperform me on most CPU tasks now. With the updated integrated graphics they'll be competing with my GeForce 8800 GT GPU too, so while it won't be a huge upgrade overall, it won't cost me that much more than repairs will. I'm still hoping to get a new Mac Pro, but if not, the mini is what I'll have to get, and I wouldn't want to get a current one for fear that an update is only a few months away at most, may even be a lot sooner.

Elho said:

and an improved Open CL is good for what exactly? Is it worth the wait, also for non gamers?

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Open CL potentially benefits power-hungry software of any type if the apps are coded to take advantage of it by offloading computations onto the GPU. I imagine Apple will make the most use of it, at least initially, in some of their Pro apps like Final Cut, Logic, Aperture.

I tend to fall in line with nothing before the Pro. They dont want to vulture those sales with a cheaper but very capable mini at the same time. I'm guessing early q1 2014.

ShaneBunting said:

I'm going to buy now. I've realised no matter when I buy it, there'll be a new one in a matter of months or a year.. Buying one now and having a new one out next week won't be much different than buying one now and having a new one out next year - you've already got yours and, of course it's sufficient to do the job, because you've already decided to spend the money on those specs..

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Yup, just that you get heaps more power for the same money or same power for less money
I really want to wait for the new mini to come out and if i don't like it I will just buy the old one for cheap.
I think the next one week come in mid 2014 because it seems like Mac mini, s refresh cycle is closer to 1.5 years??

And said:

I can't see anything coming out now until after the new mac pro comes out.

It's all guesswork though....

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Good point. Makes sense.
I just hope that the Mini isn't dead.
I'm in the market for the new one, when it comes out.