I prob wouldn't buy a new one if everything is still soldered. A new design with a return of user replaceable RAM and a few 3.5" RAID drive bays on the other hand...
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Apple's Mac Mini is Now Three Years Old, No Refresh Date in Sight
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My Early 2009 is still doing everything I need - casual web browsing, email, and "dumb" media file server - the actual files are dragged and dropped into the AppleTV VLC remote play "web portal". I haven't gotten around to figure out how to set up Plex and other solutions, and it works just fine albeit slightly manual.
I probably won't *need* an upgrade unless this machine breaks down.
I know a lot of developers using Mac Minis for iOS development. They are an important part of the Apple ecosystem. A Mini could be my next machine for development if they do a nice update.
I actually made a Hackintosh just this past weekend with this Mac Mini like case.
It's important in the sense that it still sells and making them money. No lies there. Casual, price sensitive users who prefer desktops would be its primary target audience.
I think the decline of the Mini is related to Apple's loss of interest in the server space which, in turn, is probably related to everyone using cloud services (ahem, Google) for their small business email and storage.
Shame, that. I like the idea of small business and personal servers...
Shame, that. I like the idea of small business and personal servers...
A single desktop machine, with a dirt-cheap basic configuration, but able to be specced up to pro level?
I love it. It should be called:
Macintosh
I've owned about 6 Mac minis (and it's "m"ini with a small "m"). My father bought one when they were last refreshed. Why kill off a machine that when you outgrow, you graduate to iMac or beyond? I started out with an original mini in 2005, and have had one of pretty much every model, sans the Mac Pro/G5 tower since 2005.
I think more people are waiting on the Mac Pro redesign so Apple should set that a higher priority then the Mini.
I have the highest-performance Mac Mini... the one from 2012. 
How is it that HP can update their mini-desktops so easily every year? I just don't see what the big deal is. If Apple can give upgrades to the iPhone every year with subtle CPU and GPU updates, why not do the same for the MacMini? Since Apple doesn't allow users to upgrade the MacMini, you'd think Apple would keep the MacMini lineup at least on par with the rest of the industry as Intel comes out with newer chips with updated internal GPUs. I was really hoping the next MacMini would easily support 4K video viewing as I use my MacMini hooked up to my HDTV to watch my PLEX video library. My next purchase will be a 4K TV as that's what's going to be available at a reasonable cost and I wanted an updated MacMini to drive it. It's almost as though Apple is trying to throw away market share for some of its products. Letting a less capable company like HP outdo them is absolutely ridiculous.
Apple's insistent dependency upon the iPhone for revenue and profits just seems stupid in face of constantly dwindling iPhone market share percentage. A one-legged stool simply doesn't provide enough balance to keep investors from jumping off. Most of the other major tech companies don't seem to have the same problem finding new sources of revenue, so why should Apple. I just can't believe it's too much effort to design a modern MacMini desktop with at least some user-replaceable parts.
Apple's insistent dependency upon the iPhone for revenue and profits just seems stupid in face of constantly dwindling iPhone market share percentage. A one-legged stool simply doesn't provide enough balance to keep investors from jumping off. Most of the other major tech companies don't seem to have the same problem finding new sources of revenue, so why should Apple. I just can't believe it's too much effort to design a modern MacMini desktop with at least some user-replaceable parts.
At the cost of the Mac Mini configured the way I want, I can configure a more full-featured Linux box with any of the current/powerful processors available.
I've used a mac mini for a tv since cutting the cord in 2011. There has not been a worthy mac mini update since then. None of them can drive a 4k tv. It is sad that this loyal mac customer has to get the intel NUC even though I'd pay double for a nice mac mini.
I have the highest-performance Mac Mini... the one from 2012.
Same here. A 2012 2.3GHz quad-core i7 is used for my HDTV and it works like a champ for 1080p. The only major problem is now that it can't support 4K HDTVs on the market. However, the latest Intel CPU and GPU processors capable of supporting 4K are already on the market just waiting for Apple to use them. Apple is truly slacking off when it takes three years to update such a simple desktop. They sure charge enough for MacMinis considering how old they are.
I think the mac mini represented the best value in the apple lineup. It gave users who cannot afford a imac or macbook pro, the chance to experience Mac OS at a great price. Shame apple hasnt updated this.
The iMac is more cost effective by the time you get all the missing pieces. Obviously not a hot seller. Why update something nobody buys? Makes no sense.
Apple is fulfilling the fear of OS lock-in. They control the hardware and software and you're stuck with whatever they decide to release. If you don't like what they release your left going back to Windows (spyware), Linux or Hackintosh. While I don't mind Linux there's plenty of people that wouldn't be comfortable with it.
It would be great if Apple open sourced OS X, but that's a pipe dream.
It would be great if Apple open sourced OS X, but that's a pipe dream.
Must admit my late 2014 Mac Mini was a great machine but in the end I upgraded to a second hand iMac 5K as I wanted the chance to add more RAM etc in the future.
If Apple decided to refresh the design and allow consumers to add new HDD/SSD Store and /or RAM in the future I’d probably buy one again.
If Apple decided to refresh the design and allow consumers to add new HDD/SSD Store and /or RAM in the future I’d probably buy one again.
Suggestion: Apple should offer a downloadable-to-USB-key Intel NUC build of MacOS and release it for $50. This would be similar -- or more likely -- way more than the margin on a Mac mini, and would satisfy Mac fans and Apple margins alike.
