New 2014 Mac Mini Has Soldered RAM, Not User Replaceable

Yvan256 said:

Exactly. I don't see why some people find that so hard to understand. There's nothing less green than having to dispose of a computer because it doesn't have enough RAM even though all the other components are still running fine.

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The whole 'sealed unit' concept seems to be where they are heading; while I might be OK with that for a phone or tablet, I am not in favor of applying that same concept to a computer (laptop or desktop). I am typing this on a late 2008 MBP (that I bought used from eBay when it was 2 years old); I have upgraded the RAM to 8GB (max for this model), installed a 1TB HDD (that I plan on upgrading to SDD next year) and have replaced the battery once. If this were one of the newer machines from Apple, none of that would have been possible.

Come on guys, please explain something to me.

If you NEED 16GB in a few years, how come I still see people use 10+ year old dells with around 512 MB of ram or 1GB of ram running Windows XP? Some don't even have the latest service pack!

So tell me, why.....WHY will EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE USER NEED NEED 16GB in a few years?

I STILL get by with 8GB of ram with heavy After Effects and Photoshop usage.

These are not server machines, or pro machines. Just like a Dell from 10+ years ago can ONLY achieve 1-2GB of ram

With all due respect… no time to read 50+ pages, are there any actual pictures of 2014 mini yet? Because all I'm getting so far is Brian Stucki's report with a single photo of something that might as well be 2012 mini. Is there any tangible proof that the RAM is soldered and the bottom is sealed?

You just need a fingernail to replace the battery and the secondary storage in a Galaxy Note 4. And that thing is a quad core. An octa core in some countries.

They should rename the Mac Mini the iMini: Nothing for the user to replace and it's a 64-bit dual core. And it doesn't come with a stylus.

xWhiplash said:

Come on guys, please explain something to me.

If you NEED 16GB in a few years, how come I still see people use 10+ year old dells with around 512 MB of ram or 1GB of ram running Windows XP? Some don't even have the latest service pack!

So tell me, why.....WHY will EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE USER NEED NEED 16GB in a few years?

I STILL get by with 8GB of ram with heavy After Effects and Photoshop usage.

These are not server machines, or pro machines. Just like a Dell from 10+ years ago can ONLY achieve 1-2GB of ram

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Because Apple also has a habit of gouging its existing users by requiring them to upgrade their hardware and software just to continue using services that they should be able to continue using without upgrading anything, such as what they did with iCloud syncing.

Windows has always supported their operating systems for longer than Apple has. Even Apple supports their software on PC's longer than they do on their own hardware in order to force upgrades.

Tim0 said:

With all due respect… no time to read 50+ pages, are there any actual pictures of 2014 mini yet? Because all I'm getting so far is Brian Stucki's report with a single photo of something that might as well be 2012 mini. Is there any tangible proof that the RAM is soldered and the bottom is sealed?

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Twitter post from Friday - https://twitter.com/macminivault/status/523180010723495936
Review and tear down from today - http://www.macminivault.com/2014mini/

Tim0 said:

With all due respect… no time to read 50+ pages, are there any actual pictures of 2014 mini yet? Because all I'm getting so far is Brian Stucki's report with a single photo of something that might as well be 2012 mini. Is there any tangible proof that the RAM is soldered and the bottom is sealed?

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LOL...is this the twilight zone? It's soldered.

MMV said:

Twitter post from Friday - https://twitter.com/macminivault/status/523180010723495936
Review and tear down from today - http://www.macminivault.com/2014mini/

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I call it a fake teardown. A guy on this site said he spoke with an apple rep and he said it was user upgradable!!! And there is no iPhone 5.5"

MMV said:

Twitter post from Friday - https://twitter.com/macminivault/status/523180010723495936
Review and tear down from today - http://www.macminivault.com/2014mini/

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Thank you for the link. Perhaps now everyone who was 'on the fence' until it was confirmed *with pictures* can now join the rest of us in voicing their displeasure to Apple about the soldered RAM (and the hardly accessible interior).

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macmini.html

Apple are really screwing over their customers AND the environment here. I do not understand how Apple can gloat about their low environmental impact when they are selling machines that will have such a limited lifespan. And there is so much space in the case! The electronics were clearly destined for a new form factor and I think they pulled them late on...perhaps due to Intel delays elsewhere?

What is even more disappointing is that all we now have to look forward to in the future (2015 and beyond) is this same style of downgraded Mac mini, but in a smaller case. Great...cos the current case take sup soooooo much space on my desk....Ridiculous.

GIve feedback here: https://www.apple.com/feedback/macmini.html

zauriel said:

Thank you for the link. Perhaps now everyone who was 'on the fence' until it was confirmed *with pictures* can now join the rest of us in voicing their displeasure to Apple about the soldered RAM (and the hardly accessible interior).

