You are right - I'm more concerned with xenons, so didn't dig very far - i-series hasn't been much of a focus. It's a little over a hundred more for those i3's - not sure what Apple gets them for in bulk.
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Apple Announces New Space Gray Mac mini With 4-Core or 6-Core Intel Processor and Up to 64GB RAM, Starting at $799
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You are right - I'm more concerned with xenons, so didn't dig very far - i-series hasn't been much of a focus. It's a little over a hundred more for those i3's - not sure what Apple gets them for in bulk.
I always thought the original mini's external power supply was a superior design. Better to have the heat from that away from the computer and very easy to swap when it fails.
I just called Apple and the rep said it was not user upgradable. Soldered in there.
Here's a source saying memory is upgradable. Sounds like it isn't as easy as some other Macs but possible.
"I reached out to Apple about this and was told: "Yes, Mac mini is configurable up to 64GB and uses industry-standard DDR4 SO-DIMMs. While we don't consider the memory directly end-user accessible, service providers can access the internals of the Mac mini to upgrade the memory."
https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-new-2018-mac-mini-is-a-pro-machine-in-a-tiny-package/
"I reached out to Apple about this and was told: "Yes, Mac mini is configurable up to 64GB and uses industry-standard DDR4 SO-DIMMs. While we don't consider the memory directly end-user accessible, service providers can access the internals of the Mac mini to upgrade the memory."
https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-new-2018-mac-mini-is-a-pro-machine-in-a-tiny-package/
I didn't realize one could Boot Camp from an external drive.
Seems apple has conflicting reports on this:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-new-2018-mac-mini-is-a-pro-machine-in-a-tiny-package/
My gut says (hopes) that the RAM is replaceable, just not considered user replaceable with a nice easy screw off bottom like the older models. So the reps say it is not user replaceable when what they mean is, it will take some work and a T-6 screw driver.
hopefully this is what it is...
and hopefully that T2 isn't there to block user upgrades
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You can buy an I7-8700 for about $310 retail at Amazon, $320 at NewEgg so the $300 up-charge doesn't seem excessive. Order the 8GB of memory and upgrade yourself. The SSD is not upgradeable right now but it looks like it's on a separate daughter card so third party upgrades may be available in the future, we'll have to wait for the iFixIt tear down report and OWC to see if anything is coming. 128GB is enough storage for the system drive and a home directory if you put your rarely used media files on a NAS or external drive.
I think that the $799 + I7 upgrade may be the way to go. => $1,099 + tax
I think that the $799 + I7 upgrade may be the way to go. => $1,099 + tax
Short lifetime of flash is a total myth. The very first SSD I bought (Crucial C300) was in 2010 and it's still working flawlessly as the system drive in my old house server, and I don't think that's even supposed to be a really good model *of the time*. They've only got better since then. (And no, none of the newer ones I've had ever failed either.)
If you utterly, utterly thrash it with write cycles for its entire life then maybe yeah, in that case you probably need an enterprise level spinner, or rather an array thereof. The uses to which the system drive in pretty much *any* Mac will be put, an SSD would probably last longer than anything else.
Can you find many comparable machines somewhere else for less? Prices for components have changed as well, you know. Looking at competition — even if you look at large towers, I don't think that the price is bad at all. For instance, I don't think you can built a DYI tower with the specs of the base Mac mini for less than $500, and even that only if you take a cheap case and a mainboard that probably lacks TB3 support...
Soldered storage? Cripes. Hopefully in the next year or so someone in Europe sues them for lack of user serviceability over all the soldered parts and they have to pull the product and issue refunds as a result. Maybe the green certification companies can also buck up, take Apple's money out of their pockets, and pull endorsements over Apple making nothing but landfill fodder.
Apple needs a newspaper smack to the nose over these evil practices, and public shaming and loss of money is the only message they can understand.
Apple needs a newspaper smack to the nose over these evil practices, and public shaming and loss of money is the only message they can understand.
So, buy the i3 Mac mini: upgrade to a 256GB SSD, add a magic mouse, keyboard and LG 4K display - £1856
Or, buy a 21.5" Retina i5 iMac: upgrade to a 256GB SSD, comes with mouse, keyboard and 4K display - £1429
The new Mac mini looks seriously overpriced considering it doesn't even come with a keyboard or mouse.
Or, buy a 21.5" Retina i5 iMac: upgrade to a 256GB SSD, comes with mouse, keyboard and 4K display - £1429
The new Mac mini looks seriously overpriced considering it doesn't even come with a keyboard or mouse.
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Duh guys. Do some research. They explicitly say that storage is not user upgradeable, but they omit to mention this for RAM.
Still, I am waiting for official confirmation, but everything so far says "yes":
Credit: D.T
Still, I am waiting for official confirmation, but everything so far says "yes":
Credit: D.T
We are certainly going to replace all our Mac Minis with the new ones.
Not really, SSD dies often. Much more unreliable than mechanical disks. But they have a failure pattern. In our office they last about 2 years. (Mostly Intel or samsungs) Nothing strange about it, and they also some times reports that they soon will fail. And now you have a failed machine for $US 1200 than can not be repaired on a component that everybody know has this predictable failure. It is like a car manufacture that does not allow you to replace oil on your car.
Images posted at https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/ shows the underside opened and the memory sure does look user-changeable.
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