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Mac Mini End Of Life?
- Thread starter Dont Hurt Me
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Well, I certainly hope they don't EOL it. I have a 1.6 CD and I love it. If it had the video card of the AppleTV it would perfect.
-mx
-mx
Intel has committed to making the T7200 until 2009, so conceivably we could see the current mini for another year or more.
Could well be, but it'd be a major surprise if there wasn't at least a minor bump sometime in the coming weeks. Also, though little would please me more than significant updates with decent BTO options, I'm bracing myself for being rather underwhelmed by any updates, as I suspect a lot of people here will be. Will the Mini's combo drive go before the low-end MacBook's does? I'm not that sure; after all, this is Apple we're talking about.
I really hope they do give us decent updates, but IMO some people (& I'm not referring to you or anyone in particular) are overlooking things in their criticism of the Mini's price-range. Compared to brand-name, low-end PCs, I don't think it's anything like as over-priced as some people make out.
Yes, the PCs may(?) sometimes include a dedicated, low-end video card (which in most cases you'd have to replace anyway), but quite often there's no wireless networking, no bluetooth whatsoever, nothing to compare with the excellent "front row" &, sorry to state the obvious, no OS X.
All things considered, are Minis really that over-priced?EDIT: I'm not buying a new current model only because the GMA 950 doesn't fit my needs, whilst the X3100 with full RAM & better drivers in Leopard may do.
IMHO: The closer it comes to WWDC, the less likely there will be an announcement before WWDC and the more likely there will be one at WWDC.
I think we are too close now. So I am expecting something big regarding the mini.
Though, I find it strange that except for iPhone rumors, there are no other's regarding WWDC announcements.
I think we are too close now. So I am expecting something big regarding the mini.
Though, I find it strange that except for iPhone rumors, there are no other's regarding WWDC announcements.
Heres what I think Apple will do in this order...
1. Kill the Mac Mini.
They don't want a cheap image plus their profit margins are too small.
2. Kill the iMac and tell people to buy a Macbook.
It already uses laptop parts anyway. Plus it comes with a 20/24" monitor which is cannibalizing the ACD's. And a computer with a 20" screen for only $1,199USD is too small a profit margin still.
3. Make the Mac Pro 16 core and raise the base price to $2999USD.
Apple/Jobs need to realize that 8 cores simply will not suffice anymore. When people want to run the latest FPS within Vista within Leopard while running Safari, Firefox, Mail, Office, Handbrake, and playing 2 HD bluray movies at once, more cores are needed to accomplish this.
4. Kill the Mac Pro.
Apple will soon realize that desktops are last centuries tech. No one wants them anymore. Why just support only one desktop line anyway? The normal consumer is too price conscious for such a beast.
5. Release a 20" Macbook Pro.
Apple will soon realize that without desktops, you need a true desktop replacement. Thus a 20" laptop fits the bill perfectly and is only 1" thick and has 4 cores.
6. Revise the 'Get a Mac' commercials.
Instead of "Hi, I'm a Mac". "And I'm a PC", it will now be "Hi, I'm a laptop", "And I'm a desktop". Apple will trash all desktops calling them clunky and immobile. Laptops are plenty fast and Apple only has to maintain one type of computer.
7. Kill the Macbook/Macbook Pro/Macbook Air.
Why support a computer division when you only have one type? Plus Microsoft has a strangle hold on the market and does quite well. Apple will realize that the future of consumer computing is the iPhone. And profit margins on the iPhone/iPod are better.
8. Make more models of iPhone/iPod.
Apple will find that with the demise of traditional computing that more iPhones and iPods will be needed. They will probably have about 12 different iPods and 6 or 7 different iPhones that do it all, from the internet, video, mail, games, and more.
9. Microsoft buys Apple.
After Microsoft's 23rd bid attempt, Jobs will give in and let Apple be taken over by Microsoft after realizing that the zune just can't cut it anymore. Jobs will then be on Microsoft's board of directors. Balmer will then kill OS X, burning as many disks as he can find while white foam spews from his mouth. The iPod with then only come in one color - gray. And it will sell for $899USD and become the only portable music player because Microsoft will buy out all the others. Microsoft will still offer XP for the iPhone.
10. Psystar becomes the number one computer maker in the world.
Psystar buys OS X from Microsoft for next to nothing and licenses it out to other vendors like Dell. Staying competitive with pricing and selling OS X like hotcakes, OS X quickly over take Windows as the number one operating system.
11. Psystar hires Steve Jobs as their new CEO and changes name to Apple Computer.
Jobs immediately brings to a halt the licensing of OS X and realizes the error of switching from PPC to x86 code. Based on the success of IBM and the consoles, Jobs switches back to PPC. Apple Computer then releases a Powerbook G5 and 3.0ghz G5 PowerMac.
12. This thread will still be going with over 10,000 posts.
1. Kill the Mac Mini.
They don't want a cheap image plus their profit margins are too small.
2. Kill the iMac and tell people to buy a Macbook.
It already uses laptop parts anyway. Plus it comes with a 20/24" monitor which is cannibalizing the ACD's. And a computer with a 20" screen for only $1,199USD is too small a profit margin still.
