Mac Mini and Mac Pro are Apple's Last Two Remaining Intel Macs With Launch of Mac Studio

[MacRumors]

With the launch of the new Mac Studio that replaces the higher-end 27-inch Intel iMac, Apple has just two Intel Macs left in its lineup - the Mac Pro and the Mac mini.

Though the Mac Studio appears to be something of a Mac mini and Mac Pro hybrid, Apple has not discontinued the high-end Intel Mac mini and it remains in the lineup. This suggests a new version of the high-end Mac mini is likely to be coming at some point, despite multiple rumors that Apple would refresh it this event. Apple already sells an M1 Mac mini, but the Intel version remains as the more expensive option.

Rather than a new Mac mini, Apple instead introduced the Mac Studio, which is priced starting at $1,999. The Mac Studio can be ordered with either the M1 Max chip or the new higher-end 20-core M1 Ultra chip.

Apple is still selling the 6-core Intel Mac mini with UHD Graphics 630 for $1,099, and the Mac Pro is available with its Xeon W chips that go up to 28-cores. At today's event, Apple said that the M1 Ultra Mac Studios are faster than the 28-core Mac Pro models in terms of CPU and GPU performance.

Apple also said that it does plan to introduce a refreshed version of the Mac Pro, but that the machine was an announcement "for another day."

It's likely we'll see a new version of the Mac mini when Apple introduces the M2 chip later this year, and that could be when the Intel models will be phased out. We're also expecting the refreshed Mac Pro at some point in 2022.

Article Link: Mac Mini and Mac Pro are Apple's Last Two Remaining Intel Macs With Launch of Mac Studio

 

[funkypepper]

Probably the new Mini lineup will be announced at fall with M2.

 

[dumastudetto]

Intel is basically finished. Apple is so far ahead theres no way to catch them.

 

[orderoftheditch]

I would like to know who is actually buying the Intel (8th gen) Mac mini in 2022?

 

[dumastudetto]

I would like to know who is actually buying the Intel (8th gen) Mac mini in 2022?

probably nobody, which is why they still have stock to sell. ?

 

[orderoftheditch]

Whilst Mac market share is growing it is only about 10% of personal computers sold worldwide. Intel is still the dominant Windows chip supplier, seems to have overtaken AMD again and still has a massively profitable server chip business.
So no Intel isn't finished by any means.
I doubt in three years time Apple will have this same kind of technical lead over Intel.

Apple Silicon isn't just about innovation for Apple, but profit too. M1 is now used in 3 models of iPad, Mac Mini, MBP 12 and MBA. That is scale and justifying the R&D whilst not having to pay Intel its cut.

 

[bankshot]

I would like to know who is actually buying the Intel (8th gen) Mac mini in 2022?

Probably not too many, but a few things I can think of:

• Still use a 32-bit app that has been abandoned by the developer. Only Intel Macs can do this, and only by virtualizing Mojave or earlier.
• Some other dependency on software that doesn't work on Apple Silicon for some reason. Virtualizing x64 Windows or dual booting.
• $300 cheaper than comparable Mac Studio if you need more than 16 GB memory and memory is your only bottleneck. $1699 vs $1999 for 32 GB, $2099 vs $2399 for 64 GB.
• You really need that shorter form factor and more than 16 GB???

Yeah, not many at all.

 

[LonestarOne]

Well, they the last two Intel Macs remaining before the announcement, and they haven’t been discontinued, and no new Intel Macs have been announced, so — yeah. In other news, water is still wet.

 

[Mizouse]

Man I was hoping to upgrade my 2018 mini to a M1 Pro based Mini.

The base Mac Studio w/ 1TB storage is a bit out of my budget at $2200.

 

[InuNacho]

Intel is basically finished. Apple is so far ahead theres no way to catch them.

Yea too bad for Intel, those Data Centers and Labs around the world, they must run on magic unicorn fart powered Apple CPUs.

 

[ZZ9pluralZalpha]

Yea too bad for Intel, those Data Centers and Labs around the world, they must run on magic unicorn fart powered Apple CPUs.

Nah, that's AMD territory

 

[MacsRgr8]

probably nobody, which is why they still have stock to sell. ?

Well, lower the price Apple!

 

[dumastudetto]

Well, lower the price Apple!

What is this alien concept you speak of? ?

 

[Boil]

John Ternus (SVP, Hardware Engineering) said "...making our transition nearly complete, with just one more product to go, Mac Pro."

But the 2018 Intel Mac mini is still on the Apple website, and a M1 Pro-powered Mac mini would fill the gap, both price & performance-wise, between the Mn-series Mac mini and the M1 Max/Ultra Mac Studio...!

Time will tell, I guess...!

 

[Realityck]

The studio shows the direction of how compact technology is. Still good that both Intel products available until their demand recedes. Mac Mini should have a good upgrade by Fall. I’m surprised the 27” iMac has now disappeared, that’s not good as a base Mac Studio EDU discount is $1799 and the standard display is $1499 EDU discount That’s $3298 EDU priced altogether. The consumers without that pay $300 more. Ouch!

Also note it costs $200 more to get the M1Max with 32 GPU cores.

 

[huge_apple_fangirl]

probably nobody, which is why they still have stock to sell. ?

I don't get why Apple is still selling it. They'll be on the hook supporting Intel Kaby Lake-R for years to come. 3 years minimum from the last day these things are being sold.

 

[jerryk]

I bet a few large customers have farms of them in their data centers. They probably do mundane but business critical features.

I saw customers running Windows 95 in the 2015 time frame because they had some apps they did not want to update to Windows 10. It is the if it ain't broke, don't mess with it attitude.

 

[madebybela]

Those massive fans in the Mac Studio probably would've been overkill for the M1 Pro, so hoping they'll squeeze it into the Mac mini to fill that "high end" spot that the Intel Mac mini is holding. That'd be perfect device for me honestly. Will probably see that and Mac Pro at WWDC? Then M2 transition in Fall.

 

[wiredup72]

so, I still can’t buy a Mini that has both an apple cpu and 32gb RAM minimum? ffs, I held off for three months for this?

 

[dpfenninger]

Still holding out for a 27" M2 iMac in orange here. Currently docking my M1 Air with a generic 27" monitor doesn't quite feel as seamless and elegant.

 

[Maximara]

I would like to know who is actually buying the Intel (8th gen) Mac mini in 2022?

Somebody that is using software that requires Intel and that doesn't like Rosetta 2 much.

 

[HiRez]

Wait so how much will Apple pay me to use the Intel Mac Mini?

I'm thinking upgraded Mac Pros are not too far off because Apple was sort of bashing their own machines today showing how the cheaper Studio blows away the current Mac Pro. Surprised me that they went there.

 

[Maximara]

so, I still can’t buy a Mini that has both an apple cpu and 32gb RAM minimum? ffs, I held off for three months for this?

That 32gb RAM minimum is the position that the Mac Studio fills.

 

[Marshall73]

High end Mac mini? Surely that’s the studio? It starts at 1999 doesn’t leave much room in between. Probably just a refreshed mini with M2 next year. Apple will keep the Pro for WWDC and then it’s the iPhone Event in the fall along with the watch. Probably no more macs till 2023.

 

[teak421]

Mac Mini at like 1500 bucks with the M1 Pro.