Apple's Latest Mac Mini Turns Four Years Old Ahead of 'Pro-Focused' Refresh Expected Later This Month

[Rique]

Wish they would update it already. Would use for my plex server.

I have a 2014 model for my Plex server and it works great. We don't tax it much, though. It's fine. The Plex app on Apple TV could be much better (and you could say that about the Android app that's installed on Sony TVs or about the Android app that runs on the Firestick, also).

I want the newer model to update my wife's 2012 Mini. Then she would stop complaining about the fact that she doesn't have the fastest Mini in the house.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Apples desktop roadmap is truly unbelievable.

Why? No "beige boxes"? No 1980's towers?

 

[coolfactor]

I have a bad feeling this will be the case. If there isn't one, I will abandon macOS for good. I can't run a business using hardware that never gets updated.

I've been waiting for some sign that a new Mac mini is coming. I currently operate one of my retail stores on a 2007 (yes!) Mac mini, and it still runs fine. A bit slow, but all we need is a browser, iTunes, a PDF viewer, and to scan the occasional document. This all works.

I want to buy two Mac minis. However, I refuse to pay full price for a 2014 Mac mini without some reassurance from Apple that this product line has a strong, supported future.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

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.

Let's see: 2006 to 2018... That's TWELVE years on the same computer! And it was OBVIOUSLY still fulfilling their needs.

That means even the 2014 model will fulfill their needs for at LEAST that long (or maybe even longer, given no HD to fail).
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No need. No one is buying this outdated stuff.

I would bet you'd be VERY surprised.
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And the iMac is also outdated.
I am waiting for a proper iMac to replace my 2009 that is still running like a champ!

Pardon me, the iMacs got refreshed in mid-2017. They will likely get refreshed again this year with the i9 Hex-Core CPUs being offered as a BTO option.

I have a friend that also has a perfectly-working 2009 iMac, too. Display is getting a little dim; but the rest of it is operating 5 by 5...

 

[WannaGoMac]

Dude seriously?

No matter the marketing, an iPad cannot completely replace a true desktop computer. This is especially true if one is still using legacy software and/or work flows.

Dude, read what I wrote and the original post to which I responded. Most NORMAL tech users have no need for a full computer anymore when all they do is check email, web browse, watch videos, and look at/edit photos taken on their phones.

Workflows?? Legacy software?? lol thats for developers, graphic artists, scientists, etc. The OP's parents arent doing any of that.

 

[dan110]

Dude, read what I wrote and the original post to which I responded. Most NORMAL tech users have no need for a full computer anymore when all they do is check email, web browse, watch videos, and look at/edit photos taken on their phones.

Workflows?? Legacy software?? lol thats for developers, graphic artists, scientists, etc. The OP's parents arent doing any of that.

He actually answered your question and substantiated my response. Good day, Sir.

 

[Manzanito]

I have been saying for about a year now that the mini and the MacBook (non-pro) or MBA will be the first with ARM (and possibly later a "budget" iMac); but that is likely a couple of years off at this point (but not likely more than that).
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And Apple is still within the time-projection for the Pro, and their never was a projection for the mini.

So now what?

So nothing, it’s totally fine to sell 4 and 5 years old technology at premium prices. It makes apple look absolutely trustworthy.

Don’t get me wrong, apple is doing great earning more money that they know what to do with, but I can’t trust them anymore when it comes to buying a computer from them, and that is apple’s fault, not some guy commenting on a forum, which was my point.

 

[mooncheesebanana]

I have a theory, Apple will be creating one product to replace the Mac Mini + Mac Pro and going all in on eGPUs.

There will be one box/form factor that covers the whole spec range from mini to pro. On the top end it may be a taller box but with the same footprint and certainly have user serviceable cpu and ram.

There will be nothing more than a base level GPU in the box. For more graphics power you will be able to “stack” an apple GPU on top/under, this may or may not be user upgradable internally although I’m inclined to think not as you just buy a new eGPU box.

I expect that there will also be a stackable external hdd as well for increased storage. It would probably be a RAID box that takes multiple drives (the main box will have a smaller drive that may be user serviceable)

There will be a new monitor to replace the LG 27inch 5k. It will use the panel from an upgraded larger iMac that replaces the current 5k iMac. This could be either an Apple or LG product.

Finally, it may be possible to use the new stackable components with a iMac Pro.

Or, the Mac mini is RIP and we don’t see a Mac Pro until next year when it’s revealed to be one big box....

