Any interest in a Mac Mini Pro?

[Radiating]

How many people would be interested in a Mac Mini Pro like this:

Summary:

A Mac Mini with more ram, a better processor, a super high end video card and a 3rd hard drive bay.

Form Factor:

Very similar to the Mac Mini with identical length and width but 11mm taller to accommodate a better cooler, high end laptop video card, and 3rd laptop hard drive.

Specs Summary: The base processor (3840QM i7) would be what is normally the highest-end processor for laptops. The base processor performs 30% better, than the base 27" iMac processor (3470 i5) and only 5% worse than the iMac upgraded processor (3770S). If you Factor in a TB display you'd be only $200 above the price of an iMac with the upgraded processor with the base processor and $450 above an iMac with a processor upgrade with the Mac Mini Pro with an upgraded processor. The 3TB fusion drive, 768GB flash and 32GB RAM upgrade would each be $100 below the iMac pricing so the base price is higher but the upgrades can be cheaper.

Specs:

Base Price: $1399

Ports:

(1 more port than 27" iMac due to lack of screen)

3x Thunderbolt

4x USB 3.0

1x headphone, SDXC, Gigabit

Processor:

Base: 3840QM

Upgrade: 3940XM $350

Memory:

Base: 8GB

Mid: 16GB $200

High: 32GB $500

Graphics:

Base: GTX 675MX 1GB GDDR5
Upgrade: GTX 680MX 2GB GDDR5 $150

Storage:

Base: 1TB

High Capacity: 3TB (2 x 1.5TB) $150

More Speed: 1TB Fusion (1TB + 128gb SSD) $250

More Capacity and Speed: 3TB Fusion (2x 1.5TB + 256gb SSD) $300

Max Speed: 768GB Flash $800


So would anyone else want this?

 

[gregorsamsa]

Any interest in such a Mini Pro? Very much so! Will Apple ever offer such an option? In all honesty, most unlikely at best. More realistically, probably no chance.

IMO, your best path to getting such a Mac is go the Hackintosh route. FWIW, I haven't as yet, but I may do so in future.

 

[Santabean2000]

How many people would be interested in a Mac Mini Pro like this:

Summary:

A Mac Mini with more ram, a better processor, a super high end video card and a 3rd hard drive bay.

Form Factor:

Very similar to the Mac Mini but 30% taller to accommodate a better cooler, high end laptop video card, and 3rd laptop hard drive.

Specs Summary: The base processor (3840QM i7) would be what is normally the highest-end processor for laptops. The base processor performs 30% better, than the base 27" iMac processor (3470 i5) and only 5% worse than the iMac upgraded processor (3770S). If you Factor in a TB display you'd be only $200 above the price of an iMac with the upgraded processor with the base processor and $450 above an iMac with a processor upgrade with the Mac Mini Pro with an upgraded processor. The 3TB fusion drive, 768GB flash and 32GB RAM upgrade would each be $100 below the iMac pricing so the base price is higher but the upgrades can be cheaper.

Specs:

Base Price: $1399

Ports:

(1 more than 27" iMac due to lack of screen)

3x Thunderbolt

4x USB 3.0

1x headphone, SDXC, Gigabit

Processor:

Base: 3840QM

Upgrade: 3940XM $350

Ram:

Base: 8GB

Mid: 16GB $200

High: 32GB $500

Graphics:

Base: GTX 675MX 1GB GDDR5
Upgrade: GTX 680MX 2GB GDDR5 $150

Storage:

Base: 1TB

High Capacity: 3TB (2 x 1.5TB) $150

Balanced: 1TB Fusion (1TB + 128gb SSD) $250

3TB Fusion (2x 1.5TB + 256gb SSD) $300

768GB Flash $800


So would anyone else want this?

Such a Mac has been on many folks wish list for a very long time. But it won't happen.

Apple likes to sell you a screen and a keyboard too (they call it an iMac) as they make more $$.

Perhaps they could trial one as a special edition Mac or something, so they're not committed to building a line forever and a day. I think they'd be pleasantly surprised by the response.

 

[old-wiz]

This has been suggested many many times in the past. At one time it was called the xMac. I can't see Apple building a super-mini. More and more people are just buying laptops.

 

[QWERTYMac7]

Mac Mini.

Three hard drives?

Seems a bit mutually exclusive to me - why not five hard drives and call it a Mac Medium?

