Mac Mini End Of Life?

[gkarris]

If you're right about the Mini, I suspect this will freak out quite a few people still waiting. If I thought "August", I'd certainly buy a white iMac or an older Mini from eBay this week. (I may do so anyway as fed up waiting).

For my money, we'll see a quiet (no fanfare whatsoever) update for the Mini sometime this month... but probably not tomorrow.

We used to see computer updates in May in time for graduation. But students tend to go for value, rather than the latest and greatest, or will buy in August for the latest and greatest.

Apple, IMHO, is using May to get ready for the big iPhone events in June.

 

[bigwig]

Recently I read in a technical journal that the Mac Mini is unable to handle streaming High Definition TV programs because of the GMA 950 graphics processor.

No Mac, not even the Mac Pro, utilizes the HD video decoding capabilities of its GPU. Even if Apple installed the X4500HD in the Mini it would make no difference in its ability to handle HD video.

 

[maccompaq]

No Mac, not even the Mac Pro, utilizes the HD video decoding capabilities of its GPU. Even if Apple installed the X4500HD in the Mini it would make no difference in its ability to handle HD video.

Does that mean that no current Mac can watch streaming High Definition TV programs? I cannot test that, because I am waiting to buy the Mac that is missing from the line-up. My current Macs cannot run HD.

My Windows Athlon 64 running at 2.41GHz cannot run HD TV, but my Windows Core2Duo runs it very well. Both are Windows XP.

 

[bigwig]

Does that mean that no current Mac can watch streaming High Definition TV programs? I cannot test that, because I am waiting to buy the Mac that is missing from the line-up. My current Macs cannot run HD.

720p is ok, but 1080p video frequently drops frames and stutters. If the GPU were enabled you'd have a lot smoother experience. I don't know why Apple doesn't get off its butt and maximize use of the hardware. The PA Semi acquisition makes me wonder if hardware coprocessing is in Apple's future (they can do IP over 10-Gig Ethernet in hardware), but even if they do that there's no guarantee they'll start exploiting the capabilities of their GPUs.

 

[Cave Man]

720p is ok, but 1080p video frequently drops frames and stutters.

The problem isn't the computer, the problem is Apple's crappy software. If you want to see what great software does, download XBMC for Mac. My 1.66 ghz Core Duo Mac Mini plays 1080 video just fine. No dropped frames, no nothing.

If the GPU were enabled you'd have a lot smoother experience.

That also depends on the gpu. For example, the GMAs have MPEG-2 acceleration (and VC-1), but not H.264. The NVidia's have these plus H.264. I am convinced that the Apple TV software leverages the NVidia gpu, despite what others on these forums have suggested.

 

[err404]

The problem isn't the computer, the problem is Apple's crappy software.

More specifically the default QT codec for h.264 is not well optimized for dual core CPUs. Apple doesn't seem to care because all new Macs, outside of the Mini, can off-load some of the decoding work to the GPU.
XBMC uses ffmpeg for decoding. Being that ffmpeg is essentially a CPU decoder, it is much better suited to the Mini's hardware.

My point being that the QT decoder is a great choice for current Macs other then the Apple orphaned Mini. Fortunately ffmpeg fills this gap.

(However, I personally prefer the look of ffmpeg since the colors seem more accurate then QT)

PS, I agree with your assessment of the AppleTV using it's GPU based on observed CPU load in QT vs Perian h.264 codecs.

 

[Bowboy]

New Price?

Checking the UK Apple web store, the Mac Mini page sports a graphic with a lovely "new price" bubble. What can this mean?

 

[marbles]

Checking the UK Apple web store, the Mac Mini page sports a graphic with a lovely "new price" bubble. What can this mean?

hmmm , interesting .... even though the price remains the same the 'new price' bubble is there but not front page only when you go in to look at the mini .....what could it be???

 

[gkarris]

hmmm , interesting .... even though the price remains the same the 'new price' bubble is there but not front page only when you go in to look at the mini .....what could it be???

An even weaker US Dollar??

 

[Bowboy]

Back in stock

Curiouser and curiouser. The 2GHz Mini is now back in stock at John Lewis in the UK..

 

[maccompaq]

I think people are beating this to death. Just relax. The Mini will be updated soon, possibly by August or before.

 

[Clive At Five]

I think people are beating this to death. Just relax. The Mini will be updated soon, possibly by August or before.

August is too late. It's already long-overdue for an update. Recall LAST August when the Mini was updated, it didn't receive Santa Rosa, which wasn't exactly new technology then. An update this August would make it one year older... translation: a fossil.

How could Apple go an entire year between updating a computer? Even for their entry-level model, that's way too long. I don't give a damn about the competency level of people who buy the unit, it's just wrong. Apple is preying on their consumers.

-Clive

 

[gkarris]

How could Apple go an entire year between updating a computer? Even for their entry-level model, that's way too long. I don't give a damn about the competency level of people who buy the unit, it's just wrong. Apple is preying on their consumers.

-Clive

Apple might have decided, to save money on housing unique parts, to go ahead and upgrade to Montevina in all its computers at the same time in the fall, rather than have different CPU families for the different consumer lines.

Correct me if I'm wrong anyone? Montevina platform computers in the fall?

 

[Clive At Five]

Apple might have decided, to save money on housing unique parts, to go ahead and upgrade to Montevina in all its computers at the same time in the fall, rather than have different CPU families for the different consumer lines.

Correct me if I'm wrong anyone? Montevina platform computers in the fall?

