Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Mac Mini End Of Life?

Status
Not open for further replies.
carlgo said:
There could be some sort of symbiotic design so that the Mini and MBA would work especially well with each other, Time Machine, other portable devices and so on. Maybe even a system price. Ok, I know...:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I think what you are groping for here is something Apple already tried and discarded, the DuoDock. It would be wonderful if they were able to perfect this idea with a mini that could work either separately or in tandem with the MBA.
 
A New Macmini

The Macmini will keep going for a little while yet. A new replacement will come perhaps in 6 months to a years time.

Why do I say this?

Because Apple is not ready yet.

There will be a replacement and I suggest it will be.... a keyboard.

Why? Well because this is the way Apple development has been going.

Let's face it the MacBook Air, like the cube before it, is a development product devised to drive technological development and test the market. A sort of "concept computer" but a marketable product as well.

The Cube with its small square design led to the development of the second imac and the Macmini.

So let us look at recent development. Apple has developed:

1 A very thin keyboard for the imac.
2 A very thin computer for the MacBook Air.

Put the two together and you have a keyboard you connect to any display of your choice (same concept as the Macmini). The computer is inside the keyboard, flash memory to replace the hard drive makes this possible.

I doubt if they would retain the name Macmini, it downplays the computer too much.
 
Russet said:
The Cube with its small square design led to the development of the second imac and the Macmini.

So let us look at recent development. Apple has developed:

1 A very thin keyboard for the imac.
2 A very thin computer for the MacBook Air.

Put the two together and you have a keyboard you connect to any display of your choice (same concept as the Macmini). The computer is inside the keyboard, flash memory to replace the hard drive makes this possible.

I doubt if they would retain the name Macmini, it downplays the computer too much.
Click to expand...

the 70/80ties called: they want their computers back
most famous obviously the bread box
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64
 
Russet said:
The Macmini will keep going for a little while yet. A new replacement will come perhaps in 6 months to a years time.

Why do I say this?

Because Apple is not ready yet.

There will be a replacement and I suggest it will be.... a keyboard.

Why? Well because this is the way Apple development has been going.

Let's face it the MacBook Air, like the cube before it, is a development product devised to drive technological development and test the market. A sort of "concept computer" but a marketable product as well.

The Cube with its small square design led to the development of the second imac and the Macmini.

So let us look at recent development. Apple has developed:

1 A very thin keyboard for the imac.
2 A very thin computer for the MacBook Air.

Put the two together and you have a keyboard you connect to any display of your choice (same concept as the Macmini). The computer is inside the keyboard, flash memory to replace the hard drive makes this possible.

I doubt if they would retain the name Macmini, it downplays the computer too much.
Click to expand...

This makes too much sense. Couple this with the recent publicity for the touch screen patent filing, and there's no longer a need even for a keyboard, basically an iPod touch on steroids. This sounds too right not to be something Apple's working on. This is a Steve Jobs kind of product.:D
 
LorenK said:
This makes too much sense. Couple this with the recent publicity for the touch screen patent filing, and there's no longer a need even for a keyboard, basically an iPod touch on steroids. This sounds too right not to be something Apple's working on. This is a Steve Jobs kind of product.:D
Click to expand...

You think a touch screen could replace the keyboard? I might have doubted that but after playing with someone's iphone I have to say the touch sensitivity really is pretty mind boggling.

What do they say "we are limited only by our own imagination" and Apple have a way of continually stretching the imagination further than any of the competition.
 
Russet said:
The Macmini will keep going for a little while yet. A new replacement will come perhaps in 6 months to a years time.

Why do I say this?

Because Apple is not ready yet.

There will be a replacement and I suggest it will be.... a keyboard.

Why? Well because this is the way Apple development has been going.

Let's face it the MacBook Air, like the cube before it, is a development product devised to drive technological development and test the market. A sort of "concept computer" but a marketable product as well.

The Cube with its small square design led to the development of the second imac and the Macmini.

So let us look at recent development. Apple has developed:

1 A very thin keyboard for the imac.
2 A very thin computer for the MacBook Air.

Put the two together and you have a keyboard you connect to any display of your choice (same concept as the Macmini). The computer is inside the keyboard, flash memory to replace the hard drive makes this possible.

I doubt if they would retain the name Macmini, it downplays the computer too much.
Click to expand...

I can't be the only one who finds this just a little whacky. A keyputer? I suppose it's possible...
 
Russet said:
The Macmini will keep going for a little while yet. A new replacement will come perhaps in 6 months to a years time.

Why do I say this?

Because Apple is not ready yet.

There will be a replacement and I suggest it will be.... a keyboard.

Why? Well because this is the way Apple development has been going.

Let's face it the MacBook Air, like the cube before it, is a development product devised to drive technological development and test the market. A sort of "concept computer" but a marketable product as well.

The Cube with its small square design led to the development of the second imac and the Macmini.

