Apple Releases New Sandy Bridge Mac Minis and Thunderbolt Display

[djsukebe]

I think Apple by trying to kill physical media, it is more interested in creating a device that requires the average consumer to make 100% of his purchases through Apple (App Store, itunes.) In other words good for Apple, bad for the consumer.

You hit it right on there...

And guys... don't you agree disc drives will be obsolete in the near future? i'm glad Apple is the forerunner in proving that.

With how used and loved dvds/cds are, as far as personal computing it will need to come to an end. And in my opinion, it's time for it.

And for you guys who still use CDs/DVDs on their computers, it's not the end of the world. Apple was nice enough to offer an external drive.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

These New ThunderBolt Apple Displays sing the pending doom of the iMac AIO.

Since the Display has an Gigabit Ethernet Port, FW800, TB, USB ports and is a display, is there really a need to produce an iMac anymore. Either attach a MacMini or MBA/P or MP.

Why would go down this path you ask?

1. It's a Greener approach.
2. Cost less $ to snip more MacMini, MBA/P units in one shipping haul.
3. Storage of more units and models in warehouses and stores.
4. Shipping to the end user will be cheaper due to weight.
5. No need to replace the entire iMac every 1-3 years, when you can buy a MacMini or MBA/P instead and use the same Display for 5-8+ years.
6. Less raw materials to use in products.


This is proactive thinking and approach on part. The rest of the computing industry will look like fool in the coming years if my prediction is accurate.

The MacMini has also removed the Optical Drive for one purpose, there is a vacant space in there for another SSD or HDD for the end user. It brilliant and I had hoped that the ODD would have been omitted sooner.

Digital downloads with the option of physical media for OS Lion as it is a transition phase that the consumer has to grow accustom to. In another 1-3 years people will not miss the ODD as they did not miss the Floppy Drive. At some point technology has to move forward. This is the iMac reborn after over a decade. I look forward to this transition with glee.

 

[stukick]

Hey Apple... how about leaving things on the mini I need, like a Superdrive, and leaving things off I don't, like Thunderbolt. Ya know, because the Apple ADC connector really took off. You still need to lower the price another $100 anyway.

 

[Minority_taxi]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_4 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8K2 Safari/6533.18.5)

SOLUTION: the only reason I'd buy a new mac mini now is if Apple or another supplier (perhaps Belkin, LaCie) brought out an external SuperDrive or blu-ray burner in a slim line matched case that also had a multi interface hub that hooks through TB. similar to the LaCie Mac mini hard drives that came out a few years back. I still have one, they were awesome. It doubled as a FireWire and USB hub. Then I might consider an 'upgrade'.

Cc

 

[ps45]

Apple has withdrawn from the workstation monitor market. You could kludge a solution by maybe hooking these to a Mac Pro (if it has Thunderbolt ... which is an open question).

Apple withdrew from the printer market when it got to commoditized. "standalone" Monitors are no different.




Dream on.

TB provides a PCI-e connectivity and a display port. Guess what? A Mac Pro has multiple slots for PCI-e connectivity. It has already had the function for a long time. Why does it need it repackaged into more highly constrained , less widely utilized format?????????? You can put a 10Gbps Ethernet card into a Mac Pro right now. Don't need to wait for TB to get 10Gbps class throughput I/O.


Unless Intel backs off of the "PCI-e + Display Port" singles out of the host rule then it is not too likely going to get a Video card with a TB sockets coming out. GPUs compete with the PCI-e expansion capabilities.
Unless Apple makes one of the graphics card vendor build one of those, I don't think it is going to see like of day any time soon.

Sure if Apple built some Xeon E3 mini tower ( like that is on some folks wish list) and coupled the mainboard GPU to the TB port it would work. I don't think that solution is coming either.

it is called coincidence you are trying to tie two dates together from different products to boost support for the rumor that the Mac Pro is coming soon. Not. Q4 is when the Xeon E5 are coming.