I understand what you're saying, but let's make something perfectly clear: since August 2007 EVERY MAC HAS BEEN ON SANTA ROSA EXCEPT FOR THE MAC MINI. And today, the MacMini is the only Mac using a Merom processor.

Once again, Apple defies all logic by maintaining inventory on old tech simply for the sake of keeping the MacMini out-of-date?? Prime example: Combo drives... for all intents and purposes, Combo Drives cost the same as DVD-RWs... maybe even more due to their rarity, these days. Apple could cut inventory costs, and increase volume discounts on DVD-Drives by discontinuing the drive... but instead they kept it for both the MM and MB.

On an unrelated note, even bargain-basement laptops abandoned CD-RW drives years ago. Apple is staging a very vicious upsell. If MS did something like that, you know there'd be critics.

-Clive

 

[dannyar]

I think apple views the mini as a very modest, small % of market type computer. Aside from the fact that it doesnt include keyboard,mouse,monitor it doesnt really attract alot of ppl, which is why they really dont invest much into it.

 

[MacsAttack]

it doesnt really attract alot of ppl

Interesting thought...

Every Mac user I know has a Mini. Some graduate to something else later, but most are quite content with their Mini.

Seven people may be too small a sample to base any conclusion on, but sweeping statements like that really are unsupportable.

 

[stephenli]

I still want to have a mini but I think its totally over-priced.
It was once cheaper in price in PowerPC era.
At this price point with Combo Drive?! Shared Graphic Memory?! well....
In addition the current form-factor have been used for a very long time....I hope there would be a re-design...

 

[shikimo]

Interesting thought...

Every Mac user I know has a Mini. Some graduate to something else later, but most are quite content with their Mini.

Seven people may be too small a sample to base any conclusion on, but sweeping statements like that really are unsupportable.

Agreed: no reason to re-hash the argument above (waaaaay above) about whether or not the mini continues to sell OK or not--we pretty much figured out that nobody knows, due to the way Apple releases its sales stats--but it's certainly out of line to say that it doesn't attract very many people. Whatever the numbers are on mini sales, they're obviously good enough to override the obvious flaws justly pointed out by many posters.

Of course I'm part of the problem , as I bought an overpriced combo-drive mini last August (549 EUR with faculty discount, including 19.6% VAT)...but as I've said before its lack of real-market value doesn't change the fact that it was (and is) still the best deal available to me.

 

[macwall]

I don't think it's possible to make the form factor significantly smaller. My guess is it's going to be slightly larger.

 

[marbles]

I don't think it's possible to make the form factor significantly smaller. My guess is it's going to be slightly larger.

personally I hope they don't make it smaller , what's the point ? it is a good size for what is is .


I'm hoping that your guess is right

 

[maccompaq]

New Mac Mini lineup

Here is what I would like to see in the Mac Mini.


Looking at the ABC High Def streaming requirements, how many of you are able to watch HD TV, and what computer are you doing it with?

From the definition, it looks like the Mini and MacBook are out of luck.

 

[n1ght]

Here is what I would like to see in the Mac Mini.


Looking at the ABC High Def streaming requirements, how many of you are able to watch HD TV, and what computer are you doing it with?

From the definition, it looks like the Mini and MacBook are out of luck.

ABC HD Streaming works perfectly on a ~3GHz Pentium 4, 1.5GB RAM, Intel GMA900 graphics.

The Mini and MB can handle that just fine.

 

[maccompaq]

ABC HD Streaming works perfectly on a ~3GHz Pentium 4, 1.5GB RAM, Intel GMA900 graphics.

The Mini and MB can handle that just fine.

My Compaq is an AMD Athlon 64 at 2.41GHz, 1.5GB RAM, the graphics takes 128MB from the system RAM and my Internet speed averages 10Mbps. This computer does fine with regular TV programming, but will stutter and pause when handling High Def. I wonder if that is because of the single processor or the lack of a dedicated GPU or both.

The Mini only has half the video RAM required by ABC HD programming, and it will not have a full 1GB System RAM available so I am trying to find out if the Mini can actually handle High Def. If the Mini can handle HD, I might just buy one. Otherwise, I may have to get a Mac Pro. I will not buy an AIO.

My laptop has an Intel Core2Duo processor, 2GB RAM, a dedicated GPU with 128MB video RAM, and it does great running High Def TV at full screen.

 

[saltyzoo]

My Compaq is an AMD Athlon 64 at 2.41GHz, 1.5GB RAM, the graphics takes 128MB from the system RAM and my Internet speed averages 10Mbps. This computer does fine with regular TV programming, but will stutter and pause when handling High Def. I wonder if that is because of the single processor or the lack of a dedicated GPU or both.

The Mini only has half the video RAM required by ABC HD programming, and it will not have a full 1GB System RAM available so I am trying to find out if the Mini can actually handle High Def. If the Mini can handle HD, I might just buy one. Otherwise, I may have to get a Mac Pro. I will not buy an AIO.

My laptop has an Intel Core2Duo processor, 2GB RAM, a dedicated GPU with 128MB video RAM, and it does great running High Def TV at full screen.

I watch HD content from ABC on my 1.66 Ghz Intel Core Duo mini with 1 Gig RAM all the time and it never stutters.

 

[Genghis Khan]

this has got to be the most run-on thread ever on this forum...

i WANT a mac mini...but i won't buy one that is so antiquated

c'mon apple...discontinue or update!