 

[Gherkin]

Maybe there will be no October event.

It doesn't seem like it at this point. Pretty sure there's usually 2 weeks between invite and event.

They could just do a press release if it's bumped specs all around.

 

[Jack Burton]

I look forward to seeing how Apple over complicates what should be a simple tower with serviceable parts.

 

[nathansz]

Happy Birthday!

BTW, which is the best used Mac Mini to buy? I want to be able to upgrade RAM and HD.

2012 i7 quad core

 

[Manzanito]

I have a theory, Apple will be creating one product to replace the Mac Mini + Mac Pro and going all in on eGPUs.

There will be one box/form factor that covers the whole spec range from mini to pro. On the top end it may be a taller box but with the same footprint and certainly have user serviceable cpu and ram.

There will be nothing more than a base level GPU in the box. For more graphics power you will be able to “stack” an apple GPU on top/under, this may or may not be user upgradable internally although I’m inclined to think not as you just buy a new eGPU box.

I expect that there will also be a stackable external hdd as well for increased storage. It would probably be a RAID box that takes multiple drives (the main box will have a smaller drive that may be user serviceable)

There will be a new monitor to replace the LG 27inch 5k. It will use the panel from an upgraded larger iMac that replaces the current 5k iMac. This could be either an Apple or LG product.

Finally, it may be possible to use the new stackable components with a iMac Pro.

Or, the Mac mini is RIP and we don’t see a Mac Pro until next year when it’s revealed to be one big box....

Even today’s apple wouldn’t need two years to design a tower. Taking that long means they are overthinking, overdesigning, and most probably, overf&@cking the mac pro.

So I think you may be right, they are going to release a mini with egpu capabilities and call it a pro.

 

[Sabelonada]

L
...
I have a friend that also has a perfectly-working 2009 iMac, too. Display is getting a little dim; but the rest of it is operating 5 by 5...

And you have just argued against buying an iMac as a Mac Mini replacement. The AIO form factor ties the whole computer to the weaknesses of one major component. It's even worse when you consider that the 2009 iMac would still offer targeted display mode which has since been removed.

I would, and may yet, buy an updated iMac but I prefer a Mac Mini with modern performance.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Intel Nuc Kit Nuc8I5Beh

$387-

Add 8GB RAM (minimum Apple would likely configure today) - maybe $70
Add 256GB NVMe (also probably the minimum for Apple today) -- $85
OS of some kind? -- $100

Even without the OS, you're still past $499. And I think we could probably agree that Apple's case will have a more premium look and feel versus the NUC, plus Apple will build the system and put the OS on it, plus they need to make a decent margin as a hardware company. Again, not arguing that today's mini is "worth it," but rather why the mini (and MBA) have been left to languish. A decent Intel CPU makes up a significant percentage of the cost of these machines, which only strengthens Apple's case to start transitioning into their own SOCs.

 

[Swazaloo]

I absolutely love macOS and would never consider switching to Windows or Linux but I have to say it's very hard to stay a loyal customer of Apple desktop hardware. Hackintosh sounds great but every update is a gamble, don't tell me it's not, I've been running one for 4.5 years, did every update and upgrade possible and spent hours fixing stuff. Sure it runs macOS but it's nowhere near a proper Mac experience. Sad times.

Your computers don't last 4 years? If you purchased a mac Mini the day it was released, it would still be running great.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

You hit the nail on the head. However, the entire tech landscape is no longer providing clean solutions. Unfortunately, we've been here before. This is what personal computing was like back in the late 1990s thru 2006. Then Steve came along and made a compelling products and services that all worked together seamlessly.

So, I guess, we all just have to decide what pain and how much of it are we willing to live with. We can continue with the iPhone Company, go to MS Garbage, go the Linux open source route, or finally consider Google's half baked cloud based and privacy killing offerings.

There's really no clear "winning strategy" here. Either way, for me, it's high time that I left Apple. Hopefully, I can ride out this down turn for a while or completely embrace open source and never pay the Apple tax again.

Yeah, I get it. I think I'm content with Apple more now as I have less time to fiddle around with my stuff. I don't have much time for games and appreciate the simplicity and space savings of my 27" iMac (I bought it through refurb store). I don't mind the $12/year for 50GB of iCloud, and iPad (my most used device) is far and away the best tablet experience. I just can't do Android anymore. I've tried, I just don't like it, and I don't like Google. I actually was a huge Windows Mobile fan, but W10M was a disaster, and MS can't make reliable hardware (I've owned multiple Surfaces in the past, and my experience there is a long story, but it could be summed up as unsatisfactory).