3. Make the Mac Pro 16 core and raise the base price to $2999USD.
Apple/Jobs need to realize that 8 cores simply will not suffice anymore. When people want to run the latest FPS within Vista within Leopard while running Safari, Firefox, Mail, Office, Handbrake, and playing 2 HD bluray movies at once, more cores are needed to accomplish this.
4. Kill the Mac Pro.
Apple will soon realize that desktops are last centuries tech. No one wants them anymore. Why just support only one desktop line anyway? The normal consumer is too price conscious for such a beast.
5. Release a 20" Macbook Pro.
Apple will soon realize that without desktops, you need a true desktop replacement. Thus a 20" laptop fits the bill perfectly and is only 1" thick and has 4 cores.
6. Revise the 'Get a Mac' commercials.
Instead of "Hi, I'm a Mac". "And I'm a PC", it will now be "Hi, I'm a laptop", "And I'm a desktop". Apple will trash all desktops calling them clunky and immobile. Laptops are plenty fast and Apple only has to maintain one type of computer.
7. Kill the Macbook/Macbook Pro/Macbook Air.
Why support a computer division when you only have one type? Plus Microsoft has a strangle hold on the market and does quite well. Apple will realize that the future of consumer computing is the iPhone. And profit margins on the iPhone/iPod are better.
8. Make more models of iPhone/iPod.
Apple will find that with the demise of traditional computing that more iPhones and iPods will be needed. They will probably have about 12 different iPods and 6 or 7 different iPhones that do it all, from the internet, video, mail, games, and more.
9. Microsoft buys Apple.
After Microsoft's 23rd bid attempt, Jobs will give in and let Apple be taken over by Microsoft after realizing that the zune just can't cut it anymore. Jobs will then be on Microsoft's board of directors. Balmer will then kill OS X, burning as many disks as he can find while white foam spews from his mouth. The iPod with then only come in one color - gray. And it will sell for $899USD and become the only portable music player because Microsoft will buy out all the others. Microsoft will still offer XP for the iPhone.
10. Psystar becomes the number one computer maker in the world.
Psystar buys OS X from Microsoft for next to nothing and licenses it out to other vendors like Dell. Staying competitive with pricing and selling OS X like hotcakes, OS X quickly over take Windows as the number one operating system.
11. Psystar hires Steve Jobs as their new CEO and changes name to Apple Computer.
Jobs immediately brings to a halt the licensing of OS X and realizes the error of switching from PPC to x86 code. Based on the success of IBM and the consoles, Jobs switches back to PPC. Apple Computer then releases a Powerbook G5 and 3.0ghz G5 PowerMac.
12. This thread will still be going with over 10,000 posts.
[/QUOTE]I'm not buying a new current model only because the GMA 950 doesn't fit my needs, whilst the X3100 with full RAM & better drivers in Leopard may do.[/QUOTE]
Can anyone share with us the performance of the MacBook GMA 950 versus the MacBook X3100 so we will know what to expect when the Mini is updated.
Can anyone share with us the performance of the MacBook GMA 950 versus the MacBook X3100 so we will know what to expect when the Mini is updated.
All Apple needs is to put a low end HD2400 or Geforce 8400GT into these computer; these low end cards don't have much graphics power, but they are way better than integrated plus they have AVIVO/Purevideo (respectively), which are great HD decoders.
The X3100 is significantly better than the 950. My brother has a Macbook with the x3100 and it plays WoW really well and my mini is like a slideshow most of the time.
However, I agree that they need to put a real video card in the mini (Like the 8400) and it would elevate it to a lot of uses.
-mx
However, I agree that they need to put a real video card in the mini (Like the 8400) and it would elevate it to a lot of uses.
-mx
I don't care how the Mac mini compares to PCs.
It is over-priced or under-spec'd or both versus the MacBook and the iMac. It uses the same motherboard as the original Intel Mac mini (early 2006) and cpus from last year (early 2007).
Now that we are close to the launch of Montevina (Centrino 2), there is no use in rushing an update of the Mini, but I hope it gets a Montevina motherboard and 2.26/2.40GHz cpus with the next update (just like the MacBooks).
Now if it is replaced with another model, I wouldn't mind either, I just think that Apple should have modern, up-to-date, sub-$1,000 computers in its line-up.
I stopped reading at "kills the iMac." Why would you waste your time posting in a thread about which you care nothing?
This alone was made it worthwhile to read the whole post. Thanks for a good laugh!
True...except the mini is neither a laptop nor an all-in-one desktop, so it doesn't really matter.
GMA 950 vs X3100
http://www.barefeats.com/mbook.html
The X3100 has almost twice the performance of the GMA 950. It alone is the feature in the Mini for which I've been waiting to buy. In fact, I've been waiting and watching since the last abomination of an update TEN MONTHS AGO.
Apple needs to get their act together.
-Clive
http://www.barefeats.com/mbook.html
The X3100 has almost twice the performance of the GMA 950. It alone is the feature in the Mini for which I've been waiting to buy. In fact, I've been waiting and watching since the last abomination of an update TEN MONTHS AGO.
Apple needs to get their act together.