Well the Apple Display is used by many pros in the real world, notwithstanding Apple's strategy (as interpreted by you). The ACD is a workhorse in many areas of the 'liberal arts', that also use comparable screens such as the U2711, and they do a pretty good job until you get into the more demanding areas such as grading. If you think apple doesn't participate in this space, i don't share your opinion. Let's assume that the rendering of a 27" paired with a mac pro is a slip up that will be corrected, that's a neat explanation, because after all it's only meant to be a laptop magnifier...

Ok. But with regard to the technical nitty gritty... all I know is that on the ground, i'm aware of plenty of people with high data workflows such as 4K editing who are holding off, waiting for thunderbolt-equipped Mac Pros - for simplification of data offload and workflows. Guess what. Thunderbolt looks pretty workflow-friendly for people who work with computers and don't care for tinkering with them. And I suspect Apple will be looking to help themselves to professionals' upgrade budgets fairly soon.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

Hey Apple... how about leaving things on the mini I need, like a Superdrive, and leaving things off I don't, like Thunderbolt. Ya know, because the Apple ADC connector really took off. You still need to lower the price another $100 anyway.

The problem is, people also thought they need the Floppy Drive over a decade ago. Present day one would be hard pressed to see many people use FD or CD/DVD. I mainly see people using USB sticks Cloud based services. Yes, there is still the market for BDR, however well all know that will not include a BDR Drive in the MacMini let alone iMac in the near future.

Besides that, my they last Fiscal earnings, I believe they are doing something right since many are still buying and not complaining about the lack of. In another 1-3 years you will not miss the ODD at all, its fear that is speaking. It will all be fine. My prediction is that the iMac AIO is also reaching EOL as it will be replaced with the ThunderBolt Display and MacMini/MBA/Pro options.

The iMac cannot be redesigned in any other way, it has reached and past its prime a long time ago. MacMini and External Display is the way to go. could most likely make the MacMini thinner as there is all that extra space from the lack of an ODD.

I am however saddened due to the lack of a matte option on these displays. If it does have a matte option I would pick one up the day of release along with a MacMini.

 

[AidenShaw]

That is a bizarre statement. The new display aligns perfectly with their strategy.

What strategy? Is that a comment on my post at https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/12982973/, or a comment on the one line that I copied for a link?

In that post I explained why the new display could have been much more elegant and useful than it is.

 

[djsukebe]

Hey Apple... how about leaving things on the mini I need, like a Superdrive, and leaving things off I don't, like Thunderbolt. Ya know, because the Apple ADC connector really took off. You still need to lower the price another $100 anyway.

Because you're still living in the past/present.

Pretty soon you will be like "I don't need a superdrive, and I need thunderbolt"

 

[manu chao]

It appears to me that Apple is going to kill off the Mini pretty soon. It no longer has any significant price/value benefit.

Mini: 2.3 i5 DUAL Core, 4 gb ram, 500 gb HD, + Superdrive, +wireless keyboard, + magic mouse, + INTEL GRAPHICS = $916.00

iMac: 2.5 QUAD core, 4 gb ram, 500 gb HD, superdrive, wireless keyboard, magic mouse AMD graphics, and 21.5" LED screen = $1199.00

Same setup but using already owned keyboard and mouse:
Mini: $778
iMac: $1199

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

What strategy? Is that a comment on my post at https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/12982973/, or a comment on the one line that I copied for a link?

In that post I explained why the new display could have been much more elegant and useful than it is.

The "ultimate docking station" should have:
a BD-R drive (BTO for none, DVD-R, BD-R)
a large 3.5" disk drive for backups and bulk storage
a 2.5" drive slot for a fast or SSD drive for working storage
an SDXC slot
a discrete graphics card so that a system with integrated graphics could have powerful graphics when docked (like Sony does)
USB 3.0 ports
eSATA ports

What you are describing there is an iMac without a BD-R, 2.5" slot and eSata.

Shaw you have been on MR for a number of years like me, and I always wonder why you keep complaining about and Steve Jobs direction. As much as I would love an eSata connector, it will not happen as has gone with ThunderBolt instead.

BD-R, well that is like beating a dead horse, it was either that or no ODD at all. With todays announcements we know this will never happen.

