I actually mentioned the Mac Nano rumor in another thread, which I don't have the link to handy... but this news suggests to me that the Mac OS Rumors story, though it may not be 100% accurate, may have some truth behind it.
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.
Mac Mini End Of Life?
- Thread starter Dont Hurt Me
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
- Status
I'm getting a bit tired of people comparing the Mac mini with the 
TV. The Mac mini is a Mac while the TV is an iPod for your TV.
As for the MacBook being "only a few hundreds more", let's keep in mind that a lot of people already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse, that 3rd-party monitors, keyboards and mouses cost a lot less than what Apple is selling and that the MacBook is TWICE the price of the Mac mini.
I wouldn't mind something as big as anTV and as tall as a Mac mini if it meant a real dedicated GPU with its own VRAM and a 3.5" hard drive.
If Apple stops selling the Mac mini and doesn't offer any replacement, what are Mac mini users supposed to upgrade to? Not everyone wants a laptop (twice as expensive) and not everyone can afford an iMac (or wants to re-purchase a monitor, keyboard and mouse that they already own).
IMO the Mac mini is Apple's "greener" computer because you only upgrade the little box instead of the whole thing.
TV. The Mac mini is a Mac while the TV is an iPod for your TV.As for the MacBook being "only a few hundreds more", let's keep in mind that a lot of people already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse, that 3rd-party monitors, keyboards and mouses cost a lot less than what Apple is selling and that the MacBook is TWICE the price of the Mac mini.
I wouldn't mind something as big as an
TV and as tall as a Mac mini if it meant a real dedicated GPU with its own VRAM and a 3.5" hard drive.If Apple stops selling the Mac mini and doesn't offer any replacement, what are Mac mini users supposed to upgrade to? Not everyone wants a laptop (twice as expensive) and not everyone can afford an iMac (or wants to re-purchase a monitor, keyboard and mouse that they already own).
IMO the Mac mini is Apple's "greener" computer because you only upgrade the little box instead of the whole thing.
The same can be said of the Mac Pro, though...
I'm not in the market for a Mac mini though, so I don't follow it as closely as the other Macs.
Looks as small as a 12" powerbook...and that had a keyboard and discrete graphics. I wouldn't say it looks impossible.
Apple TV(Media) Pro (Apple TV(good interfaces + good GPU) + Apple Mini (full OS X + DVD drive)) would fit nicely ... So Apple will probably do something else 
.
I'd like to replace my (buggy) DIVX DVD player ...
. I'd like to replace my (buggy) DIVX DVD player ...
The Mac Shuffle.. What a brilliant idea.
Will it have 4 buttons on it and load random applications for you? As well as being screenless of course..
what you don't realise is that mockup is quite large - the slot on the front is for a laserdisc
you mean like a mini with a broken dvi port?
I believe that, in the long-term, Apple plans to add full Mac functionality to TV, probably when they introduce their line of large LCD TV sets next year - the point at which TV graduates to being a fully-fledged product line rather than, as Steve Jobs currently considers it, "a hobby".
These large, 1080p (1920×1080) flatscreen TVs with built-in computers will operate in two modes: full computer mode, operated via wireless keyboards etc and an old-styleTV/Front Row mode (what Yvan256 calls "ipod for your TV") operated via the current remote. Their unique selling point, however, will be Telepresence - a consumer version of corporate video conferencing, a sort of "iChat on steroids". This is a killer app waiting to happen but, of course, none of the existing TV manufacturers have the software or codec expertise to pull it off.
Laptops will continue their advance, with Apple no doubt hoping that, with the Mini out of the picture, more people will opt for Macbooks - if people own a laptop, they are likely to take them out and about with them occasionally which, of course, raises Apple's profile far more than any desktop. The low-end Macbook is currently $1,100, only $300 more than the equivalent Mini but with all the added convenience and no need to buy a keyboard, mouse or monitor.
Admittedly, no Macbook can compete directly with the cheapest, least-powerful Mini at $600 but I would not be particularly surprised to see Apple abandon the low-end desktop market entirely; now, when they're riding high, is pretty much the only time they could risk such a dramatic re-positioning.
