Apple Announces New Mac Mini Starting at $499

[Anonymous Freak]

Base model will probably still have 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD. Awful

Half right. 4 GB RAM standard on the $499 model; higher models come with 8 GB.

500 GB spinning drive standard on the $499 model, 1 TB spinning drive on the middle model, Fusion drive on the high-end model.

And yes, no quad-core, not even CTO. 1.4 GHz i5 on the base model (same as the MacBook Air and ultra-low end iMac,) up to 3 GHz i7 CTO. All dual-core.


Damn. I was looking forward to getting one for use as a VM server. With two Thunderbolt ports, I could have two 10GbE ports, one for each of two VMs. But with only dual-core, can't do much with it with multiple VMs.

No longer offer a "server" SKU, either. So if I want a headless quad-core Mac server, I now have to buy a $3000 Mac Pro. (Or buy an iMac and have it take up all the space of the display...)

 

[John.B]

http://www.apple.com/mac-mini/specs/

$499 for 1.4 GHz 500GB HDD 4GB HD5000
$699 for 2.6 GHz 1TB HDD 8GB Iris
$999 for 2.8 GHz 1TB Fusion 8GB Iris

 

[troublador]

How have they fitted another Thunderbolt port on? It must have lost something. Maybe FireWire?

 

[Luap]

No Firewire...?!

It was the last Mac with Firewire. What did you expect? RS232 ports and a Floppy drive also?

 

[Sandstorm]

WTF! Dual core only, even custom config?!?

 

[pearvsapple]

It's cheaper cuz it uses crap specs.

 

[scott911]

No option for quad core cpu

rip mac mini

crap :

Thanks for pointing that out - I was about to order, assuming they were all 4 -core now.

WTH - only choices outside of the silly thin 'mobile' imac is either a weak dual core mini or the $3K mac pro.

 

[Wuiffi]

I guess the price is really hot. The CPU should be an Intel i5-4260U (same as Macbook Air) which retails at over 300$ intel

I'll put in the 16GB RAM and SSD myself and use it as a homeserver

 

[Tankmaze]

I wonder if the ram is soldered like the imac.

 

[DJC631]

Iris and HD5000 are more than enough for everyday consumer tasks (browsing, itunes, word processing, light gaming).

That's all well and good, but the mini used to be decent enough at games like Skyrim and the like. With these ****** integrated graphics, that's out the window.

 

[klamzi]

No quad core???

 

[Traverse]

This will make a lot of people on this forum very happy.

 

[Goftrey]

How have they fitted another Thunderbolt port on? It must have lost something. Maybe FireWire?

Yep. No FireWire, which sucks for me. I absolutely despise Thunderbolt.

 

[Macarite]

omgosh there are quads you idiots!!!!

if you choose to customize when you order you will be able to select quad core i7s. This, combined with iris 5k will be epic...

 

[brnistra]

Bu-ha-ha-ha....

Entry level CPU goes from i5 2.5GHz to i5 1.4GHz??!..... and it's $100 cheaper?!

Thanks, but no thanks....

 

[cgc]

Iris and HD5000 are more than enough for everyday consumer tasks (browsing, itunes, word processing, light gaming).

Really? I doubt it, and 640K is enough RAM for everyone...gimme a break, Apple had a big opportunity and wasted it.

Most likely top end CPU; Core i7-4578U Passmark 5,204
Intel Iris 5100 Passmark 756 (nVidia 750M Passmark = 1505)

Good enough for Solitaire but not for FPS or "real games". Ugh...

 

[noisycats]

No Firewire...?!

fire-what??

 

[COrocket]

I wonder if the ram is soldered like the imac.

Wondering the same thing. I also wonder if there are still SATA slots. It would seem there is at least one, and a pcie slot

 

[MalcolmJID]

if you choose to customize when you order you will be able to select quad core i7s. This, combined with iris 5k will be epic...

Nope. Dual-core, even in CTO

 

[dlimes13]

if you choose to customize when you order you will be able to select quad core i7s. This, combined with iris 5k will be epic...

Really? Point this out, because you are wrong. They are DUAL core i7's.

 

[cgc]

if you choose to customize when you order you will be able to select quad core i7s. This, combined with iris 5k will be epic...

Nope...you are mistaken...dual-core ONLY. Apple is officially dead to me. I'm tired of being let down over and over by Apple over promising and under delvering. (ref to "best product pipeline in 25 years" comment then only iMac is impressive).

 

[H2SO4]

Iris and HD5000 are more than enough for everyday consumer tasks (browsing, itunes, word processing, light gaming).

Light gaming, with emphasis on the word light. I’ll still get one tho. Assuming iFixit prove that I can strip out some of the internals and upgrade so avoiding the AppleTax.

 

[paulrbeers]

if you choose to customize when you order you will be able to select quad core i7s. This, combined with iris 5k will be epic...

Nooo. It's a dual core i7... reading is comprehension...
3.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7

 

[bankshot]

Damn. I was looking forward to getting one for use as a VM server. With two Thunderbolt ports, I could have two 10GbE ports, one for each of two VMs. But with only dual-core, can't do much with it with multiple VMs.

Yep. I was just thinking about maybe retiring my 2007 Mac mini server and replacing my 2012 MM main desktop with a new one if it could run all the server stuff in a VM or two, alongside my main desktop stuff. That would have required quad core (which I currently have in my '12 model) and max 32 GB memory. Which I would have gladly paid for. Too bad.

Probably not worth the extra expense of jumping to an iMac for the necessary cpu/memory. For that much extra $$$, I'd want to have a 64 GB max memory. Never satisfied!

 

[H2SO4]

Then don't purchase the base model ??

We all can't have top end specs at rock bottom pricing, sure you want that, hell so do I but it has never happened and it won't start today.
We all have to pay to play on better, faster equipment.

How does it compare with the previous models?