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Come on now! Where are the Mac Mini updates already?!

motulist

motulist

macrumors 601
Original poster
Dec 2, 2003
4,236
611
I'm not expecting an answer, just venting a rant. The buyer's guide says the average time till mac mini update is 188 days, and it's already been 354 days since the last update! That's a whole year since they've changed the mac mini at all!

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#Mac_mini

I don't need a new mac today, but an issue came up a couple of days ago that made me think I needed to go run out and buy a new Mac to complete a project that my old trusty G4 powerbook couldn't pull off. As it turns out I was wrong and my powerbook was perfectly capable of doing the job, but when I was seriously considering buying a new mac I was in a very serious pickle.

The Mac mini is now a terrible deal as the config AND the price has not changed in a whole year (and arguably it wasn't a great deal to begin with even when the current config was first released). I don't need a monitor, and I personally can't stand glossy screens, so the iMac and the macbook are not acceptable options. So what are my only options? Macbook pro or PowerMac? Those are WAY more power than I need at a price that's WAY higher than I'm willing to spend.

Even though I'm a die-hard Mac user, when I thought I really did need to buy a new computer just to complete a particular short-term project I was very seriously considering buying a $500 MS Windows box.

Am I really so unusual that there isn't a huge pool of potential buyers like me out there ? Why does Apple not want to take our money? Does Apple really think that there's no profit in lower-mid-level machines? And why on earth do they limit their entire midlevel range including both laptops and desktops to include only glossy screens? I know for a fact that while many people love glossy screens or don't care either way, there is also a very significant percentage of users who see a glossy screen as an absolute deal breaker.

There's plenty of profit to be had! Apple, why won't you take our money?!
 

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andrewxps said:
I'm hoping for a mini in the form factor of an :apple: tv. :rolleyes:
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I hope you are kidding. Why would Apple do that? They are trying to promote their Apple TV service.

I've had a Mac Mini. Great product but it seems pretty obvious that Apple does not want to promote this great product because they do not want to cannibalize their iMac sales.

Whatever parts is leftover from the next major macbook revision, they will put in the new Mac Mini. But that may be 6 months-12 months down the road. My best guess is that they will put 2.1 gz and 2.4 gz intel core 2 duo 12 months down the road.
 
aneftp said:
I hope you are kidding.
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I jest you not. A boy can dream, can't he? It may not make sense from an apple product line standpoint but it's what I'm in the market for, and ultimately, that's all I really care about.
 
kabunaru said:
That issue can be solved:
http://www.powersupportusa.com/products/ef.php?category=pb

http://www.photodon.com/lcdprotect-sheet.htm

Result on my MacBook (thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/440413/
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Good to know, and thanks for the info, but IMO those screens still look much more glossy than my eyes would be happy and comfortable with.

Also, I have no need for a new screen, I have plenty of nice monitors laying around. So paying for a screen rather than computing power is a complete waste of money for me. So even if the screens were acceptable, I wouldn't want to buy an iMac or a portable because I'd be paying more money for less computing power because of the included price of the screen. I would've been okay with paying maximum $600 for a mini if the specs were a good deal, but they're not today.

As it stands today, there are several profitable market holes in Apple's product lineup that you can steer an ocean liner through.

* Low to mid end - covered by unacceptably severely outdated mac mini.

* Middle market for people who have monitors already - not covered.

* Middle market desktop for people who don't want glossy screens - not covered.

* Middle market portable for people who don't want glossy screens - not covered.

* Upper middle market for people who only need slight expandability at a reasonable cost - not covered.

and probably several more unserved markets I haven't listed also. My hope is that now that the iPhone has been released and now revised into a refined product, hopefully now Apple will put more resources into filling these market gaps.
 
I see what you mean, i was looking into buying a mac mini as well to supplement my macbook (extra storage, / all my music on there). I have a screen and keyboard and such so i thought this would be a great cheap option, but it hasn't been upgraded in a year and the specs are terrible, even for that machine and price. I will probably just get the low-end iMac.
 
It's obvious few people want the low value offered by such a gratuitously impractical design.
 
motulist said:
As it stands today, there are several profitable market holes in Apple's product lineup that you can steer an ocean liner through.

* Low to mid end - covered by unacceptably severely outdated mac mini.

* Middle market for people who have monitors already - not covered.

* Middle market desktop for people who don't want glossy screens - not covered.

* Middle market portable for people who don't want glossy screens - not covered.

* Upper middle market for people who only need slight expandability at a reasonable cost - not covered.

and probably several more unserved markets I haven't listed also. My hope is that now that the iPhone has been released and now revised into a refined product, hopefully now Apple will put more resources into filling these market gaps.
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And yet, their sales continue to grow at record rates. See, the thing is, complaints like yours seem very reasonable, even like a big deal, to people on this forum, but this forum is not representative.

Example. My brother bought a MBP a few months ago, and when we were at the apple store, after he had settled on a model, I asked him if he wanted glossy or matte. He was like, "what's the difference." I explained it to him and he said, "I don't know. Either sounds fine." So then I showed him the two screens side by side and he ended up with the matte. But really, just because he had to make a choice - it's not like he really cared.

What apple lacks in choices it makes up for in simplicity. Have you ever looked at Dell's offerings? There are a half a dozen options that seem to basically be the same, but they all cost different amounts and are targeted at different user groups.

So even though you'd like more choice, apple has clearly made the decision that they sell more units by having relatively few, clearly distinguished product lines, one of which will work for *most* buyers. Seems to be working for them.
 