What we do need, however, is a mid-range tower for the millions of people who are willing to pay for quality hardware but simply cannot justify the cost of a Mac Pro - I know, I know, people have been asking for this forever but, surely, terminating the Mini now opens up a space for it?
TV, probably when they introduce their line of large LCD TV sets next year - the point at which TV graduates to being a fully-fledged product line rather than, as Steve Jobs currently considers it, "a hobby".These large, 1080p (1920×1080) flatscreen TVs with built-in computers will operate in two modes: full computer mode, operated via wireless keyboards etc and an old-style
TV/Front Row mode (what Yvan256 calls "ipod for your TV") operated via the current remote. Their unique selling point, however, will be Telepresence - a consumer version of corporate video conferencing, a sort of "iChat on steroids". This is a killer app waiting to happen but, of course, none of the existing TV manufacturers have the software or codec expertise to pull it off. Laptops will continue their advance, with Apple no doubt hoping that, with the Mini out of the picture, more people will opt for Macbooks - if people own a laptop, they are likely to take them out and about with them occasionally which, of course, raises Apple's profile far more than any desktop. The low-end Macbook is currently $1,100, only $300 more than the equivalent Mini but with all the added convenience and no need to buy a keyboard, mouse or monitor.
Admittedly, no Macbook can compete directly with the cheapest, least-powerful Mini at $600 but I would not be particularly surprised to see Apple abandon the low-end desktop market entirely; now, when they're riding high, is pretty much the only time they could risk such a dramatic re-positioning.
What we do need, however, is a mid-range tower for the millions of people who are willing to pay for quality hardware but simply cannot justify the cost of a Mac Pro - I know, I know, people have been asking for this forever but, surely, terminating the Mini now opens up a space for it?
They'd be stupid to EOL the Mini without replacing it with something comparative and I'm not talking about a 'mid-ranged tower'. They need to keep a compact mac at the same price point. Maybe a mac nano will come out, who knows, however they can't get rid of it.
At the end of the day, the Mac Mini 1.83Ghz sells more than the the 24" and 20" (not bottom end) iMacs, all of the Mac Pros and the 17" MacBook Pro. It is only outsold by the MacBooks and the 20" 'normal' iMac. The 2.0Ghz model is the same except for being outsold by the 24" iMac. Fact. The Mac Mini is still one of the most desirable pieces of computer hardware in the world. Either they keep it/upgrade it or replace it with something new but with a similar (i.e. compact and limited upgradability) form factor. Adding a mid-ranged tower could be possible (although I doubt they ever would) but it could *not* replace the Mini.
At the end of the day, the Mac Mini 1.83Ghz sells more than the the 24" and 20" (not bottom end) iMacs, all of the Mac Pros and the 17" MacBook Pro. It is only outsold by the MacBooks and the 20" 'normal' iMac. The 2.0Ghz model is the same except for being outsold by the 24" iMac. Fact. The Mac Mini is still one of the most desirable pieces of computer hardware in the world. Either they keep it/upgrade it or replace it with something new but with a similar (i.e. compact and limited upgradability) form factor. Adding a mid-ranged tower could be possible (although I doubt they ever would) but it could *not* replace the Mini.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
That is only the sales for one retailer, it doesn't prove what you state as fact.
I do agree that the mini should stay in the Apple range. It has had the most attention from friends and family than any other computer I have owned, miles more than my old PowerMac G5 and my current MacBook Pro. Everyone loves it
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Agreed; buyers sufficiently price-sensitive to buy from Amazon rather than Apple are, also, going to be disproportionately interested in their low-end products. My guess is that the vast majority of buyers and, in particular, high-end buyers go directly to Apple.com or a retail store.