3.5/2.5" HDD and 2.5" SSD are options on the MacMini and iMac, plus you have iCloud to cover your rear. I would rather see offer a 3TB+ on its TimeCapsule, to back-up or use as an external storage device. No point having an internal drive on a docking station as 2TB and 3TB are dropping in price. 4TB+ should be on the market by the end of this year if not released early 2012.

SDXC slot already on the MacMini and 13" MBA/Pro, agreed having it on a display might seem beneficial, however you have to consider that if you require portability well that 27" display with SDXC is useless. Better off having it on the separate machines as it does not add too much of a cost.

Discreet graphics, well I am not sure what you are smoking however want to share. Considering that GPU technology changes ever so often and the drivers available on the Mac side of the house are questionable there is no point to even incorporate this into a display. What are you proposing? Crack open the Display to upgrade the GPU every 6-18 months, not going to happen.

USB 3.0 port will more than likely be incorporated into IvyBridge MacMini and MBA/Pro. It is only a matter of time.

 

[diamond.g]

These New ThunderBolt Apple Displays sing the pending doom of the iMac AIO.

Since the Display has an Gigabit Ethernet Port, FW800, TB, USB ports and is a display, is there really a need to produce an iMac anymore. Either attach a MacMini or MBA/P or MP.

Why would go down this path you ask?

1. It's a Greener approach.
2. Cost less $ to snip more MacMini, MBA/P units in one shipping haul.
3. Storage of more units and models in warehouses and stores.
4. Shipping to the end user will be cheaper due to weight.
5. No need to replace the entire iMac every 1-3 years, when you can buy a MacMini or MBA/P instead and use the same Display for 5-8+ years.
6. Less raw materials to use in products.


This is proactive thinking and approach on part. The rest of the computing industry will look like fool in the coming years if my prediction is accurate.

The MacMini has also removed the Optical Drive for one purpose, there is a vacant space in there for another SSD or HDD for the end user. It brilliant and I had hoped that the ODD would have been omitted sooner.

Digital downloads with the option of physical media for OS Lion as it is a transition phase that the consumer has to grow accustom to. In another 1-3 years people will not miss the ODD as they did not miss the Floppy Drive. At some point technology has to move forward. This is the iMac reborn after over a decade. I look forward to this transition with glee.

I am not sure Apple will stick with the same monitor tech for that long. I think we only had a DP ACD for 3 years?

 

[Jwhitehead333]

Sweet!

The new Thunderbolt Displays look good, I will be buying one when they start shipping. Although it is a bummer that they won't be shipping for 6-8 weeks.

 

[nadaclue]

The problem is, people also thought they need the Floppy Drive over a decade ago. Present day one would be hard pressed to see many people use FD or CD/DVD. I mainly see people using USB sticks Cloud based services. Yes, there is still the market for BDR, however well all know that will not include a BDR Drive in the MacMini let alone iMac in the near future.

You don't have to look very far, I use the DVD drive on my iMac almost everyday. And after spending what will be over 12 hours downloading Lion if this is the future Apple wants without physical media I guess they can keep it and I will go back to the PC.

 

[blewyn]

Hmm..Superdrive Region Free ?

I currently use a 1.66Ghz mini and a separate DVD player to play the DVDs from regions the mini won't play (where I live you get all kinds of region discs..). So if I upgrade and get a superdrive I can get rid of my big DVD-playing slab ? Cool....I think....

Is there a region free crack for the superdrive ?

Is it possibe to add 4.1 sound to the mini ?

 

[AidenShaw]

What you are describing there is an iMac without a BD-R, 2.5" slot and eSata.

You mean with BD and eSATA. I said that in fact - take the 27" Imac and replace the mobo with a TBolt hub.

You'd have an "ultimate docking station" so that when your ultraportable was docked it would have the peripherals that most people want, without a maze of cables and mis-matched boxes on the desk.

Discreet graphics, well I am not sure what you are smoking however want to share.

