When do you think the Mac Mini will be updated (if ever)?

[BrittQ]

Well?

[edgew8]

Never, Apple has tasted the delicious profits from notebooks and iPhones and wants to get out of the desktop business:D:p

[ditzy]

I don't think they are going to be updated but if they are I think it will be when new iMac's come out. If they're not updated then I don't think they ever will be.

[iParis]

If they were going to discontinue the Mini, they would have done it already.
I want it to be updated as soon as possible. I'm thinking April, if not the most likely June.

[svndmvn]

I'm pretty sure the option Never shouldn't even be contemplated since 10.5.6 had some NVidia Mac Mini stuff..
I voted March but I'm undecided between March and April, I doubt they'd wait till June/WWDC or any event cause I'd feel sorry for whoever would have to say "we know we've been neglecting the little guy, we're sorry, that was pretty dumb since the mac-curious have to spend 3000$ for an Apple Tower, or buy something else, guess what they've been doing"

[Airforcekid]

Never, Apple has tasted the delicious profits from notebooks and iPhones and wants to get out of the desktop business:D:p

That would be very stupid! You can't get the same speed and power into a laptop unless you pay big bucks!

[simplymuzik3]

I voted march, buy im hoping that it comes out even sooner :) I have been waiting FOREVER to get a new mini. I might just build a hackintosh if they dont come out soon.

[svndmvn]

That would be very stupid! You can't get the same speed and power into a laptop unless you pay big bucks!

I'm sure edgew8 meant to say Apple will be improving it's iPod nano line only, no computers at all, and shuffles are the new mini:)
/sarcasm

[BenEndeem]

Anywhere between March and June as an educated guess. If not by the end of the year, I think it will be discontinued; but what might replace it if this is the case?

[Nermal]

The 1.83 GHz Mini is currently #4 on Amazon's best-selling PC desktop list (http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/pc/565098/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_pc_1_2_last). The current models are still selling very well so Apple's had little reason to upgrade them. However, I expect that Apple will want to put a real GPU in there prior to Snow Leopard.

[Eric S.]

There's already a long thread on the future of the mini:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=586243

[Nukemkb]

Today is my optimistic day - so I voted we will see an update this month! :D

[yoppie]

I voted for March but honestly who knows. Hopefully it's sometime soon.

[MacSA]

Never, Apple has tasted the delicious profits from notebooks and iPhones and wants to get out of the desktop business:D:p

You might think you're joking, but I wouldn't be surprised if you're right actually. While the iMac might be an important product, the Mini and Mac Pro, well, Apple just can't be bothered with them, that's my impression.

[BrittQ]

Think the Mini will be updated at the same time as the iMac?

[iParis]

Think the Mini will be updated at the same time as the iMac?

That's more than likely the case.

[Drumerdude]

I highly doubt their will be an update anytime soon. I wish there would be. Even if the made the mini aluminum instead of plastic that would be better.

[roski11]

Looks like never is leading the way.

[nerdish]

I am really hoping that we see the update early March!

[AlexisV]

Originally Posted by edgew8
Never, Apple has tasted the delicious profits from notebooks and iPhones and wants to get out of the desktop business

You might think you're joking, but I wouldn't be surprised if you're right actually. While the iMac might be an important product, the Mini and Mac Pro, well, Apple just can't be bothered with them, that's my impression.

They all make money. When they stop making money they will be discontinued. The Mini probably makes more money in its current state than if Apple were to upgrade it. When Apple thinks it can make more by refreshing the Mini, then it will.

Same for the Mac Pro.

Of course, all these products are dependant on other manufacturers to a certain degree. When Intel and nVidia can supply the newest or the cheapest CPUs/GPUs in the right quantities, the relevant products will be refreshed.

[Eric S.]

Apple has gotten a bit of a free ride since Vista has been such a PR disaster. Windows 7 appears to be getting a lot of good press though. When it is released Apple is going to be pressured to improve its midrange desktop products or else suffer a lot of defections to the Windows world.

[rufwork]

The Mini will be updated approximately when 10.6 is released. There's a reason the MacBook's video chipped innards have been upgraded, all the way down to the white MacBook: Extra video power is needed to run 10.6 reasonably and to take advantage of its ability to off load to the video processor.

I am confused why the white MacBook went Nvidia so far in advance of the Mini. I hope that doesn't mean the Mini's dead.

Still, if the Mini were dead, Apple should let us know so that some percentage of the Mini waiters will give up and go iMac. I'm nearly to the point that I'll have skipped 10.5 entirely; that's a long time for Apple not to have gotten its hand into my wallet. The Mini still sells well as is, apparently, (still number 5 at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Desktops-Computers-Add-Ons/b/ref=amb_link_6682722_5?ie=UTF8&node=565098&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gp-left-1&pf_rd_r=1BWC3H2G5BCW7QW6ZYH1&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=469524791&pf_rd_i=541966)), so perhaps they're not worried about leaving my cash on the table.

This tells me that as long as the Mini runs OS X well enough to sell itself in the Apple store and elsewhere, its tech specs will stay put. Once 10.6 is out, the integrated video Mini will be an obvious performance disaster. I guess.