I'm surprised; I find that the styling of the MBP has a huge wow-factor when people see it in the flesh for the first time whereas the Mini, though, neat and cute, doesn't create anywhere near the same level of fascination.I do agree that the mini should stay in the Apple range. It has had the most attention from friends and family than any other computer I have owned, miles more than my old PowerMac G5 and my current MacBook Pro. Everyone loves it
And, again, a lot of people get to see the average laptop than the average desktop - very few Minis to be seen in Starbucks
If Apple are thinking strategically, and you can bet they are, they will do everything they can to make the Macbook their entry-level machine.
i would hate to see the mini go, but it does need a major refresh i think. if it does go, then i'll have to try to find a cheap one somewhere.
If Apple replaces the Mini with something better, then you'll find one cheap. If they simply get rid of them, the price may even go up.
I believe that, in the long-term, Apple plans to add full Mac functionality to
These large, 1080p (1920×1080) flatscreen TVs with built-in computers will operate in two modes: full computer mode, operated via wireless keyboards etc and an old-style
Laptops will continue their advance, with Apple no doubt hoping that, with the Mini out of the picture, more people will opt for Macbooks - if people own a laptop, they are likely to take them out and about with them occasionally which, of course, raises Apple's profile far more than any desktop. The low-end Macbook is currently $1,100, only $300 more than the equivalent Mini but with all the added convenience and no need to buy a keyboard, mouse or monitor.
Admittedly, no Macbook can compete directly with the cheapest, least-powerful Mini at $600 but I would not be particularly surprised to see Apple abandon the low-end desktop market entirely; now, when they're riding high, is pretty much the only time they could risk such a dramatic re-positioning.
What we do need, however, is a mid-range tower for the millions of people who are willing to pay for quality hardware but simply cannot justify the cost of a Mac Pro - I know, I know, people have been asking for this forever but, surely, terminating the Mini now opens up a space for it?
No, just no. The average consumer doesn't want to type on a keyboard on their lap in front of a TV. MS already tried this, it is just not useful enough. The point of the Apple TV was to simplify the watching of content stored on your Mac on your TV. Nobody wants to navigate OS X on their TV just to view/listen to iTS content. The best thing Apple could do, is to add DVR function to the Apple TV and charge a monthly fee like TiVo does. Included with the monthly fee, is a set value of hours of free downloads from iTS. Apple needs to do this to match Amazon's Unbox service which is tied to TiVo. Even though not many people use that service now, it is an indicator of where the industry is heading. So users would essentially have access to the iTS on the new Apple TV. Mac OS X is not meant to be on TVs in it's current form.
Mini's (nearly) great
I replaced my Dual 2.0 G5 with a MacBook (Core Duo, 1.83, 2Gig), and loved the near-silence and near-identical performance. But I found running it with the lid closed (powering my 23") the fans tended to keep up 2500+ and the temp ran high.
Then I got a new Core2Duo 2.0 Mini, and loaded it up with 3 Gig RAM. Holy Cow! What a great machine!! Faster than my MacBook, and nearly silent with much better fan performance than either the G5 or the MacBook. My only complaint is that upgrading the RAM was a bit of a pain.
I don't play games where FPS matters, and I keep my 35,000 photos on an external RAID disk, so I can't think of any benefit I'd have going to a larger machine. Sure, I'd go for a Mac Nano, but at this point the only things I'd really like are easier user-service and the ability to support the 30" display. Other than that, the Mini's a winner for me.
I replaced my Dual 2.0 G5 with a MacBook (Core Duo, 1.83, 2Gig), and loved the near-silence and near-identical performance. But I found running it with the lid closed (powering my 23") the fans tended to keep up 2500+ and the temp ran high.
Then I got a new Core2Duo 2.0 Mini, and loaded it up with 3 Gig RAM. Holy Cow! What a great machine!! Faster than my MacBook, and nearly silent with much better fan performance than either the G5 or the MacBook. My only complaint is that upgrading the RAM was a bit of a pain.
I don't play games where FPS matters, and I keep my 35,000 photos on an external RAID disk, so I can't think of any benefit I'd have going to a larger machine. Sure, I'd go for a Mac Nano, but at this point the only things I'd really like are easier user-service and the ability to support the 30" display. Other than that, the Mini's a winner for me.