The Mac Mini is a wonderful little package. Wonderful. Little. Package.

Let's not have a government bureaucracy create a pig with lipstick on it.

JMHO.

 

[Count Blah]

Mac Mini.

Three hard drives?

Seems a bit mutually exclusive to me - why not five hard drives and call it a Mac Medium?

The Mac Mini is a wonderful little package. Wonderful. Little. Package.

Let's not have a government bureaucracy create a pig with lipstick on it.

JMHO.

Remove the 3rd HD, and assume people will just go with external storage after the 2-drive bays. How about then?

 

[QWERTYMac7]

Remove the 3rd HD, and assume people will just go with external storage after the 2-drive bays. How about then?

It does not need to be any larger.

It will continue to be refined or be discontinued. That's how business operates.

It SHOULD have a dedicated graphics card (HDMI out problem with Intel integrated graphic chips - should be a class action suit against Apple or Intel --- imagine selling a computer with a HDMI out that does not work).

The rest is just mental masturbation and shallow male posturing.

 

[mac jones]

Something nice in between.

But the quad mini 2012 is pretty darn good and cheap.

(Cheap being the functional term here)

But really, it sound like your pining for a video card. Gamers?

 

[dbroncos78087]

I don't really think its necessary but if Apple does they'll jump on it to make money. My MM suits me just fine and I think 99% of all MM users.

 

[Radiating]

Such a Mac has been on many folks wish list for a very long time. But it won't happen.

Apple likes to sell you a screen and a keyboard too (they call it an iMac) as they make more $$.

Perhaps they could trial one as a special edition Mac or something, so they're not committed to building a line forever and a day. I think they'd be pleasantly surprised by the response.

Total profit for the base model would be $100 higher than an i7 Mac Mini but $200 lower than the total profit on the base iMac 27.

However if you factor in accessories total profit could be only $100 less than an iMac with a Apple hdmi adapter and Apple keyboard and mouse and you'd have to buy an hdmi adapter due to the lack of hdmi port. Also the system would pair up well with a Thunderbolt display, so if you factor in buying a thunderbolt display Apple would actually make more profit on a Mac Mini Pro with TB display mouse and keyboard, than an iMac. around $460 more and it would still be good for Apple even if only around 20% of buyers of a Mac Mini Pro bought a Thunderbolt Display.

In other words this makes perfect sense for Apple to do, because while it is slightly less profitable initially, it promotes the sale of accessories that would be much more profitable overall. It would just give consumers more options without threatening any other products, and would be extremly trivial to design and manufacture.

Also pairing up a Mac Mini Pro with the upcoming Apple TV display would make for a great combination while we're talking about accessories.

 

[KaraH]

Apple likes to sell you a screen and a keyboard too (they call it an iMac) as they make more $$.

Actually, even with the cost of hardware being more for the initial outlay, I would rather spend more because the monitor was not included (a generic keyboard is $50 so it is pointless to talk about). Not just because I can use it on my next machine but because ecologically I do not like the concept of making/throwing away a monitor every few years.

Mac Mini.

Three hard drives?

Seems a bit mutually exclusive to me - why not five hard drives and call it a Mac Medium?

Semantics. Call it a Mac Pro Lite. Call it a headless iMac. Call it whatever you want. Basically the idea is for something between a mini and a professional-grade tower.

 

[utekineir]

Lets just make it a tower, give it 4 drive bays, some pcie slots and call it a mac pro.



badumtssss

 

[Radiating]

Actually, even with the cost of hardware being more for the initial outlay, I would rather spend more because the monitor was not included (a generic keyboard is $50 so it is pointless to talk about). Not just because I can use it on my next machine but because ecologically I do not like the concept of making/throwing away a monitor every few years.





Semantics. Call it a Mac Pro Lite. Call it a headless iMac. Call it whatever you want. Basically the idea is for something between a mini and a professional-grade tower.

Agreed, not everyone likes replacing their system or their display at the same time and not everyone likes the iMac display.

I use a Sony OLED display and a Mac Mini i7 quad core, I'll replace the display every 5 years and the Mac Mini much more often than that.

I almost considered getting an iMac and putting it in a cabinet, which shouldn't have to be something people consider when shopping for an Apple computer.

Lets just make it a tower, give it 4 drive bays, some pcie slots and call it a mac pro.



badumtssss

Most people don't like the Mac Pro due to it's size and price. It's 36 times larger than a Mac Mini and 4 times as expensive. That's too big of a jump.

