2014 Mac Mini Teardown Highlights Increased Difficulty For User Upgradability

[iJaz]

People are also failing to realize that the new low-power RAM, which generates less heat, which means a quieter machine and less electricity usage. Low-power RAM only comes in soldered variety.

But most will complain about it not being user upgradable when most users would never upgrade it anyways.

Seriously, the Mac Mini is the most quiet computer I have ever owned, I can't see how it could be more quiet.

 

[Quu]

For all Apple goes on about recycling making these computers less upgradable than before is working against that.

Glued in non-user-replaceable batteries in the MBP. Soldered RAM in the 21" iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. Non-replaceable Graphics in the Mac Pro.

Now it's even difficult to change the storage in the Mac Mini with these new screws.

It's hard as a consumer to sell my old Macs because the people who get them need to pay Apple for a new battery to be installed at significant cost and if I don't have the maximum amount of memory it will also hurt the resale. Same for the storage, these PCIe sticks are not for sale anywhere.

Quite disappointing.

 

[prowlmedia]

This is Apple's way of making more money.

A) People who buy the Mac Mini, especially the 4GB ram one have no upgrade option for when OS X 10.12 comes along and cripples their Mac (4GB is allready too little) and they'll need to buy a new one.

No it's not at all if you are doing office based work or surfing or playing simple games etc.

I'm sitting here currently on a 2008 mac pro.
Which by the way scores
2008 Mac pro 2.8
1867 Single core
7521 multi proc 8 cores.

Mac mini
3137 Single core
6358 muti proc dual core...

Fair to say the Current mac mini smokes the older pro. But for comparisons sake.

Running yosemite - I have 10 browser windows open. A Pages document. A number document. Calendar and just for the ***** of it a video playing. I am swapping between them all - let alone all the background stuff I have like wacom drivers dropbox - Creative cloud

It's running on 2.2-3.3gb

And The Mini's ram is more efficient than the sticks I have in the pro.

The thing is with OSX compared to windows, is they have consistently manage to lower the OS Ram footprint and keep things running smoothly without expanding the memory size.

 

[Artful Dodger]

Here comes the "Pro's" complaining how stupid it is that Apple soldered the RAM so the .01% of people who open up and upgrade their components can't.

How dare this $500 box not be comparable to a $2,500 Mac Pro!

Packard-Bell had the same theory…had 🙄

A $299 computer at Wally World lets you upgrade if need be. I have no clue where Apple is going with this move other than deeper pockets. I was waiting for a mini server update to purchase one however I will be glad to watch the refurb store for one from here on in.

 

[neteng101]

Here comes the "Pro's" complaining how stupid it is that Apple soldered the RAM so the .01% of people who open up and upgrade their components can't.

And therein you show your total and utter ignorance. 🙄

The Mac Mini's upgradability has driven its unit sales towards certain uses like hosted Mac servers. Go check it out...

http://macminicolo.net

Its truly the slow end of OS X as a host platform really... no one in their right mind would use Mac Pros for this, its not the right fit with power consumption/etc for a data center and the cost would drive away most of the potential business since you can get a Linux host for way cheaper.

Ensuring a non-upgradable/serviceable platform is just driving another knife in the Mac server market, which Apple doesn't seem really interested in supporting unfortunately.

Most of the minis in the hands of hobbyists/consumers typically get customized for some home hosting/server needs. This whole market is going to go away as people realize they can't tinker/extend that little Mini that could, that they had in the past.

 

[Hodar1]

Here comes the "Pro's" complaining how stupid it is that Apple soldered the RAM so the .01% of people who open up and upgrade their components can't.

How dare this $500 box not be comparable to a $2,500 Mac Pro!

So much for critical thinking, I guess that must be a lost art.

I suspect that the number of Mac Mini users who increase the RAM is closer to 75% than 0.01% - using the SAME LOGIC you did.

I could pay Apple $200 to increase from 4 Gig to 8 Gig; or I could pay Amazon $160 to increase from 4 GB to 16 GB. Hmmm, but I must be a genius in order to turn a plastic cover a couple of degrees and install a couple of laptop DIMMS.

And, I must also be related to Wiley C. Coyote; as I also managed to install a SSD and make my Mini a 750GB Fusion drive.

Granted, few people will tear the Mini apart to install a SSD along with the HDD; but I suspect MOST users will swap out the DDR. And why not? Why buy a iMac for $2,000 and throw the entire display away in a few years when the motherboard is obsolete? The display is good for more than a decade of use. Wouldn't the prudent uses update his Mac Mini, and swap out the Mini every 3-5 years and keep the display? Move the old Mini to the garage to be a network storage device or movie server; and just swap out the only part of the Mac that really goes into obsolecence?

I don't buy Macs to pad Apple's bottom line; I buy the Mac for ME!!

 

[BigInDallas]

Here comes the "Pro's" complaining how stupid it is that Apple soldered the RAM so the .01% of people who open up and upgrade their components can't.

How dare this $500 box not be comparable to a $2,500 Mac Pro!