Don't read too much into this now folks. Keep in mind this comes from AppleInsider and its "sources".
Like several other Mac websites these days, they largely post news which either states the blindingly obvious, was invented by "analysts", or was plain "made up" and posted by.. well, anyone. Who more often than not, has little to no credibility, thus making the news even worse than that coming from the notorious analysts.
IE, Its mostly crap these days. Which is a shame, as it used to be a good rumour site.
Like several other Mac websites these days, they largely post news which either states the blindingly obvious, was invented by "analysts", or was plain "made up" and posted by.. well, anyone. Who more often than not, has little to no credibility, thus making the news even worse than that coming from the notorious analysts.
IE, Its mostly crap these days. Which is a shame, as it used to be a good rumour site.
Only 9 months ago, I was completely oblivious to the ease of use of Mac OS and the many great applications it ran. I had always had a pretty low-end PC, which was used mainly for audio production. And being quite badly-paid at the time, I never thought that a Mac was even an option. With the purchase of my Mac Mini, I found an easy-to-use machine which worked well in every situation I hazarded to put it in. Only a week later, I purchased a Focusrite Saffire FW Audio Interface and a copy of Logic 7. I have never looked back since.
The Mac Mini is a brilliant little machine for switchers from the PC world like myself. It will be an awful shame to see it go.
The Mac Mini is a brilliant little machine for switchers from the PC world like myself. It will be an awful shame to see it go.
You don't get it.
Looking at Microsoft's past failures is a ridiculous way to judge how Apple are going to shape the future. This is not about handing coach potatoes a keyboard and expecting them to start Photoshopping, it is about establishing new habits.
Obviously, if you've got a 50" 1920×1080 screen hanging on the living room wall, some people are going to pull up a desk and get some work done, they'll be free to do that, but the main reason to have that kind of computing power on tap will be to do far simpler things, things you can do from the coach, without a keyboard teetering on your knees, things you have not yet thought of because you're spending too much of your limited brain-juice focusing on what all the stuff you think can't be done because, hey, Microsoft tried and, somehow, it didn't work out.
Telepresence is a good example - we all know that webcams are fun but once you try a high-def corporate video conferencing you become aware of just how much mainstream potential it has if you can it into living rooms. The corporate rigs are expensive as Hell but we are now entering a time when high-definition flatscreen TVs are plummeting in price and becoming a mainstream purchase.
The screen is probably the single-most expensive part of the consumer telepresence equation but, if people decide they are getting a high-def TV anyway, it makes the rest of the equation look a lot more attractive. As usual, Apple have timed it perfectly to capitalize on something everyone saw coming.
What part of "
TV mode" didn't you understand?And, by the way, the point of the Apple TV for apple was to get some experience in this area of the market in preparation for this move into TVs, a move they had planned to make last year but shelved because they realized they needed to develop "killer app" uses in order to distinguish their offering from Dell and HP.
Why would they discontinue the Mini, as they don't have anything to replace it with (as yet) ...
The mini was my first Mac and I'm sure it was the first for many switchers ...
I have to agree. I find it hard to believe that they would discontinue the Mini, being that I know more than a handful of people who have switched to Mac because of the Mac Mini... it was the first computer they felt was in their price range that Apple offered that was a more than capable machine.
With that said, it would still be nice to see them refresh the form factor of it... not to sound snotty, but I've always hated the cheap-looking plastic top of the Mini :/
Those dreaming for consumer towers, keep dreaming. It will NEVER happen.
Apple is all about selling ALL-in-ONE systems, with the exception being the Mac Pro.
They poke fun at the companies with consumer towers, the mess with the wires and all.
The Mac Mini may be replaced, who knows. MacWorld is a few months away.
Apple is all about selling ALL-in-ONE systems, with the exception being the Mac Pro.
They poke fun at the companies with consumer towers, the mess with the wires and all.
The Mac Mini may be replaced, who knows. MacWorld is a few months away.
- Status