-Clive
Well, after dithering for what seems like ages, I finally decided I couldn't wait anymore for updated Minis so ordered a 20" iMac (the one with HD 2600 PRO card). Hope to receive it tomorrow or day after.
As I said earlier, I think the new Mini will be merely a X3100 update + spec bumps, & who knows how much longer I'd be waiting. June? July? Maybe, August? If I believed there was a chance of dedicated video card BTO options (I don't), I think I'd have held out, but I really need a new desktop Mac now & the said iMac was the closest to my needs.
Yes, I'd have preferred matt screen option, etc., but what the hell. If the reflectivity bothers me too much, there's always the anti-glare film & I'll still keep my iBook.
To those waiting for updates, I hope you get what you want & that the wait will have been worthwhile to you. Some of you no doubt will do; others will be disappointed - I think life's too short. Now looking forward to receiving my new iMac.
As I said earlier, I think the new Mini will be merely a X3100 update + spec bumps, & who knows how much longer I'd be waiting. June? July? Maybe, August?
If I believed there was a chance of dedicated video card BTO options (I don't), I think I'd have held out, but I really need a new desktop Mac now & the said iMac was the closest to my needs. Yes, I'd have preferred matt screen option, etc., but what the hell. If the reflectivity bothers me too much, there's always the anti-glare film & I'll still keep my iBook.
To those waiting for updates, I hope you get what you want & that the wait will have been worthwhile to you. Some of you no doubt will do; others will be disappointed - I think life's too short. Now looking forward to receiving my new iMac.
Well, after dithering for what seems like ages, I finally decided I couldn't wait anymore for updated Minis so ordered a 20" iMac (the one with HD 2600 PRO card). Hope to receive it tomorrow or day after.
As I said earlier, I think the new Mini will be merely a X3100 update + spec bumps, & who knows how much longer I'd be waiting. June? July? Maybe, August?
Yes, I'd have preferred matt screen option, etc., but what the hell. If the reflectivity bothers me too much, there's always the anti-glare film & I'll still keep my iBook.
To those waiting for updates, I hope you get what you want & that the wait will have been worthwhile to you. Some of you no doubt will do; others will be disappointed - I think life's too short. Now looking forward to receiving my new iMac.
Yeah , but ...WWDC is like a couple of weeks away!.... personally I think ya bonkers for buying now ( no offence intended)
~I do understand the forever waiting syndrome for the 'next best thing' ....but three weeks from WWDC
anyways ...hope your happy with it
...I'll still be slogging it out (verrrry slowly) on the G3 till after WWDC
And for some of us, money is too short to splurge and buy an iMac every time Apple won't give us a modestly-updated Mac Mini.
-Clive
I read sarcasm in your post. My G4 mini will still be going strong when this thread goes over 10,000 posts too.
I read sarcasm in your post. My G4 mini will still be going strong when this thread goes over 10,000 posts too.
Yep, agree! With a native bootable OS 9 a very much larger share of your 1.42 GHz will drive your apps instead of producing processor heat in moving a heavy weight OSX.
Yeah , but ...WWDC is like a couple of weeks away!.... personally I think ya bonkers for buying now ( no offence intended)
~I do understand the forever waiting syndrome for the 'next best thing' ....but three weeks from WWDC
anyways ...hope your happy with it
No offence taken. I probably am bonkers to a degree (why else would I even be here
), not so much for buying an iMac instead of waiting (see below), but for a number of other reasons... maybe best not go there. Thanks for the goodwill. It's coming tomorrow & I'm fairly confident I'll be very pleased with everything bar the glossy screen, even with a strategic readjustment of my desk - but hey, you can't have it all.
In fact it's partly thanks to posters in this forum that I took the plunge rather than waiting for Mini updates. On top of the excellent, pre-updated iMac discounts which are about to end here in the UK, I can't remember how many times I've read that not only do the brightly lit stores not do justice to these glossy iMacs, but they are the worst environment for highlighting the glare & reflectivity issues. It seems that in many other situations, most people hardly notice these issues. So here's hoping I come away with the same perspective.
To some degree, I appreciate this position. Further to my point to marbles, here in the UK pre-updated 20" iMacs with the HD 2600 PRO video card were going for £799 at John Lewis & £729 at Apple Store. These really are excellent discounts! Originally they were £945. John Lewis had already run out, so if I didn't strike now & Apple didn't release new Minis until well after WWDC (a distinct possibility, as WWDC belongs mostly to the iPhone), I know I'd be greatly annoyed with myself.
If Apple do release by WWDC, then I've miscalculated; but life goes on. Besides, if the glare & reflectivity issues are too much to deal with even in my home environment, I'll have a few days at least with the option of returning it. But I'm fairly confident it won't come to that.
I think the current hardware is fine, but the hard drive and processor need to be upgraded...
someone is going heavy on the cocaine binge. raise the mac pro to 16 core standard.....then stop making it? BRILLIANT
To some degree, I appreciate this position. Further to my point to marbles, here in the UK pre-updated 20" iMacs with the HD 2600 PRO video card were going for £799 at John Lewis & £729 at Apple Store. These really are excellent discounts!
Ah , good price - nuff said .
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