You've seen Sony's "Light Peak" docking station with a discrete AMD Radeon HD 6650M (1 GiB VRAM), BD, HDMI, USB 3.0? http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...0151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644570897 or search for "power media dock"

Considering that GPU technology changes ever so often and the drivers available on the Mac side of the house are questionable there is no point to even incorporate this into a display. What are you proposing? Crack open the Display to upgrade the GPU every 6-18 months, not going to happen.

The 6-18 months is kind of silly - you'd don't crack open the Imac or a MacBook every 6-18 months do you?

Driver support for one GPU isn't beyond Apple's capability - in any event everything in the display (USB/GbE/1394/...) already needs driver support from OSX.

Since you quoted most of my post, here's the complete thing:

disappointing, for an "ultimate"

Apple Thunderbolt Display

- Apple's forthcoming Thunderbolt display, shipping within the next 60 days, is being positioned as an "ultimate docking station". The display uses a single Thunderbolt connection to support FaceTime camera, audio, USB, Firewire 800 and Ethernet through the display.

With Apple's obsession with clean and simple design, it's disappointing that Apple weren't more innovative with the idea of a docking station.

"Clean and simple" would mean that the docking station could internally hold all of the peripherals that the majority of users would need - not that it would be the hub connecting a rat's nest of external devices.

The "ultimate docking station" should have:

• a BD-R drive (BTO for none, DVD-R, BD-R)
• a large 3.5" disk drive for backups and bulk storage
• a 2.5" drive slot for a fast or SSD drive for working storage
• an SDXC slot
• a discrete graphics card so that a system with integrated graphics could have powerful graphics when docked (like Sony does)
• USB 3.0 ports
• eSATA ports

Apple basically already has everything needed for this in the 27" Imac chassis. Just replace the mainboard with a much simpler, cheaper board that's a TBolt hub.

Apple had a chance to redefine what "desktop replacement" means by creating an "insanely great" docking station. Instead, as someone said here recently, Apple have created an "insanely meh" monitor.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/12982973/

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

You don't have to look very far, I use the DVD drive on my iMac almost everyday. And after spending what will be over 12 hours downloading Lion if this is the future Apple wants without physical media I guess they can keep it and I will go back to the PC.

ODD users might be in the minority who use it on a daily basis. still offers the external ODD as an option, its not all gone yet. The problem is not that if is doing away with ODD they can keep it and I will go back to the PC. The issue is that the PC would will follow suit right behind . The were slow on the ball when the Floppy Drive was removed, they won't be making that mistake twice (or will they). With Google, Microsoft, and others all embracing the cloud, there is very little reason to keep including an ODD on all its machines, no matter how cheap it is. I would rather use an external ODD then have one built-in, when I can install a larger HDD or SSD. I cannot remember the last time I even touch a DVD to read or write to, okay I can it was when Leopard was released.

You fear the change, you will find an alternative solution and it is not going back to PC.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

I buy my Music 60% from iTunes (mostly single tracks), and 40% (albums) from record stores and used CDs from Ebay. CDs are great, you can share them with friends and family, you can buy a CD for a buck or two from Ebay, rip it and resell it for a buck or two.

I buy and rent Movies in HD mostly (80%) from my local movie rental and the local movie stores since iTunes doesn't offer full HD. I don't like the low quality and high price iTunes offers, but occasionally I rent iTunes movies when I am too lazy to get outside.

As soon as AppleTV and iTunes offers full HD I may change my mind.

WOW, artists love fans like you. you hardly support artists you like.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

Quote from the Mac Mini's product page:

"Mac mini is designed without an optical disc drive. Because these days, you don’t need one. It’s easier than ever to download music and films from the iTunes Store. And you can download apps from the Mac App Store with a click."

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL... Yeah, right Apple. The Mac Mini is a 'hub' with HDMI, yet it can't even play DVD's? Rip CD's? And whats the point of having Boot Camp when you can't use a Windows disc?

Epic. Fail.

Nope epic fail for you... I haven't used a CD/DVD drive in years on my Macbook Pro.

I'd rather see a Mac Mini without optical and with a desktop HDD.

 

[steve333]

That part I agree with...and it should not be two 2 GB sticks, just to make you replace all of it if you later wanted to upgrade to 8 GB.

Definitely, it's almost like they're snickering behind our backs.