So let us look at recent development. Apple has developed:

1 A very thin keyboard for the imac.
2 A very thin computer for the MacBook Air.

Put the two together and you have a keyboard you connect to any display of your choice (same concept as the Macmini). The computer is inside the keyboard, flash memory to replace the hard drive makes this possible.

I doubt if they would retain the name Macmini, it downplays the computer too much.
Click to expand...

Kind of like the Apple //c ?

:)
 
pondie84 said:
I can't be the only one who finds this just a little whacky. A keyputer? I suppose it's possible...
Click to expand...

Apple_I.jpg
 
i think if anything this is the most plausible situation if the macmini is discontinued, apple obviously drops its focus on the macmini but uses it a base to continue focusing on the apple tv almost a merger of the two one sleek unit that streams music and video and boasts the power of the mini and open up more features such as web browsing ichat and 3rdparty applications. now what would be really dank to see happen is for the apple tv to have features such as video confrincing where you can kick back and enjoy a movie with your buddy in iraq while streaming live video confrencing or even extend its video game abilitys and watch your homeboys priceless face when you frag his @ss on some killzone
 
I am actually in the market right now for a mac mini. Does anyone have an idea when there could be an update, I am hoping Feb 26th. Looks like a lot of Macs are do for an update iMac and especially the MBP. I was on the Apple site looking to see if there are any plans for an "event" but I don't see any.

(I am sure this question as been asked to death but I didn't feel like looking through 880+ posts, so play nice) ;)
 
dbsmall said:
if the macmini is discontinued, apple obviously drops its focus on the macmini but uses it a base to continue focusing on the apple tv almost a merger of the two one sleek unit that streams music and video and boasts the power of the mini and open up more features such as web browsing ichat and 3rdparty applications.
Click to expand...

Why would they drop a fairly successful unit and combine it with a fairly useless device (for most of the world).

If it wasn't for the mini I'd probably not have switched, people seem to forget many, many people actually use the mini as home computer, not an entertainment hub.
 
Kebabselector said:
Why would they drop a fairly successful unit and combine it with a fairly useless device (for most of the world).
Click to expand...

To make a fairly useless device fairly successful.

I don't want an Apple TV either, at least not in its current incarnation. Improvements would be needed on both devices, and then combined. In the end it would be more of an improved Mini, since the Apple TV doesn't have much to offer other than its custom "Front Row" interface and HD rentals.

Most of us own DVDs, and soon, Blu-Ray discs. The optical drive alone equips the Mini to beat the Apple TV into the ground, in terms of a media device. The out-of-the-box-without-messing-with-it ability to run OS X on the Mini quite obviously beats the Apple TV as a computer. All that's missing is an upgraded GPU (non-integrated) and a TV tuner. That's the upgraded Apple TV. Sell one with a bigger hard drive (or SSD and a thinner enclosure...the rumored Mac Nano?) and a better CPU sans the TV tuner and there's your upgraded Mini, whether they market it as the Apple TV or not. (To keep attracting switchers, the better choice would be not.)

This would be Apple's true Trojan Horse into the living room. Right now, all they've got is a Trojan Pony.
 
gkarris said:
I "tingled" when I saw this...

So, if a key breaks, I have to send the whole computer in? :mad:

The Apple Xtc ;)

Won't have an optical drive OR ethernet port... (runs and hides...)
Click to expand...

I had a II+ and wanted that //c SO bad. But then I got a IIgs and was happy. Then Apple killed the entire line to push the Mac.

I have my current Mini and it's getting chunky. I want a new Mini with a major boost in performance. Otherwise I'm going to be stuck saving for a Mac Pro.
 
Decrepit said:
I have my current Mini and it's getting chunky. I want a new Mini with a major boost in performance. Otherwise I'm going to be stuck saving for a Mac Pro.
Click to expand...
If Apple believes they get more profit from potential Mini buyers moving up to a Mac Pro than they lose from potential Mini buyers walking away, they have no incentive for a major update to the Mini, do they?
 
Kebabselector said:
Why would they drop a fairly successful unit and combine it with a fairly useless device (for most of the world).

If it wasn't for the mini I'd probably not have switched, people seem to forget many, many people actually use the mini as home computer, not an entertainment hub.
Click to expand...

I agree Kebabselector.

I use a Macmini on a day to day basis for my work, I use a lot of programs Photoshop, Indesign, Dreamweaver, Filemaker, MYOB, etc. I don't need a Mac Pro. The mini is my replacement for that overgrown grey box mostly full of air that every PC has. I think this is the case (or could be) for many people.

The Macmini is ideal for people who want to throw away the PC box, keep the screen and come over to Mac at a reasonable cost. It is designed to get people to change over.

The iMac does not fulfil this role. With the imac you are buying a large Mac screen - not cheap - and the imac is not a "conventional" computer.

