Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller via
Daring Fireball: "On that I'll say the Mac Mini is an important product in our lineup and we weren't bringing it up because it's more of a mix of consumer with some pro use. ... The Mac Mini remains a product in our lineup, but nothing more to say about it today."
Bull.
First, let me admit, that the mini has never been a central part of my computing arsenal. Even so, I have one (2009 model) with a heap of FW800 disks attached to it, working as my local file server. That it does brilliantly and efficiently, its uptime currently is ... (drum roll) 1134 days. It's a beautiful little machine, which has a lot of potential uses and users.
Even so, A product which has had no update in 900 days (that does not sound like a computer, more like a car) and has had no significant update since 2011 (an many could argue the 2014 version was actually a downgrade) is as good as dead. Period.
Ever since Adam Osborne managed to kill his computer company (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect) by informing the pubic of coming developments at too early a stage, the whole industry has been vary of announcements. Currently the mini is still selling (not much, but still), and if anyone at Apple would tell the truth, those sales would stop. Hence, this "null signal" of "important product in our lineup".
Phil, you know, I actually used to like you...
RGDS