I wonder if the 7200rpm hard drive is worth the $150 cost. Would it make much of a speed difference?
I also went to the Store and they didn't have them yet but I suppose they will look just like the current Server Mini? To be honest I think it looks cheaper than my 2 yr old Mini (the one with the white top).

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

You mean with BD and eSATA. I said that in fact - take the 27" Imac and replace the mobo with a TBolt hub.

We already know what stance is on BluRay, they are not going to compete with iTMS/MAS/iCloud. They have made a decision and it might not be the one many of us like, however its a decision and they seem to be sticking to it. eSata, I agree with you on this, I really want to see this on all Macs, unfortunately has gone with ThunderBolt even though many eSata products are available now and cheaper.

You'd have an "ultimate docking station" so that when your ultraportable was docked it would have the peripherals that most people want, without a maze of cables and mis-matched boxes on the desk.

Are you referring to the following item:

Power Media Dock (included)

AMD Radeon™ HD 6650M (1GB) graphics
Slot load optical drive
Gigabit Ethernet port (RJ45)
HDMI® output
USB 2.0 x2
USB 3.0 x1
VGA output

What happens when you feel the GPU does not cut it anymore, chuck the entire hub out and purchase something new. Does not seem very Green for taste. Remember Sony can practically give away the BluRay Drives, they own it and selling it at loss or giving it away for free only means that you will be enticed to purchase BluRay content and that is where they make they money. Licensing it away for or giving it to , only to see it compete with digital distribution model is contradictory. Not going to happen, its business. As we have seen today, they want a dock contained within the display as we all need a display or a bigger one for "productivity" purposes. Having a standalone unit to have you mobile system on steroids might be compelling, however at that point one might as well just use ChromeOS that needs to be connected to the net to get anything done.

The 6-18 months is kind of silly - you'd don't crack open the Imac or a MacBook every 6-18 months do you?

Driver support for one GPU isn't beyond Apple's capability - in any event everything in the display (USB/GbE/1394/...) already needs driver support from OSX.

Since you quoted most of my post, here's the complete thing:

This might not be the norm, however I have read members on MR claiming to sell they 6-12 month old Mac to buy a new one because the graphics are not cutting it anymore. Heck if the GPU card in the iMac could be replaced easily, I assure you many on this board will jump at the chance. It's one of the first few questions asked, "How does the graphics compared to its previous model?" Most of the members on this board would be better off with a PS3 or XBOX 360, however they still believe the Mac is going to compete with PC and standalone gaming rigs. It really is sad to think this pipe dream will come true every new release.


Shaw the best solution can release is a media connector Hub that has an ODD, eSata, TB, FW800, USB, SDXC and a replaceable GPU module that connects a Display and any Mac available. However that is a dream solution only you and I and a few really want, and its not going to happen as it will not make money for its investors. Once you have this, is there any real reason to upgrade your hardware, considering is in the hardware business. FYI that Mini Tower both you and I want, also not going to happen, that is why I got a Linux NAS and am quite pleased.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

I am not sure Apple will stick with the same monitor tech for that long. I think we only had a DP ACD for 3 years?

Optical ThunderBolt (or whatever they eventually call it) will not be released in the next 3 years or so due to cost. Most should be safe with this implementation. I presume the main reason they updated the ACD was for TB connectivity as it transfers most of the port onto the display and can handle the data requirements. Most on these boards already complain that the brightness on the IPS display are way to bright even on the lowest setting (and I am one of those). I cannot see what else they can improve other than offering a matte option and a 30"+ Retina model. Considering we will not see Retina resolution or large scale OLED due to cost for some time, it seems like a safe bet.

CRT > LCD Florescent > LCD LED > ???

Unless you see a cost effective display technology on the horizon that can be mass produce for cheap with little QC issues compared to the present offering.

 

[kriebe]

SOLUTION: the only reason I'd buy a new mac mini now is if Apple or another supplier (perhaps Belkin, LaCie) brought out an external SuperDrive or blu-ray burner in a slim line matched case that also had a multi interface hub that hooks through TB. similar to the LaCie Mac mini hard drives that came out a few years back. I still have one, they were awesome. It doubled as a FireWire and USB hub. Then I might consider an 'upgrade'.