Even if the Mac Mini Pro is a niche, for those that object to Apple's integrated chassis and displays, it would effortless to add to the line up and a no brainer from a business standpoint.

 

[utekineir]

a no brainer from a business standpoint.

if that were the case wouldn't it allready exist?

we all choose to swim in the apple pool, for better or worse.


I'd love a mini with a gfx card slot.

Do i expect one, no. Apple isn't going to do that.

 

[Radiating]

if that were the case wouldn't it allready exist?

Because nobody at Apple has pursued the idea. They know there is a ton of demand this issue comes up often, but maybe they don't understand how exactly to build the product and with what specs. Hopefully someone at Apple is reading and takes note.

we all choose to swim in the apple pool, for better or worse.


I'd love a mini with a gfx card slot.

Do i expect one, no. Apple isn't going to do that.

Well they did add an i7 quad core to the Mac Mini, so they know that people want more.

 

[thekev]

Total profit for the base model would be $100 higher than an i7 Mac Mini but $200 lower than the total profit on the base iMac 27.

However if you factor in accessories total profit could be only $100 less than an iMac with a Apple hdmi adapter and Apple keyboard and mouse and you'd have to buy an hdmi adapter due to the lack of hdmi port. Also the system would pair up well with a Thunderbolt display, so if you factor in buying a thunderbolt display Apple would actually make more profit on a Mac Mini Pro with TB display mouse and keyboard, than an iMac. around $460 more and it would still be good for Apple even if only around 20% of buyers of a Mac Mini Pro bought a Thunderbolt Display.

In other words this makes perfect sense for Apple to do, because while it is slightly less profitable initially, it promotes the sale of accessories that would be much more profitable overall. It would just give consumers more options without threatening any other products, and would be extremly trivial to design and manufacture.

Also pairing up a Mac Mini Pro with the upcoming Apple TV display would make for a great combination while we're talking about accessories.

You may want to rethink the way you state profit. It's also not a guarantee that people would buy the thunderbolt display. Around $1000, you can find better displays. The design is really driven by its functionality as a dock for your notebook. There are other options that are either more cost effective or better implementations at that price range. Apple just marketed this really really well, although it could use a facelift to match the current imacs when purchased as a second display.

Agreed, not everyone likes replacing their system or their display at the same time and not everyone likes the iMac display.

I use a Sony OLED display and a Mac Mini i7, I'll replace the display every 5 years and the Mac Mini much more often than that.

I almost considered getting an iMac and putting it in a cabinet, which shouldn't have to be something people consider when shopping for an Apple computer.

Aside from random years, you don't see several huge changes within a 5 year timespan. Look at the past 7 or so. Core2duo was a significant boost. Nehalem was a big jump at the Mac Pro level. The quad nehalem chips never made it into macbook pros. They moved to dual core westmere (can't remember the codename for the notebook line) instead, so the notebooks saw a big jump with Sandy Bridge when they received quad core chips. You didn't have many significant year to year jumps between that. I don't see Apple trying to squeeze every bit of performance possible out of the form factor. As for displays, I use them for a long time simply because I use more than one. I have an NEC from 2006. It was retired to secondary use a couple years ago. The one I put in its place is still in extremely good condition. I go by hours and software tracking of its performance. The goal of the imac was really just to sell people a display to goose margins without making them feel like they're being gouged on price. It's really for Apple's benefit.

 

[Santabean2000]

Total profit for the base model would be $100 higher than an i7 Mac Mini but $200 lower than the total profit on the base iMac 27.

However if you factor in accessories total profit could be only $100 less than an iMac with a Apple hdmi adapter and Apple keyboard and mouse and you'd have to buy an hdmi adapter due to the lack of hdmi port. Also the system would pair up well with a Thunderbolt display, so if you factor in buying a thunderbolt display Apple would actually make more profit on a Mac Mini Pro with TB display mouse and keyboard, than an iMac. around $460 more and it would still be good for Apple even if only around 20% of buyers of a Mac Mini Pro bought a Thunderbolt Display.

In other words this makes perfect sense for Apple to do, because while it is slightly less profitable initially, it promotes the sale of accessories that would be much more profitable overall. It would just give consumers more options without threatening any other products, and would be extremly trivial to design and manufacture.