I've been all over the place in my years of PC ownership, but Apple seems to do the best job of unifying the experience across its ecosystem. None of the hardware may be ideal, but it's still the best platform at the end of the day for me. Maybe my opinion will change in the future, but MS isn't doing much to win me back. Heck, they seem less interested in Windows as a product with every passing day.

 

[jwdsail]

Event shement. Just ship it!

 

[guzhogi]

I have a theory, Apple will be creating one product to replace the Mac Mini + Mac Pro and going all in on eGPUs.

There will be one box/form factor that covers the whole spec range from mini to pro. On the top end it may be a taller box but with the same footprint and certainly have user serviceable cpu and ram.

There will be nothing more than a base level GPU in the box. For more graphics power you will be able to “stack” an apple GPU on top/under, this may or may not be user upgradable internally although I’m inclined to think not as you just buy a new eGPU box.

I expect that there will also be a stackable external hdd as well for increased storage. It would probably be a RAID box that takes multiple drives (the main box will have a smaller drive that may be user serviceable)

In some ways, I could see Apple doing something like that: keep only the basic stuff inside. Want more? Buy an external thing. A part of me fears (though I realize is unlikely) that Apple will turn Macs into basically Chromebooks. You need an AppleID to even use it. Everything's stored on iCloud. All apps will be internet based (think the iCloud version of Pages & Keynote). Unlikely, but who knows?

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Why? No "beige boxes"? No 1980's towers?

Because the computer industry is a fast paced year over year changing industry and Apple keeps selling a desktop computer that was outdated when introduced in 2014 and outpaced by the Mini from 2012. The current Mini is a 2010 model. That’s 4 to 8 years depending on how you see it. As a trillion dollar company with plenty of money and really a not to difficult task at hand (keeping the line up-to-date)

 

[MrJeffreyGee]

This is so sad... There's so much potential in this form factor. Not everyone wants to buy a Mac with a screen and everyone has a TV. It's a perfect fit for the budget conscious user looking into Macs for the first time.

 

[largefarrva]

It doesn't seem like it at this point. Pretty sure there's usually 2 weeks between invite and event.

They could just do a press release if it's bumped specs all around.

7-8 days for October events. Next Wednesday is the last day before we give up hope on October.

 

[ChrisMoBro]

Right.

Because every retail business gives a care about anything but sales.

Afterall, most of them sell awful Windows machines year after year, don't they?
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Bye!

Sheep

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

So nothing, it’s totally fine to sell 4 and 5 years old technology at premium prices. It makes apple look absolutely trustworthy.

Don’t get me wrong, apple is doing great earning more money that they know what to do with, but I can’t trust them anymore when it comes to buying a computer from them, and that is apple’s fault, not some guy commenting on a forum, which was my point.

Other than the mini and the Mac Pro, why would you say that?

 

[Black Belt]

It’s longer than four years. The last “upgrades” were really a downgrade to the CPU
[doublepost=1539806337][/doublepost]Tim Cook doesn’t even use a Mac. He couldn’t care less about Mac Users. He’s running the line into the ground through lack of vision and incompetence. He needs to go.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

And you have just argued against buying an iMac as a Mac Mini replacement. The AIO form factor ties the whole computer to the weaknesses of one major component. It's even worse when you consider that the 2009 iMac would still offer targeted display mode which has since been removed.

I would, and may yet, buy an updated iMac but I prefer a Mac Mini with modern performance.

Wrong.

You can simply do what my friend did (at my suggestion): Buy an identically-spec'ed monitor and put it in front of the iMac. Hook it up to the External Video out and put the iMac permanently into "Mirrored" video mode. The optical drive (which he almost never uses) is still accessible in a pinch, as are the I/O ports. I was able to find a couple of different external DVI monitors with and IPC panel the same size and resolution as the iMac's display on Amazon in about 15 minutes, and we settled on an Acer model that got good reviews. Much easier and cheaper than trying to find someone who could replace the actual display on this old of a computer.

Works great that way. And $250 and 2 days wait to breathe new life into a NINE year old computer isn't such a bad thing... And the iMac is so slim that even the narrowest desktop should be able to fit both, one in front of the other.

By the way, the iMac's monitor is still very visible; just a little sub-optimal for old people's eyes (unfortunately, those aren't replaceable, either!). A young person would probably still be able to use it for another 5 years.