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Something between the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro

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tubeexperience

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Feb 17, 2016
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Why doesn't Apple have something between the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro?

Mac Mini is basically an NUC with internals of a MacBook Pro 13"

Mac Pro is a workstation class PC with Intel Xeon processor, ECC memory, FirePro graphics. (It's also terribly priced for it's age.)

I am sure that many would want something in between with desktop class processors, Radeon graphics, etc.
 
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tibas92013

macrumors 6502
Jun 2, 2013
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tubeexperience said:
Mac Mini is like a poor man's Mac.

______________________________________

Do you want a real Mac, but can't afford one?

Oh, at least you can get a Mac Mini.
Click to expand...

For only "Poor Men"???, Last year I paid to the Apple ON-Line Store almost $1000 for a Refurbished MM(Late 2014), 2.8GHz, 8GB Ram, 256SSD which IMO is not cheap.
 
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Boyd01

Boyd01

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Feb 21, 2012
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I was setting up a video editing station last month - not very demanding at this point, I have quite a lot of legacy SD footage to edit. Was considering a new 3ghz mini with the 256gb SSD and 16gb RAM for $1400 at B&H. Just couldn't pull the trigger, seemed like a lot of money for a machine that's only 15% faster than my 2013 i7 MacBook Air.

Instead, I re-purposed a 2012 2.5ghz mini for video editing, it's been my iTunes server for a couple years. Cost me $65 to take it up to 16gb and I replaced the iTunes server with a 2014 base mini for $500.

If Apple actually comes out with a decent update of the Mini, I may go for it and give the 2012 mini to someone for Christmas. If not, maybe they will at least drop the cost of the the existing 3ghz machine to a level that makes it worth considering. But I too would really like something positioned between the current mini and the mac pro. Not very optimistic about the prospects, but you never know. :)
 
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sublunar

macrumors 68020
Jun 23, 2007
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tubeexperience said:
Why doesn't Apple have something between the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro?

Mac Mini is basically an NUC with internals of a MacBook Pro 13"

Mac Pro is a workstation class PC with Intel Xeon processor, ECC memory, FirePro graphics. (It's also terribly priced for it's age.)

I am sure that many would want something in between with desktop class processors, Radeon graphics, etc.
Click to expand...

Apple probably need to have considered a cheaper entry level Mac Pro - due to exchange rates I suspect European sales might bomb if Apple find they need to bump the price by an extra 5-10%.
 
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shaunp

Cancelled
Nov 5, 2010
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CoastalOR said:
They do, it's called an iMac.
Click to expand...

And that's the problem, nobody who wants either a mini or a pro would consider an iMac. The iMac is NOT the product that sits in the middle because it has a screen the others do not. Where is the product that has no screen that sits in the middle? Rhetorical question as Apple will never build this. Why? Because too many people actually want this rather than an iMac.
 
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tubeexperience

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CoastalOR said:
They do, it's called an iMac.
Click to expand...

Except that a lot of people have their own computer workstation setups with their own monitors, speaker systems, etc.

Here is an example of such a setup:

Battle-Station-All-in-Black-Gaming-Computer-Desk-setup-with-Home-Theatre-and-Triple-Monitors-setup-Corsair-450D-case.jpg


shaunp said:
And that's the problem, nobody who wants either a mini or a pro would consider an iMac. The iMac is NOT the product that sits in the middle because it has a screen the others do not. Where is the product that has no screen that sits in the middle? Rhetorical question as Apple will never build this. Why? Because too many people actually want this rather than an iMac.
Click to expand...

Why not?

It could be priced the same as an iMac.

Instead of a display and speakers, Apple could fit it with dual Radeon graphics.

Basically an iMac with no display nor speakers, but with dual Radeon graphics.

It would still sit well below the current $2999 Mac Pro since it won't have Intel Xeon processor, ECC memory, nor dual FirePro graphics and would have less memory.
 
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Rigby

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Aug 5, 2008
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sublunar said:
Apple probably need to have considered a cheaper entry level Mac Pro
Click to expand...
That's exactly what I would love to see. A Mac Pro with desktop class i5/i7 CPU, non-ECC RAM, fast consumer-class video card, SSD (RAM and SSD should of course be upgradeable). I'd actually be fine with the trashcan design (love how quiet the Mac Pro is even under load). Perhaps they could strip a few gimmicks (such as the illuminated ports) to further lower the cost.
 
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tubeexperience

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Rigby said:
That's exactly what I would love to see. A Mac Pro with desktop class i5/i7 CPU, non-ECC RAM, fast consumer-class video card, SSD (RAM and SSD should of course be upgradeable). I'd actually be fine with the trashcan design (love how quiet the Mac Pro is even under load). Perhaps they could strip a few gimmicks (such as the illuminated ports) to further lower the cost.
Click to expand...

Exactly. An entry level Mac Pro starting $1999.

The current $2999 starting price makes the Mac Pro an unpalatable option for even the overwhelming majority of the (relatively upscale) Mac community.
 
S

sublunar

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Jun 23, 2007
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tubeexperience said:
Exactly. An entry level Mac Pro starting $1999.

The current $2999 starting price makes the Mac Pro an unpalatable option for even the overwhelming majority of the (relatively upscale) Mac community.
Click to expand...

Just wait for the whining when you see the UK and EU prices then :eek:
 
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Micky Do

Micky Do

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Aug 31, 2012
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tubeexperience said:
Mac Mini is like a poor man's Mac.

______________________________________

Do you want a real Mac, but can't afford one?

Oh, at least you can get a Mac Mini.
Click to expand...

Tosh. A modestly specced Mac Mini is all the computer many folk need.

Desire more from a Mac? Minis with higher specs are available.

Not enough, and really do need more…..? Don't wish the Mac Mini could be what it isn't. Stump up for an iMac or a Mac Pro.
 
T

tubeexperience

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Original poster
Feb 17, 2016
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Micky Do said:
Tosh. A modestly specced Mac Mini is all the computer many folk need.

Desire more from a Mac? Minis with higher specs are available.

Not enough, and really do need more…..? Don't wish the Mac Mini could be what it isn't. Stump up for an iMac or a Mac Pro.
Click to expand...

Sure, for people that need to write documents, type spreadsheets, and browse the web, the cheapest Mac Mini which has the internal of a MacBook Air (Early 2014) is sufficient.

And then, there're Mac Mini with higher specs, but even the most powerful Mac Mini is only as powerful as a MacBook Pro 13 Retina (Mid 2014).

The next step up is the entry-level Mac Pro which is a workstation PC with Intel Xeon Processor, FirePro graphics, ECC memory.

What I am saying is that there should be something between the higher specs Mac Mini and the entry-level Mac Pro.
 
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enc0re

macrumors 6502
Jun 7, 2010
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tubeexperience said:
Exactly. An entry level Mac Pro starting $1999.

The current $2999 starting price makes the Mac Pro an unpalatable option for even the overwhelming majority of the (relatively upscale) Mac community.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't mind paying $2999 for a Mac in the least. But then I want dual NVidia Pascal or a similar top of the line set up.
 
N

now i see it

macrumors G4
Jan 2, 2002
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The main problem is most of us are Chevrolet class customers wanting to buy BMW class vehicles (er, computers).
 
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