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macmini.html

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I used to think that much of the criticism aimed at Tim Cook was exaggerated and unfounded, but this move combined with handoff support mysteriously going away for my mid 2011 Mac mini and other 2011 Macs despite working fine on earliest DPs has got me to think that the user experience driven Apple we knew and love is gone and it's been replaced by a greedy bottom line driven organization run by a master beancounter. Sad times.

MMV said:

Twitter post from Friday - https://twitter.com/macminivault/status/523180010723495936
Review and tear down from today - http://www.macminivault.com/2014mini/

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Thanks! Although if this teardown is true, it makes for a very strange design. Hopefully there will be more pictures on iFixit soon.

cbn01 said:

So would it be better just go buy the 2012 mac mini instead of getting the mid level 2014 mac mini?

Im gonna get one, but not sure If I should get the 2012 or 2014 model.
Plan on using if for a media center

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I just bought one today (locally). The i7 2012 model with 1TB drive and 4GB RAM. Then bought the 16gb Crucial kit for $136.49 at Amazon. Using mine for video production (better than my 2009 MBP)

Although for media center, the mid-range 2014 model should be fine, using the Intel Iris graphics (which is a good bit more capable than the Intel 4000 chip set)

majkom said:

LITTLE more?? have you seen upgrade costs for new mac mini? base model - no upgrade possible, so to get fussion drive, you have to pay almost twice the price... i know, you get better cpu and more ram, but, all i need is some kind of ssd (which is standard now)...

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I was thinking about general cost, not what apple price it out for.

MMV said:

Twitter post from Friday - https://twitter.com/macminivault/status/523180010723495936
Review and tear down from today - http://www.macminivault.com/2014mini/

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Thank you for posting these links. Confirmed soldered. :-(

Digital Skunk said:

It wasn't my question.

It was a statement made by another forum member that needed clarification.

Apple won't make another server.

Avid's top notch, like Apple, so they'll charge what they want. The initial cost of ownership is actually quite low. It's the maintenance that will kill you. This all in regards to an ISIS system that is.

Other manufacturers can build and maintain a box for 8+ years or more too. It's just all about the initial investment. I've seen many XPS systems pushing 8 years on the consumer end that run circles around newly release OSX boxes. Then the Precision and Elitebook systems are in a league of their own.

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Actually I have no idea why you are comparing, Isis ( a ) what is basically a load balanced NAS to anything.

Sorry are you seriously comparing ANY HP machine to an Apple. Are you nuts? They are in a league of there own. 4th Division.

This is from the company that rebuilt themselves from the brink of failure on the backs of power users and and professionals only a decade and a half ago.

Roadstar said:

I used to think that much of the criticism aimed at Tim Cook was exaggerated and unfounded, but this move combined with handoff support mysteriously going away for my mid 2011 Mac mini and other 2011 Macs despite working fine on earliest DPs has got me to think that the user experience driven Apple we knew and love is gone and it's been replaced by a greedy bottom line driven organization run by a master beancounter. Sad times.

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You are not kidding. This move was 100% GREED on Apple's part. They should be ASHAMED. Do you remember when Jobs use to say Apple built products that people LOVE?

Oh My has Apple made a U-Turn on that philosophy and is going 100MPH the other way.

Tim0 said:

Thanks! Although if this teardown is true, it makes for a very strange design. Hopefully there will be more pictures on iFixit soon.

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If it's true???

What photos are you looking for? We added more this afternoon.

MMV said:

If it's true???

What photos are you looking for? We added more this afternoon.

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I was merely replying to some other comment that implied (possibly sarcastically) that it might be a fake.

Nevertheless, here's an iFixit report.

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Mac+Mini+Late+2014+Teardown/30410

So. Sad.

barkmonster said:

The MacBook Pro is faster than it's ever been with the most RAM as standard and for the least price it's ever been for a quad-core portable too. The top model offers more CPU power than both the BTO i7 iMac and the 3.7Ghz quad-core Mac Pro. I agree about the other models in their range though. It's just a bunch of under-powered over-priced glued together form before function junk.

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I don't deny it being faster. Just that speed alone while cutting down on capabilities is useless. Less ports for HDDs, no expansion slot, smaller internal storage. What's all that speed is gonna get used for?

xWhiplash said:

Come on guys, please explain something to me.

If you NEED 16GB in a few years, how come I still see people use 10+ year old dells with around 512 MB of ram or 1GB of ram running Windows XP? Some don't even have the latest service pack!

So tell me, why.....WHY will EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE USER NEED NEED 16GB in a few years?

