Mac mini 2013/2014 refresh.

unfortunately

Cloudsurfer said:

I think that the Mini will at least keep the modular memory. Soldered memory only makes sense on a laptop since it has to be smaller, more energy efficient, etc. Both the iMac and MP offer memory expansion so it's not unlikely to think that the Mini will too.

Then again, this is Apple so you never know

Click to expand...

You're spot on with the 27" iMac and MP, but the 21.5" iMac no longer has modular memory.

It would be great if the Mini keeps the modular memory; we'll see. I like the current one, but I am a potental buyer with a refreshed current design or a completely redesigned Mini.

kazmac said:

You're spot on with the 27" iMac and MP, but the 21.5" iMac no longer has modular memory.

It would be great if the Mini keeps the modular memory; we'll see. I like the current one, but I am a potental buyer with a refreshed current design or a completely redesigned Mini.

Click to expand...

It's hard to exchange the RAM modules on the 21.5", but I think they are socketed instead of soldered

Cape Dave said:

Drop the firewire for sure. That is about as dead as the cdrom.

Click to expand...

Say it ain't so!

That said, I believe FW is as good as gone, but I can't imagine ethernet being gone... yet. I hope that an SSD (or Fusion drive?) is standard, as well as 8GB RAM. Past that, it's gravy.

2x Thunderbolt 2 connections. conflabbit! i have 1 cinema and 1 thunderbolt display

I want to buy a Mac mini

I'm in a bit of a difficult position at the moment, as I want to buy a Mac mini.

However, I don't want integrated graphics, so that eliminates the current model, so what do i do?

My best option at the moment is to get a used mid-2011 model.

But if I do that, when will Apple stop supporting it? (I've got an older one with separate power brick and have updated the CPU from a Core Solo to Core2Duo, but despite now having a suitable CPU it's not officially Mavericks supported.)

So, my situation is that Apple can't sell me the product I want to buy from them.

prowla said:

My best option at the moment is to get a used mid-2011 model.

Click to expand...

Your best option at the moment is to wait!

The 2011 graphics card is only marginally better than the HD4000 of the current mini.

An Iris Pro is A LOT better than either one!

matrickz said:

Your best option at the moment is to wait!

The 2011 graphics card is only marginally better than the HD4000 of the current mini.

An Iris Pro is A LOT better than either one!

Click to expand...

Yes, I suppose I'll have to...

But I'll probably spend my money on something else in the meanwhile.

matrickz said:

Your best option at the moment is to wait!

The 2011 graphics card is only marginally better than the HD4000 of the current mini.

An Iris Pro is A LOT better than either one!

Click to expand...

True but there may not be another mini in which case an 011 model is worth it.

matrickz said:

Your best option at the moment is to wait!

The 2011 graphics card is only marginally better than the HD4000 of the current mini.

An Iris Pro is A LOT better than either one!

Click to expand...

Actually, the 6630m is more like a HD5000 (iris, not pro), but yes, the Pro is quite a bit better.

Mal67 said:

True but there may not be another mini in which case an 011 model is worth it.

Click to expand...

And that's a question too!
To me, the mini is almost spot-on, except for the graphics.

Ah well, I bit the bullet and bought a 2011 model with the discrete graphics.
Sorry, Apple.

prowla said:

Ah well, I bit the bullet and bought a 2011 model with the discrete graphics.
Sorry, Apple.

Click to expand...

Apple makes great computers and sells a lot of them. I maintain that fail to sell an equal amount by having so many holes in their product line and by failing to update equipment to modern specs.

The mini is a perfect example of that. I bought a base i7 2.3 but would have rather spent another $500 on a Haswell i7 with discrete graphics and TB2.

scottsjack said:

Apple makes great computers and sells a lot of them. I maintain that fail to sell an equal amount by having so many holes in their product line and by failing to update equipment to modern specs.

The mini is a perfect example of that. I bought a base i7 2.3 but would have rather spent another $500 on a Haswell i7 with discrete graphics and TB2.

Click to expand...

Yup - I wanted to buy one from them, but I just don't perceive the current model as right for me and I decided that the 3-year old one is a better fit for my needs.

If you are looking for a computer for surfing the internet, watching movies, editing documents, programming and other activities of daily average usage, then the mac mini is an ideal choice for you.
The good thing is that the Mac Mini produces very little noise, and it is an ideal office pc.Mini which takes up little space and consumes only 10W in stendbay mode, while his maintaining is almost unnecessarily.
Mac mini is small, compact and quiet, but you will not be able to play the latest games, therefore it is not recommended for gamers.
Take a look at this comparison at What-is-a-Mac-Mini and You will see comparison to iMac and Mac Pro.Anyone considering purchasing this Mac Mini needs to see the information in this chart.