EDIT: Seriously, check out the reviews on Amazon for the current Mini from February (http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MB138LL-Intel-Drive-Combo/review/product/B0006HU49Y/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_summary?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending). They're all insanely positive. It would seem only the hard core Apple fans know it's horribly out of date. Performance wise, it still [surprisingly] impresses. Back to my 10.6 prediction. There's no incentive to update until the OS requires it.

[edgew8]

You might think you're joking, but I wouldn't be surprised if you're right actually. While the iMac might be an important product, the Mini and Mac Pro, well, Apple just can't be bothered with them, that's my impression.

I kind of wasn't joking. I was at Best Buy recently at it seems they ditched selling desktops all together and redesigned the entire computer section to showcase Laptops. I did not see one desktop for sale except for the Imac.

Apple is not ignorant to this new trend and that is why the Macbook got the refresh with nvidia.

Desktops are going the way of CRT it seems and you know how Apple loves to be ahead of the curve in ditching yesterdays tech.

[kabunaru]

I will say March but there is still a chance Apple might discontinue it if they wanted to.

[opeter]

Maybe august...

[Blue Sun]

It hasn't been updated for nearly 2 years, a lifetime in terms of computers. My money is on never unfortunately.

[Drumerdude]

It hasn't been updated for nearly 2 years, a lifetime in terms of computers. My money is on never unfortunately.

Like you said in computer terms, two years is pretty long. I really wish apple will come out with a new mini though. I would by it.

Is the mac mini dual screen compatible?

[Eric S.]

Is the mac mini dual screen compatible?

Not unless you can run two screens off of one DVI port.

[dan5.5]

I really hope its in march... I really want to pick one up for my house... After i got my MBP, i love Macs!

[iTattoo]

Lately Apple has been updating the laptops all at the same time, both this past February '08 (on the heels of the MBA launch), and again last October. I suspect this is the the start of a trend. Phil S, indicated that the company has several natural cycles now, iPods in September, iPhone in June/July, and as Apple becomes less and less dependent on the Computer part of the company, the computers will get lumped together.

What does this mean for a mini update? Simple, it will get updated at the same time as the MacPro, and the iMac in a desk top event if there's something significant, or all at once as a silent update, like the February '08 update to the MacBook and MacBook Pro if it's just a speed bump.

Just my two cents. I'm voting for mid to late March.

[pjarvi]

Rooting for the end of this month. I had one of the original PPC Minis and really want an affordable Mac with a decent GPU in it. It sucks that Apple/Intel don't put much effort into the video drivers so that systems stuck with a GMA GPU could play games too!

[opeter]

Like you said in computer terms, two years is pretty long. I really wish apple will come out with a new mini though. I would by it.

Is the mac mini dual screen compatible?

Yes it is, if you buy any ot these DisplayLink USB to DVI external devices.

I have one and with it's help i have attached my secondary Samsung 19" LCD. Image is crisp and sharp, for dragging windows/palettes around it is quite OK.

Just got an Core 2 Duo T7600 2,33 GHz Merom CPU from eBay, so I hope, that I can in the middle of the week replace my actual 1,83 GHz C2D CPU with that beast. I already got 4 GB of RAM and 200/7200 rpm/16 MB HDD in my Mini.

[TheLance]

Well, my wife just had me buy her a mini. Her 5+ year old PC just died and she wanted a mini to replace it. I have have been holding her back for a few months now waiting for an update, but when her computer died and I could not revive it she could wait no longer.

With my luck I expect to minis to be updated shortly.:(

[Vinniefish]

I can't imagine Apple doing away with the mini without replacing it with something else as they need a cheap desktop to convert switchers. I do see a merge with the apple tv though. How good of a HTPC is the mini, I sometimes hook up my macbook to my TV and have tried playing blu-ray backups and it is choppy, would the mini do any better. I am thinking of just picking up Popcorn Hour instead as it is only 250. Anyone have the Popcorn hour? I want to know how it works, especially with the file system.

[opeter]

With my luck I expect to minis to be updated shortly.:(

Nope. Won't happen.

[azdunerat]

I hooked my mini up to my 42 plasma and it was awsome. I used Hulu to watch Lost in HD and it was smooth, just a small hicup here or there. My wife didnt even notice.

I watched Iron Man on it and it was AWSOME, great playback with no artifacting

[Eric S.]

So, who won? :D

[GGJstudios]

So, who won? :D

Here's the results (posts that didn't commit either way excluded):

Win (I consider Feb through March a win):

I can't imagine Apple doing away with the mini ...
...With my luck I expect to minis to be updated shortly.:(
...Just my two cents. I'm voting for mid to late March.
Rooting for the end of this month...
I really hope its in march...
I will say March ...
I am really hoping that we see the update early March!
Think the Mini will be updated at the same time as the iMac?
That's more than likely the case.
I voted for March ...
... I voted we will see an update this month! :D
I voted march...
...I voted March ...
Anywhere between March and June ...
... However, I expect that Apple will want to put a real GPU in there prior to Snow Leopard.

Miss:

Nope. Won't happen.
...My money is on never unfortunately.
Maybe august...
The Mini will be updated approximately when 10.6 is released.... There's no incentive to update until the OS requires it.
I highly doubt their will be an update anytime soon...
Looks like never is leading the way.
Never...
I don't think they are going to be updated ....
...I'm thinking April, if not the most likely June.
... the Mini and Mac Pro, well, Apple just can't be bothered with them...