Why, exactly, is that? Businesses need a lot of things - like accounting, word-processing, email, etc. - that work just fine on a Mac mini.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple's Latest Mac Mini Turns Four Years Old Ahead of 'Pro-Focused' Refresh Expected Later This Month
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Why, exactly, is that? Businesses need a lot of things - like accounting, word-processing, email, etc. - that work just fine on a Mac mini.
Apples desktop roadmap is truly unbelievable.
I can confirm at least one.
My parents had a 2006 Mac Mini that finally gave up the ghost. It pained me bringing them to the Apple Store so they could purchase a brand new 4-year-old computer.
Actually it was a pretty bad downgrade.
Why didnt you get them an Ipad Pro with keyboard? really curious as it seems most normal users have little need for a MacOs type computer anymore.
What an incredibly condescending post.
It seems odd to compare Apple's current product update cycles to one from over three decades ago.
Quite true. The 2014 refresh was actually a downgrade. Earlier this year I sold my 2012 Mac mini for more than triple what I paid for it new, enough to buy a custom PC gaming rig.
Wonder what the Apple Geniuses are thinking abandoning their standalone desktops for so long.
No need. No one is buying this outdated stuff.
I have a late 2012 model that I need to put an SSD in so I can keep it going for another few years.
"Pro-Focused"... aka outdated CPU, onboard Intel Iris graphics, 8gb RAM, 128gb SSD, and somehow a $2100 starting price tag.
And the iMac is also outdated.
I am waiting for a proper iMac to replace my 2009 that is still running like a champ!
I am waiting for a proper iMac to replace my 2009 that is still running like a champ!
Does there have to be "an event" for a new Mac Mini to be in the marketplace?
Maybe refurbished models, but would you buy a "new" Mini with 6-year-old electronics?
According to the article, the price starts at $499. However, from Apple's site, the price for a decent i7 with 16 GB RAM (maximum) and 1TB flash storage (internal and no spinning platters to self-destruct), the price is $1,999 (before taxes).
I'm still using my 2008 Mac Pro. If Apple waits too long to release an alternative, I may have to buy a refurb Mac Pro or Mac Mini since the OS has to be updated in order to use certain apps and internet sites.
Based on the all the foot-stamping and bib-dribbling comments, the "but Macs retain their value a lot longer and are great investments!" crowd was just lying the whole time about that. Turns out you're just impatient children, oh sorry, *power users* wanting new toys.
Qué sorpresa.
Qué sorpresa.
The annoying thing is like the 2006 Mac Pro, Apple don't need to "innovate" here. The chassis is fine, just update the I/O ports and processor/GPU every couple of years, and people would be happy. Sometimes Apple tries too hard to re-invent things that don't need re-inventing - a box with some external ports and chips inside.
I'd even argue that the 2014 mac Mini was a downgrade in many respects from the 2012 model. I hope the 2018 upgrade (if there is one) solves these issues. Letting a machine languish for 4-6 years is inexcusable.
It doesn't need to be "thinner" or in some odd shaped (e.g. cylinder) enclosure. It doesn't need to be much more than a solid, utilitarian upgrade. Current CPUs, current GPUs, 32-64GB RAM as options, larger SSDs.
Apple has had product releases in November, but they have never had an event in November. So while they very well could break that trend this year, the safe bet is that if they don't have one by the end of October there won't be one this year.
The new iMac Pro, yearly updates the iMacs, and yearly updates to MacBooks and MacBook Pros are all evidence against your assertion. Just because Apple hasn't update the Mini and Mac Pro in years doesn't mean it's their policy to wait until products are obsolete.
I like the Mini - I have a 2012 model serving as a Plex and file server (upgrade to an SSD helped a lot) - and would love to see it updated but it was always a niche product.
Apple seems to think computers should be refreshed at the same rate as game consoles. 
Yea how dare a company focus on the products that most consumers buy and not the niche ones that people on this website feel should be the priority
Three reasons.
One, a brand new iPad Pro + Keyboard costs more than a brand new Mac Mini.
Two, they already had all the peripherals from the 2006 Mini that they just reconnected to the new one, including external hard drives with tens of thousands of family photos and their precious inkjet printer.
Three, familiarity with MacOS.