Mac Mini Not Dead Yet?

[MacRumors]

Appleinsider is backtracking on their last year's claims that the Mac mini was set to be discontinued. According to the rumor site, they've received word of the contrary:

For the first time in nearly a year, however, people familiar with the matter tell AppleInsider there's new life in the Mac mini department, where a small team of engineers have recently been tasked with gutting the diminutive desktop and applying fresh internals.

The Mac Mini is expected to accompany the rest of the Mac line to the new Penryn Core 2 Duo processors. Specs are expected to start at 2.1GHz with the same GMA X3100 graphics processor used in the current MacBooks. The Mac Mini was last updated in August 2007.

MacScoop was first to predict Penryn Mac Mini updates in the coming weeks. Apple is also expected to also refresh their iMac line with the latest Intel processors.

Article Link

[Darkroom]

come on new iMacs!!! please be tuesday!!

[penguy]

unless they update it soon, I think we will be heading towards another 1000 post thread! I wish they would hurry up on this one, I am ready to pull the trigger any day. My G4 mini is approaching its third birthday, time for new blood!

[kockgunner]

wooo! new imacs! new mini! wheeee!!!

[michaelvoigt]

Keep it around forever! BYOK, BYOM

If it didn't have shared video memory it would be even better!

[zombitronic]

How long before this is a 1000+ thread?

I got a bunch of Apple gift cards last X-Mas, and like many others, I waited on getting a Mini so that I could get a newly upgraded version instead of getting the old one and missing out on the upgrades. By now, it almost would've been worth just getting one. Upgrade this thing already!

[sleepingworker]

Even though the MM isn't for me - it's good to hear that the low end Mac will still be supported.

[pcorajr]

This is great news, the mac mini is a great machine. I would love to see a redesign and maybe a bit more expandability. It would be nice if they introduced a mac mini with a entry level nvidia card or maybe a mobile nvidia card.

[gkarris]

"Bring out your dead, bring out your dead...."

[vendettabass]

Originally Posted by pcorajr

This is great news, the mac mini is a great machine. I would love to see a redesign and maybe a bit more expandability. It would be nice if they introduced a mac mini with a entry level nvidia card or maybe a mobile nvidia card.

definately, it's a great little machine! Lets have rid of the white top though, replace it with the black iMac plastic!

[mdntcallr]

i'd love to see this model continue get refreshes.

apple ought to also expand their desktop offerings. much like they added a new notebook model, macbook air.

apple ought to create a new midrange tower which is user upgradeable. ie graphics card, cpu, memory and space for 2 hard drives.

if apple is really expanding their sales they ought to really expand their model offerings because there has been and exists a void in their desktop line.

also the mac mini's are great for alot of entry level work and corporate work. make a great basic computer for offices.

[NC MacGuy]

About freakin' time!

[cube]

Kill it finally and bring on a real Cube replacement.

[jellomizer]

Even if the sales are low on the Mac Mini I think Apple will continue to keep it on stock and updated. It helps round out their product line. Having a Low End system is useful for people who do a product search and set it under 1k on the internet to see an Apple Model... Then they add a Screen and stuff then they realize they can get an iMac for cheaper. So they sell more iMacs. Or for people who need a small in size computer for more apliance solutions.

[unkle77]

Originally Posted by penguy

unless they update it soon, I think we will be heading towards another 1000 post thread! I wish they would hurry up on this one, I am ready to pull the trigger any day.

agree with that. been waiting on this imac update for weeks now.

I AM READY TO GO!

[HaGG]

Looking forward to the update, would like to create a home server with one.

Mac Mini will never die, unless they replace it with something at the same price point.

[Decrepit]

I've got a place on my shelf and a KVM cable sitting there waiting for it.

Must have new Mini.

(As long as new Mini still silent, still tiny, and offers significant computing ability increase over my PPC 1.42)

[justflie]

This will be perfect for my parents once their old PC finally bites the dust.

[Digital Skunk]

Sounds much like the typical stash of rumors on a slow news day. I would like to see a new mini, but the part of the articles that says "whole new innards" is a bit over the top.... it's not like Apple can put more stuff inside of it, or make it any better than what it currently is... other than a speed bump of course.

I like the mini too, and am glad it's getting updated... but I do hope that Apple eventually DOES something with it besides keeping it around as a headless laptop/super Apple TV.

[tersono]

Good - discontinuing the Mini would be a big mistake IMHO (not least because I'm planning to buy one for server use shortly )

[Decrepit]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Appleinsider is backtracking on their last year's claims that the Mac mini was set to be discontinued. According to the rumor site, they've received word of the contrary:
The Mac Mini is expected to accompany the rest of the Mac line to the new Penryn Core 2 Duo processors. Specs are expected to start at 2.1GHz with the same GZ X3100 graphics processor used in the current MacBooks. The Mac Mini was last updated in August 2007.

MacScoop was first to predict Penryn Mac Mini updates in the coming weeks. Apple is also expected to also refresh their iMac line with the latest Intel processors.

Article Link

Wait, recently? If they only recently started working on this, we're months away from a new guy. So sad.

[bacaramac]

Oh yeah and wireless N as this is the last G product now. I mean the express was updated already.

[Small White Car]

I have no problem with the current specs continuing to exist, but it should range from there all the way up to a model with 7200 RPM drives, a real video card, and 4 GB of RAM.

So the current model could stick around for $499 and then other models range up to $1,099 or something.

The Mini is kind of like the Macbook. I think it would be great if the Mini could be like the Macbook AND like the Macbook Pro depending on the model you get.

The "old' thinking was that this would eat into iMac sales. I think that at the rate Apple is growing now, there's room for the Mini and the iMac to each pull in new Windows switchers without stealing current users from each other.

[MrCrowbar]

Originally Posted by HaGG

Looking forward to the update, would like to create a home server with one.

Mac Mini will never die, unless they replace it with something at the same price point.

Yea, seriously, those things are very nice home servers. Barely takes up power when there's no screen connected or display sleep is on. Around 12 watt. I have mine set up to record my stuff in eyeTV, host my website, download all my subscriptions, convert my videos etc. I use Leopard's screen sharing to control it and it's hooked up to a TV so I can watch my recorded shows and stuff.

[Romanesq]

I've had a couple of these, first the G4 version, which was a bit faster than my G4 1.25 powerbook and since the latter is getting long in the tooth, I also had gotten the core solo version to use as a music server.

When I finally took the online instruction videos to heart and upgrade the RAM to 2GB, well it's taken my appreciation of the thing to a whole other level. I unplugged the powerbook as my home/office computer and plugged in the core solo mini. Darn little bugger is plenty fast and pleasantly faster than the powerbook.

Put the Itunes on a large buffer and it now sends the audio flawlessly to the audio system a full three rooms away. Using the Apple Airport Express with a Sonicwave glass toslink cable to a Lavry DA10 DAC, there is no audible loss in audio quality.

Since I'm still sitting on a $100 Apple credit from the iPhone, I just may pick up one of these new buggers. They are excellent and super silent!

Can run plenty of stuff on them too. Unless you really have a need to do intensive film stuff like video editing, it's going to be super darn good.

Bring it!!!