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That's THEIR problem if they want to continue using a light but highly insecure OS.

We may not NEED 16GB in a few years, only that OSes and apps have become steadily more and more bloated and heavy in the past decade or two. We don't see it going the other way around, so it's reasonable to assume that current standards in RAM may simply not be enough in a few years.

prowlmedia said:

Actually I have no idea why you are comparing, Isis ( a ) what is basically a load balanced NAS to anything.

Sorry are you seriously comparing ANY HP machine to an Apple. Are you nuts? They are in a league of there own. 4th Division.

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Um..... yeah. We are talking about the industry standard vs. what? Facillis? Calling ISIS a load balanced NAS is like calling the nMP a PCIe-less Xeon level MacMini. I brought it up to illustrate that the client end of the chain is a resource hog. For good reason. Off the top they either want a Fibre connection or a separate NIC card to connect to the system.

Yes, the HP Elitebooks, Z Workstations and Dell Precision towers are in fact in a league of their own. Lightyears above what Apple and many others could make. Saying otherwise just shows lack of knowledge.

18 Broadcast stations in 8 states and 2 countries and all of then are using one or the other or a combination of the two . . . . all tied with Avid. That's first hand.

This is of course coming from a TV Broadcast News background.

Cubytus said:

I don't deny it being faster. Just that speed alone while cutting down on capabilities is useless. Less ports for HDDs, no expansion slot, smaller internal storage. What's all that speed is gonna get used for?

That's THEIR problem if they want to continue using a light but highly insecure OS.

We may not NEED 16GB in a few years, only that OSes and apps have become steadily more and more bloated and heavy in the past decade or two. We don't see it going the other way around, so it's reasonable to assume that current standards in RAM may simply not be enough in a few years.

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Only the 17" ever had a expresscard/34 port with very few uses that Thunderbolt doesn't take care of. It also added to the dimensions of the older model.

None can handle more than 16Gb and that comes as standard.

It has HDMI, USB 3.0 and 2 Thunderbolt ports. That's simply swapping Firewire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet for a display connector and a more flexible connection.

I don't need any more storage for my day to day uses than a single 256Gb SSD with plenty of spare space left and secondary storage for multitrack audio that would be taken care of by an inexpensive high performance SDcard like the low profile JetDrive. No need to carry a bulky external drive for additional storage, although 2.5" bus powered USB 3.0 enclosures are available and no need to butcher the system with dual internal HDDs and put a DVD I'll never use in an external case. The only reason I need secondary storage isn't for capacity, it's for physically having a different destination for files than the boot drive.

bedifferent said:

At the time, they were pricey little suckers yet worth every penny. Many pro's loved 'em ...

If Apple released a new display line such as they had, I might dive in, shows they're focused again on good displays.

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In all things tech-apple has had the great fortune of having mediocre competition. But somewhere around 2010-12 a number of excellent displays came on the market for very reasonable prices. Maybe not up to your needs--but very attractive to consumers.

barkmonster said:

Only the 17" ever had a expresscard/34 port with very few uses that Thunderbolt doesn't take care of. It also added to the dimensions of the older model.

None can handle more than 16Gb and that comes as standard.

It has HDMI, USB 3.0 and 2 Thunderbolt ports. That's simply swapping Firewire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet for a display connector and a more flexible connection.

I don't need any more storage for my day to day uses than a single 256Gb SSD with plenty of spare space left and secondary storage for multitrack audio that would be taken care of by an inexpensive high performance SDcard like the low profile JetDrive. No need to carry a bulky external drive for additional storage, although 2.5" bus powered USB 3.0 enclosures are available and no need to butcher the system with dual internal HDDs and put a DVD I'll never use in an external case. The only reason I need secondary storage isn't for capacity, it's for physically having a different destination for files than the boot drive.

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Not true. The 15" had a slot pre-unibody.

Less capabilities out of the box. In effect, one has to buy other adapters to make it work just like the previous generations did, adding removable parts
and chances one of them breaks. You forgot to add the need for a VGA adapter as almost all projectors still use that standard. Plus unwieldly.

Yes TB was supposed to replace them all, but it didn't. Even now TB peripherals are not very common, or staggeringly expensive, or just don't daisy-chain well. To me more power means more data to process (either media creation or virtual machine development), and 256GB internal just won't cut it, as one would tend to put all its digital life on a powerhouse machine. I consider 500GB to be a bare minimum.

DVD isn't included, which is ok as far as weight goes, but isn't included in the box, just like the other adapters, also meaning you won't be able to do video-related stuff if it resides on a DVD. In effect, you pay more to get equivalent functionality.

Of course to make use of all this power you need a decent and working OS, which Yosemite sadly isn't.