Can you show some facts backing up your .01% stat?

 

[Ethosik]

How do you know? Did you ask them?

I have had to support them. People getting viruses, failed hard drive, ...

As somebody that needs the latest thing (SSD more importantly these days, core iX processors) I mention to the owner that "Man this computer is slow....oh it has 512MB of ram and a Pentium 4".

They say "It is an old computer but it gets the job done, just fix the hard drive/virus/whatever."

I upgrade my ram and graphics card on a few systems, and others I leave them alone. I am not a "general user" though, I know what I am doing. My Grandma does not know how much ram she has on her 4 year old HP laptop, and when I asked one time, she said 500GB because the general user confuses ram with hard drive.

 

[mabaker]

Apple should offer the older Mini like they do the iPad. Perhaps even drop the price $100 less than the new ones.

They're called "refurbished" and been there ever since the down of the Great Apes.

 

[RockSpider]

Well that's one way to look at it.
Or as I see it.
My 12 year old nephew who get a freaking Virus on his cheap Android phone.
Constantly having to look after my parents old windows PC until I bought them an iMac - almost no issues.
Not having to relearn everything on each release.
Apple's world is incredibly easy and integrated.
Android / PC world is relatively Hard.
We are geeks on here and perhaps like to tinker. 99% of people don't give a crap and just want things to work

**Car Analogy alert**
Do you buy a car to get you from A to B in comfort. Apple.
Do you buy a car you can upgrade and put spinners on. Android/PC

What a load of rubbish.

 

[arkmannj]

People are also failing to realize that the new low-power RAM, which generates less heat, which means a quieter machine and less electricity usage. Low-power RAM only comes in soldered variety.

But most will complain about it not being user upgradable when most users would never upgrade it anyways.

You may be right... But I"m yet to buy a Mini (or any computer for that matter.. except now my MBPr) where I didn't upgrade the Ram on my own after market. and I'm sure I've helped dozens (if not hundreds) of other people do the same.
Since the first Mini's were released until this new one.

I won't dispute your lower power/lower heat comments.. but the replaceable RAM was something everyone I know has either upgraded it at some point.
of course, my life may not be the same as everyone's, but losing User replaceable RAM is still a loss... and an unnecessary one.

 

[LordVic]

I had been eagerly awaiting the Mac Mini's teardown to decide if i was going to buy one for HTPC and Steam home streaming gaming console.

The lack of Upgradeable RAM, for me, is an absolute stop. I may not be the 'vast majority'. but I am a consumer, and I do upgrade things down the line.

I made the mistake of buying the 2011 MBA with only 2gb of ram option. Because well, Thats all I could afford at the time and I had no choice but to buy an Apple laptop. 3 years later. THREE YEARS. we're not talking about half a decade. We're not talking about a decade. We're talking about 3 years, which is well within the expected lifespan of any computer hardware. (I've had, and still operate nearly decade old hardware for specific uses). and the Laptop is chugging. It's not the hard drive. It's not the CPU that's slow down. it's the small RAM. Without the ability to upgrade it, this laptop's lifespan has been diminished to one of a few short years, well, shorter than the hardware itself should last.

I knew what I was getting into with the Mac Book air. it's a teeny tiny thin laptop. I'll accept that in something so tiny, Soldered RAM makes sense and that the limitation was known to me then.

But there is absolutely, Zero technical reasoning for Soldered ram in a desktop device. Even a "mini". Especially when there are equally small computers that have managed to keep replacable RAM sockets while maintaining the small form factor.

Of those 10 year old hardware that continue to run today? Whats the Number one thing I have upgraded in order to make them function well? RAM. Always RAM. my Plex home server is a Core Duo that can handle 3 x 1080p streams. Threw in 8gb of RAM for $45, runs amazingly. Took an old AMD x2 and threw in 8GB ram, RUN amazingly.

I don't expect a Mini to be a powerhouse. But the only reason Apple is soldering in the ram is for Their benefit. I may be only one consumer, but i'm one consumer who will go elsewhere for my HTPC/SFF computer

 

[groovyd]

A - In the past, after 2 or so years you could upgrade the ram and get another couple of years out of your Mac.

B - Previously people were able to upgrade the RAM at their own leisure instead of overpaying for the ram from Apple.

C - The Mac Mini used to be a machine capable of rivalling the iMacs, except for in the graphics department.

The point is this is just another Apple greedy cash grab, in the guise of a $100 or so price cut on the Mac Mini.

----------



I was actually going to say D was that when the soldered ram happens to fail for some people it will be a massive logic board replacement cost instead of ordering a new ram stick..

This does smell of 90's Apple. Crippling Macs, thinking it could do no wrong etc etc.

Ok so what you are saying is by reducing the price by $100 they are actually greedy cash grabbers... 😱

Yeah, last time my ram went bad out of warrantee that massive logic board was hard to replace. I feel your pain. This is going to be a problem for many.