Also pairing up a Mac Mini Pro with the upcoming Apple TV display would make for a great combination while we're talking about accessories.

Although some would buy total Apple kit, most would not. The display esp would usually be 3rd party.

The TB is deliberately priced to push people into iMac country. And once you're there, the bto options on those is where they kill it.

 

[vastoholic]

Because nobody at Apple has pursued the idea. They know there is a ton of demand this issue comes up often, but maybe they don't understand how exactly to build the product and with what specs. Hopefully someone at Apple is reading and takes note.



Well they did add an i7 quad core to the Mac Mini, so they know that people want more.

I don't think you have the authority to speak in such certainties there. "No one at Apple has pursued the idea"? I'm sure someone at Apple has pursued the idea. "Maybe they don't understand how exactly to build the product and with what specs"? They are a computer company. Do you really think they wouldn't be able to figure out how to build a computer. Most likely, the product doesn't fit in with their current business model or the end result wasn't up to the standards of Cook/Jobs (like others have said, this idea has been around for a long time).

Also, adding in a high end mobile graphics card as well as a 3rd HDD/SDD would need a significant boost in cooling ability, something the mini is not exactly known for currently.

 

[utekineir]

Resident psychic of all decision making at apple.

I'd go gay for apple $$, can you tell me if tim cook, ives, or jabba mansfield is interested in balding, pot bellied 30 year olds?

 

[mslide]

it would effortless to add to the line up and a no brainer from a business standpoint.

I'd bet anything that those who make the real decisions at Apple disagree.

Because nobody at Apple has pursued the idea. They know there is a ton of demand this issue comes up often, but maybe they don't understand how exactly to build the product and with what specs.

Now that's just hilarious.

 

[QWERTYMac7]

The rest is just mental masturbation and shallow male posturing.

After watching this thread, my past comment has been proven....

Fun to watch!

 

[DarthMoops]

After watching this thread, my past comment has been proven....

Fun to watch!

Too much of that'll make your mind's eye go blind.

 

[RoastingPig]

the mini name would have to go because this thing is gonna be a beefy enclosure

 

[Radiating]

the mini name would have to go because this thing is gonna be a beefy enclosure

10mm more height would be the same size as the last gen mac mini. Which had discreet graphics and a cd drive. The cooling design would be the hard part and it would most likely need to use a design inspired by the MacBook retina and an added vent on top of the enclosure.

You people give companies too much credit though. I've worked at big companies like this and they aren't psychic and products get suggested at random. Sure they have the funding to pull off anything but that doesn't mean that they are working on every possible idea at every time.

Like I said even if accessory sales are extremely poor they would be making MORE money than selling a Mac Mini, so if Mac Mini pro sales cannibalize even an equal number of Mac Mini sales to iMac sales, and they don't sell a single thunderbolt display they'd probably break even. There is no business excuse for them not to make this product as it would be incredibly challenging to make this a poor business decision. At worst they break even and have happier customers, at best they get new customers, and a ton more accessory sales.

Someone did mention the thunderbolt display mag safe connector, it would be a good idea for the mac mini pro to start using mag safe for better integration.

 

[philipma1957]

10mm more height would be the same size as the last gen mac mini. Which had discreet graphics and a cd drive. The cooling design would be the hard part and it would most likely need to use a design inspired by the MacBook retina and an added vent on top of the enclosure.

You people give companies too much credit though. I've worked at big companies like this and they aren't psychic and products get suggested at random. Sure they have the funding to pull off anything but that doesn't mean that they are working on every possible idea at every time.

Like I said even if accessory sales are extremely poor they would be making MORE money than selling a Mac Mini, so if Mac Mini pro sales cannibalize even an equal number of Mac Mini sales to iMac sales, and they don't sell a single thunderbolt display they'd break even. There is no business excuse for them not to make this product. At worst they break even and have happier customers, at best they get new customers, and more accessory sales.

there may be no business excuse in your mind, but as a long time wanter of a product like you are describing it is merely a pipe dream. If not mental or just a lot of teasing of ones self it just is not going to happen.

I believe Jobs and Gates decided to leave certain areas alone. Ie Apple does not sell graphics and games. windows does not push for t-bolt or firewire.

Since it has worked why mess with success. you won't see windows pcs with inaccessible ram and hdds as the norm . Windows allowing an external drive boot with ease not that common. Doing this forces many people to have 2 computers for work.