Cc

Just realize that if they made a TB superdrive, you'd have to buy the cable for that too, which is $49. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC913ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MjMwMjkyNjU

 

[kriebe]

I currently use a 1.66Ghz mini and a separate DVD player to play the DVDs from regions the mini won't play (where I live you get all kinds of region discs..). So if I upgrade and get a superdrive I can get rid of my big DVD-playing slab ? Cool....I think....

Is there a region free crack for the superdrive ?

Is it possibe to add 4.1 sound to the mini ?

For straight playback, regions are an issue. But for ripping your different region DVDs, the drive itself doesn't matter. It's the software that you are using to rip the DVDs and usually they never have any issues with them. Check out Handbrake for this. http://handbrake.fr/

There are other options too, like MakeMKV, etc. Handbrake is my preference.

 

[AidenShaw]

eSata, I agree with you on this, I really want to see this on all Macs, unfortunately Apple has gone with ThunderBolt even though many eSata products are available now and cheaper.

As I've mentioned before, I think that the most popular TBolt peripheral will be a little box with two to four eSATA ports (PM capable), four to six USB 3.0 ports, and a gigabit ethernet. Those would fly off the shelves like hotcakes. (and I'm only suggesting that the TBolt display would have been a better docking station with eSATA and USB 3.0 ports)

Are you referring to the following item:

Power Media Dock (included)

AMD Radeon™ HD 6650M (1GB) graphics
Slot load optical drive
Gigabit Ethernet port (RJ45)
HDMI® output
USB 2.0 x2
USB 3.0 x1
VGA output

What happens when you feel the GPU does not cut it anymore, chuck the entire hub out and purchase something new. Does not seem very Green for Apple's taste.

Remember that we're talking about Apple here, which only has one limited production model with a standard PCIe graphics capability. Everything else is soldered to the mobo, integrated, or on obscure daughtercards. How can you make any argument about worrying over the GPU in the display, when you'd have to throw away the entire Apple computer if you get tired of the GPU?

The display could have something that's far, far faster than Intel HD 3000 - or even low end and mid-range discrete mobile GPUs. If your computer has a faster GPU, then you use the display as a DisplayPort monitor and ignore the GPU in the monitor.

Anyway, there's no reason that the display couldn't have a PCIe x16 connector inside, and take any GPU that fits the power envelope and the case. Even if it were constrained to a low-profile card with an mDP - there would be lots of options before too long.

As we have seen today, they want a dock contained within the display as we all need a display or a bigger one for "productivity" purposes.

But Apple are calling it the "ultimate dock", when it's really nothing more than a display with the same features as $150 port replicator.

I'm trying to describe a TBolt display that would be the "ultimate dock".

Shaw the best solution Apple can release is a media connector Hub that has an ODD, eSata, TB, FW800, USB, SDXC and a replaceable GPU module that connects a Display and any Mac available.

And what puzzles me is that Apple and its fans can obsess over an extra mm of thickness, or the color of the keys - yet have no problems over the idea of buying this "work of art" and surrounding it with a rat's nest of cables and external peripherals to replace the components that were stripped out to save that mm.

...that is why I got a Linux NAS and am quite pleased.

What's the story with some NAS boxes not working with Lion? (Serious question, what is the issue?)

Cheers -as

 

[HyperZboy]

You don't have to look very far, I use the DVD drive on my iMac almost everyday. And after spending what will be over 12 hours downloading Lion if this is the future Apple wants without physical media I guess they can keep it and I will go back to the PC.

Thank You, couldn't have said it better myself. I feel the same.

And without being too mean to "!¡ V ¡!" that much, I've never had any respect for any opinion about Apple that always used the Apple ASCII character instead of typing Apple. If that doesn't scream FANBOY, I don't know what does.

So yes, even being an Apple fanatic myself, I've officially discounted all of !¡ V ¡!'s opinions.

Funny how that user name is also kinda similar to ** LTD **

Are you sure he isn't your doppelganger?