The problems with Apple that it is not big enough as a company to focus on 2 major hardware projects in parallel. They either put all of their efforts into the phone business or into the computer business but the 2 is too much for them to handle at the same time.

One can only hope that they have iphoned themselves out for a while and can come up with some new COMPUTERS, for Christ's sake!
 
I also hope that they update them soon. They need remove the Combo drive and upgrade to Wireless N and its so pathetic that hasn't already been done. They also need to update the on-board graphics and I think the RAM max is still 2GB so that needs to be upped to 4GB.
 
Asu said:
One can only hope that they have iphoned themselves out for a while and can come up with some new COMPUTERS, for Christ's sake!
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Are you referring to design, components, or the number of choices? What do you want out of apple's lineup that you're not getting?
 
QCassidy352 said:
Are you referring to design, components, or the number of choices? What do you want out of apple's lineup that you're not getting?
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I know I'd like some sense of freshness about the lineup of computers and perhaps something new altogether. The Mac Pro should have a lower end model starting at $1500, the Mac Mini should have some sort of redesign and major updates, the MacBook needs a multitouch trackpad and the MacBook Pro needs a minor redesign, magnetic latch and easier HD access like the MacBook. Slightly lower prices across all lines would be nice too.
 
yeah, the Mac mini is pretty sad. I don't know why they let slip like this. It has so much potential.
 
The Mac Mini is a great machine minus that fact that the components are over a year old. I don't understand is why they can't out darn new CPUs and chipsets in! I don't even want a redesign. :mad:
 
Hey Apple

Hey Apple,

I just got my $600 government stimulus check and I have Apple gift cards. I would really like to buy a Mac mini but since the specs are the same as my Blackbook that you released in late 2006, I am still waiting. I got my Blackbook (new) in early 2007 for $1200. Why would I want to pay $800 for the exact same components (minus keyboard, mouse, and screen) more than a year later?

I will eventually purchase a a 30" display (maybe one of yours) but you don't make a computer less than $2000 that can run it. And you haven't updated your displays in years, the 20" and 23" should have HDCP and HDMI but that is another story.

I don't want a iMac. Or a glossy screen! I have several good LCDs and CRTs, along with mice and keyboards.

I think Dell and Hackintosh are calling my name. Even Macworld had an article about setting up a quad core Hackintosh for less than $1000.

Someone is getting my money and it's probably not Apple.

Loyal Apple User
Still using
PM G3 400MHZ
PowerBook G3 Pismo
PowerMac G4 DP 1.25GHZ
PowerBook G4 1.25GHZ
Blackbook 2.0 GHZ

Soon
Hackintosh Dell or homebuilt
 
I think the Mac Mini is dead; Steve Jobs never paid it very much attention. Even during its introduction during Macworld it got very little time considering it was a brand new hardware line; even Airport routers have gotten more time during their introductions than the Mini. You could see that the Mini wasn't Steve's idea and was probably pushed on him because it was a cheaper way to get people to consider a Mac, but now that Macs are having record sales helped out by the iPod/iPhone halo effect, it gives Jobs a reason to kill it off. If you've seen past Stevenotes, he's always railed against jumbles of wires coming out the back of computers, and since the Mini is a home/consumer computer, he rather have people buy iMacs than have them buy something 'messy' according to him.
 
spacepower7 said:
I will eventually purchase a a 30" display (maybe one of yours) but you don't make a computer less than $2000 that can run it. And you haven't updated your displays in years, the 20" and 23" should have HDCP and HDMI but that is another story.
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HDCP, yes... HDMI, no. I don't see what's wrong with DVI, seeing as HDMI is for TVs and DVI is the computer based brother of it... however, if you were implying you would watch TV on your ACD, they're professional displays (loving my color accuracy here) not cheap TVs, so there are certain tradeoffs. No updates for ACDs is understandable, at least to me, seeing as there really isn't anything new and great that matters to put in them (panel wise). Also, just to throw this out on the table, I generally don't buy screens that cost more than my computer (Mac mini + 30" ACD seems a little contrasting, but I wouldn't mind if the little guy could). Seriously, I'm looking at a Mac mini when they're updated (perhaps to see what cool things I can do with it), and it will come eventually, but until then, I'm fine waiting. I think it just isn't an Apple thing to have too many computers in their line, for the sake of avoiding confusion and cannibalistic sales.
 
mchank said:
I think the Mac Mini is dead; Steve Jobs never paid it very much attention. Even during its introduction during Macworld it got very little time considering it was a brand new hardware line; even Airport routers have gotten more time during their introductions than the Mini. You could see that the Mini wasn't Steve's idea and was probably pushed on him because it was a cheaper way to get people to consider a Mac, but now that Macs are having record sales helped out by the iPod/iPhone halo effect, it gives Jobs a reason to kill it off. If you've seen past Stevenotes, he's always railed against jumbles of wires coming out the back of computers, and since the Mini is a home/consumer computer, he rather have people buy iMacs than have them buy something 'messy' according to him.
Click to expand...

This makes a lot of sense. Considering it hasn't been touched in a year it might never be updated again!
 
And yet, their sales continue to grow at record rates. See, the thing is, complaints like yours seem very reasonable, even like a big deal, to people on this forum, but this forum is not representative.
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You can only use apple's success story when it comes to laptops, their desktops still sell badly. I'm sure their desktop sales have grown thanks to the success of their laptops and ipods but they are still pitiful.

Dell has a perfect business plan when it comes to desktops, people love being able to customize the computer to the point that they are pretty much building it themselves. Apple cant treat desktops and laptops the same, theyre different kinds of products.
 
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