 

[gadgetguy03]

(not Apple RAM, of course)

And therein lies the answer to this whole thing. They are tired of people upgrading their RAM on the low end machine without using Apple's overpriced RAM.

 

[peterdevries]

Plenty of people are locked into the Apple ecosystem

People need to really retire this nonsense argumentation. There is not a person on this planet that is locked in to Apple's ecosystem in a desktop sense. Especially OS X and all Apple software are completely open. If you use pages and numbers you can export to .docx and .xlsx and continue to work in any other environment.

In the mobile environment many people have spent lots of money on apps, which makes it difficult to move to another platform without suffering a loss. But this is the same situation on other platforms.

So please think yourself before you regurgitate what you have read somewhere else. Ecosystem lock-in is absolute nonsense.

 

[monty77]

My 2009 Mini is setup to do that, connected to TV most of the time and I ditched my MacBook when I got an iPad. Given your setup based on your signature I am not sure I would add a Mini given you have the MacBook and the iPad/ATV's - you can stream anything you want that way and without paying for a Mini plus keyboard and mouse

...MacBook travels with me a lot so no use to the missus if it's not around. ATVs are still too limited and mirroring very hit and miss, some apps don't allow it for example.

 

[peterdevries]

What a load of rubbish.

Please point out where this is rubbish. Besides the car analogy it is a pretty good description of how things work between the platforms.

My parents had a PC laptop and called me every second day for problems, it was hell trying to explain them what needed to be done (settings being all over the place in windows e.g.). I gave my mum a MacBook on her birthday and they never called again (for IT problems).

 

[Ethosik]

People need to really retire this nonsense argumentation. There is not a person on this planet that is locked in to Apple's ecosystem in a desktop sense. Especially OS X and all Apple software are completely open. If you use pages and numbers you can export to .docx and .xlsx and continue to work in any other environment.

In the mobile environment many people have spent lots of money on apps, which makes it difficult to move to another platform without suffering a loss. But this is the same situation on other platforms.

So please think yourself before you regurgitate what you have read somewhere else. Ecosystem lock-in is absolute nonsense.

I think what he is referring to is the other stuff, like accepting phone calls, or handoff, or safari tabs visible on all Apple devices, ...

 

[Tim0]

Ok so what you are saying is by reducing the price by $100 they are actually greedy cash grabbers... 😱

Yeah, last time my ram went bad out of warrantee that massive logic board was hard to replace. I feel your pain. This is going to be a problem for many.

They did not REDUCE the price. They have created a $500 nettop and RAISED the price for an actual entry-level mini (2.6GHz i5 x 8 Gb RAM). AND they removed the i7 quad option.

Also, in my country it's $610, $855, $1220 for the basic options. A maxed-out version is close to $2500.

 

[biocide]

I last met a person who upgraded his computer four years ago. Upgradability on computers, removable battery on phones & memory cards on tablets are interesting perhaps to less than 1% of the market.

Some people really need to stop trying to conserve technology products for ages and get a new device when the time comes, just like the rest of us. In 2014 tech products are designed to be easy to manufacture & be thrown away when their time comes. Deal with it 😎

All hail consumerism!
(still, if I have the choice, I prefer to drain the world's resources slower rather than faster)

 

[gadgetguy03]

Am I supposed to be offended or upset? Because this whole upgradability thing does nothing for me. I haven't upgraded a single hardware bit on my 2009 Mac Mini. The SuperDrive failed but that's usually the first to go. I still have 2GB of RAM and running Yosemite just fine.

EDIT: I realize my usage case isn't typical of the users on this forum so I apologize for generalizing.

 

[wilhelmer]

Obviously, Apple is doing what's best for them, not what's best for the customer.

Big question is: Why should we still believe that when it comes to security issues, it's the other way round?

 

[foobarbazqux]

How dare this $500 box not be comparable to a $2,500 Mac Pro!

Who's asking for Mac Pro performance? There's a huge difference between wanting a cheaper, headless quad-core Mac with upgradeable RAM and expecting it to perform like a $2,500 computer "Pro" computer.

 

[BeatCrazy]

hmmm. A maxed out 2014 mini, which you would have to do at the time of purchase is only a few hundred dollars away from a Refurb Mac Pro.

Yes, I have noticed this as well. About the cheapest I can find Mac Pros for (even the entry model is plenty powerful for my average computing purposes) is ~$2800 after tax or via discounted online retailer. That's still $1K too rich for my blood. Mentally, I'm OK with $1500-1800. But once you start pushing $3K for a "hobby" computer (that will certainly be old in 3-4 years) it starts not to make as much sense.

 

[indychris]

The #1 draw of the mini for me was the small footprint it leaves allowing it to be placed virtually anywhere, and the fact that it was a fairly adept computer that could be easily upgraded/repaired by someone like me without having to send it in to someone or take it to a shop where it would be out of commission for days/weeks.

I'd been waiting for some time to get a new mini to run presentations & video at work. Not a chance that I'm touching this new mini. I'm just hoping that Apple will still put some old machines up as refurbs.