The Macmini is still a very strategic product in Apple line up.

It don't think it will be dropped unless they produce a replacement of some kind. I'm sure it will continue to be upgraded as new chips are adopted.

If I needed to I would buy another one today, although I would probably wait a month or two and see if it will get the Penryn chip.
 
Mac mini update timing

I am certainly no expert, but I highly doubt that the mini will be updated before the imac. Even then, I would not be surprised if apple waits a month or two before updating the mini. I would guess that they make more profit off of the imac, so they really would like for people to buy that instead.

As others have noted, the difference in component prices between the $599 mini and the $799 mini seems to be much less than the $200 upcharge would warrant. So I would guess that their strategy is to get people (especially switchers) looking at the $599 model - then most of them (I guess) decide that they want a DVD burner, and see that it also comes with a bigger hard drive and faster processor. So they cough up the extra $200. But they might not have even looked at apple if the cheapest computer had been the $799 model, especially since they could get a cheap Dell for less than half that.

So I think that apple likes to have a relatively low cost entry computer to get people's attention, but it is also to their advantage to keep it sigificanly inferior to their other products. That way, people will want to move up. So I would not expect mini upgrades until the imac is still clearly far superior to the upgraded model.

In my opinion, the average consumer cares about processor speed, RAM, and DVD burner first. Maybe HD capacity could be there, but with the ability to add external drives, I'm not sure if that is really a top level concern. Next is graphics card, HD speed and capacity (see note above), and ability to upgrade. Last are things like bus speed and chipset, etc.

So - I doubt that apple will make a mini that is relatively close to the imac in the top two areas of consumer interest. Right now, the processor speed is not much different. But the max ram is smaller, the HD is smaller, and the graphics card is significantly worse. If the imac receives a big bump in one of these areas, then that will create space to improve the mini while still maintaining space between the products.

That's why I don't think that we can realistically hope for a non-integrated GPU (but a jump to the x3100 is realistic).

I also think that we may be stuck with a standard combo drive in the lower end mini instead of a DVD R/W. That difference is (in my mind) the simplest way to get a buyer to pay $200 extra dollars for the higher grade mini.

I also won't be shocked if we don't see an upgraded mini until June or so, though I would love to be wrong.
 
theophilus said:
I am certainly no expert, but I highly doubt that the mini will be updated before the imac. Even then, I would not be surprised if apple waits a month or two before updating the mini. I would guess that they make more profit off of the imac, so they really would like for people to buy that instead.

As others have noted, the difference in component prices between the $599 mini and the $799 mini seems to be much less than the $200 upcharge would warrant. So I would guess that their strategy is to get people (especially switchers) looking at the $599 model - then most of them (I guess) decide that they want a DVD burner, and see that it also comes with a bigger hard drive and faster processor. So they cough up the extra $200. But they might not have even looked at apple if the cheapest computer had been the $799 model, especially since they could get a cheap Dell for less than half that.

So I think that apple likes to have a relatively low cost entry computer to get people's attention, but it is also to their advantage to keep it sigificanly inferior to their other products. That way, people will want to move up. So I would not expect mini upgrades until the imac is still clearly far superior to the upgraded model.

In my opinion, the average consumer cares about processor speed, RAM, and DVD burner first. Maybe HD capacity could be there, but with the ability to add external drives, I'm not sure if that is really a top level concern. Next is graphics card, HD speed and capacity (see note above), and ability to upgrade. Last are things like bus speed and chipset, etc.

So - I doubt that apple will make a mini that is relatively close to the imac in the top two areas of consumer interest. Right now, the processor speed is not much different. But the max ram is smaller, the HD is smaller, and the graphics card is significantly worse. If the imac receives a big bump in one of these areas, then that will create space to improve the mini while still maintaining space between the products.

That's why I don't think that we can realistically hope for a non-integrated GPU (but a jump to the x3100 is realistic).

I also think that we may be stuck with a standard combo drive in the lower end mini instead of a DVD R/W. That difference is (in my mind) the simplest way to get a buyer to pay $200 extra dollars for the higher grade mini.

I also won't be shocked if we don't see an upgraded mini until June or so, though I would love to be wrong.
Click to expand...

Yes I think you are right theophilus.

If my memory serves me correct when the Intel chips were introduced it was a natural flow on that they were put into the full product range within quite a short timespan. I would expect the same with the Penryn chips.

It sounds as though you also think the Macmini is an important part of the Apple product range.

Personally having lived with a Mac mini on a daily basis for the past 3? years I think it is a computer that is perfectly adequate for the needs of the vast majority of computer users particularly in office applications where wordprocessing, spreadsheet, database, email, internet and accounts are being run.

The more demanding applications such as design, desktop publishing and high end gaming are hardly the mainstream in terms of computer use.

We have to ask if this thread suggesting the end of life for the Macmini is relevant.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back