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Mac Mini End Of Life?

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Samdog said:
True. I added a "superdrive" to my Power Mac and bought a stack of DVD-R's to burn. Eight years later, the DVD-R's remain unopened. :eek:

So when I decided to get a Mini, the combo drive version was just fine. (And I kept the price at $499 by buying a refurb.) It's been perfect for my use. If I ever need to burn a DVD (which seems highly unlikely at this stage), I can use my iMac.

Not saying I'm typical, but neither are all the people here who seem to think Apple is being managed by a bunch of dolts who don't understand the market. :rolleyes:
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I have an external DVDRW drive that I use with all of my computers. The last time I used the drive in my Mini was to install Leopard.

When the next Mini comes out, I will buy the cheapest optical drive it comes with. I'd buy one without an optical drive if I could as long it still boots to a USB or networked one (like the MBA).
 
nuckinfutz said:
People that already have a computer with a DVD burner and want the cheapest computer possible.

Hell sell me that model for $499 WITHOUT an optical drive and I'll accept that.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=307317
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Last I suggested this (Apple can lower the price to $499 and if you want, use the MBA Superdrive), man I was crucified...

My idea is let's have a bare minimum redesigned Mini for $499 and forgo the optical drive, AND the ethernet port (but one extra USB port to hook up external devices).
 
Three of my computers have DVD burners, yet I have never burned a DVD. I guess there are a lot of us out there, thus the Combo drive is still worthwhile to keep the cost of the Mini down.
 
Production cost

These days DVD burners aren't more expensive to produce than CD-burners.
It's just a way to make more money.
I really can't see why apple fans defend this strategy. If Dell or HP would do this, they would be crucified in all mac ( and non-mac ) forums.
 
BasBreda said:
These days DVD burners aren't more expensive to produce than CD-burners.
It's just a way to make more money.
I really can't see why apple fans defend this strategy. If Dell or HP would do this, they would be crucified in all mac ( and non-mac ) forums.
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I'd be happy if Apple would only offer superdrives on all macs, but it is not yet the case (the MacBook and the Mac mini are still offered in a combo configuration).

We don't know how much Apple pays for combo or superdrives, but the fact is combo drives are cheaper to buy than "superdrives".

Since Apple doesn't manufacture those drives, we can only assume they are paying less for the combo drives and hence it reduces (a little) the cost of the final product.

IMO, using faster cpus and gpus is far more important for the Mac mini than having or not the possibility to burn DVDs. The fact is, also, that Dell IS doing this and worse. Many PCs can be configured with only a DVD-ROM :eek: drive (just spend some time in the Dell store to configure a computer or two). How's that for outdated/cheap technology?

The fact is also, that I don't defend any strategy about the combo/superdrives, I don't care, one or the other is good enough for me. If Apple still chooses to use combos in its entry level computers, I don't mind. What pisses me off is that the Mac mini is still using the same motherboard as the original Intel Mac mini (2006) and has received very few updates in between, and that there are no other Mac under $1,000 anymore.

Instead of nitpicking on an example of configurations, you should be petitioning for the update of the Mac mini!;)
 
Congratulations, thread.

I'd just like to congratulate this thread as it clocks up over 1200 posts after more than six months. (Is this a forum record?) The equasion that keeps it alive is this;

There are a very large number of people out there who don't want a screen/computer bundle, but can't afford (and have no need for) a pro tower. A lot of people would chose a competitively specified box over a similarly specified all-in-one, but they don't get the choice. The ibook and iMac sales are only as good as they are because the Mini is so deliberately enfeebled.

And that is because Apple makes much more money out of expensive all-in-one systems, and the easy credit of the last few years means lots of people have been able to fork out for them, both iMacs and laptops, whether they really wanted them or not.

We'll just have to see what happens as the global credit crunch and oil shock horrors really begin to bite. But I'm not holding my breath for the fabled mid-size box anytime soon. Sadly..
 
BasBreda said:
These days DVD burners aren't more expensive to produce than CD-burners.
It's just a way to make more money.
I really can't see why apple fans defend this strategy. If Dell or HP would do this, they would be crucified in all mac ( and non-mac ) forums.
Click to expand...
Please submit your evidence that DVD burners cost the same to produce as CD burners.
Your comment about Dell shows that you have not done any research into this.
 
mjteix said:
I'd be happy if Apple would only offer superdrives on all macs...

The fact is also, that I don't defend any strategy about the combo/superdrives, I don't care, one or the other is good enough for me. If Apple still chooses to use combos in its entry level computers, I don't mind...
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Exactly! :)

mjteix said:
IMO, using faster cpus and gpus is far more important for the Mac mini than having or not the possibility to burn DVDs... Instead of nitpicking on an example of configurations, you should be petitioning for the update of the Mac mini!
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I agree with this, too. I had been hoping that Apple would upgrade the Mini's CPU's and GPU's to the same level as the latest Macbooks, which seemed like a reasonable possibility. That they haven't done so by now makes me wonder about the Mini's future.

It also resulted in me buying an iMac instead. Which is exactly what Apple wanted me to do! :p
 
Samdog said:
Exactly! :)

I agree with this, too. I had been hoping that Apple would upgrade the Mini's CPU's and GPU's to the same level as the latest Macbooks, which seemed like a reasonable possibility. That they haven't done so by now makes me wonder about the Mini's future.

It also resulted in me buying an iMac instead. Which is exactly what Apple wanted me to do! :p
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I will not buy the Mini in the present configuration, but I will never buy an AIO. I strongly considered getting a Mac Pro, but I do not need that kind of power. Thus, I will keep my money in my pocket until Apple makes a mid tower or improves the Mini. In the meantime, I will continue using my old Mac towers and my new Windows towers and laptops.
 
Samdog said:
Exactly! :)

I agree with this, too. I had been hoping that Apple would upgrade the Mini's CPU's and GPU's to the same level as the latest Macbooks, which seemed like a reasonable possibility. That they haven't done so by now makes me wonder about the Mini's future.

It also resulted in me buying an iMac instead. Which is exactly what Apple wanted me to do! :p
Click to expand...

That exactly what I am waiting for: the Macmini in a Macbook like configuration (802.11n and X3100).

However, maybe next years iPod/iPhone revision will hold a 64GB memory and a multiport adaptor (DVI, Firewire, USB, Audio, Ethernet, ...) so THIS will become the future (of) Macmini :D

Comment on another post:
Business PCs often come without a DVD burner or carry a CD-ROM only. The price increase for the "super drive" version of the Macbooks is nearly compensated by the RAM, CPU GHz and HDD capacity gain.
 
Samdog said:
I agree with this, too. I had been hoping that Apple would upgrade the Mini's CPU's and GPU's to the same level as the latest Macbooks, which seemed like a reasonable possibility. That they haven't done so by now makes me wonder about the Mini's future.

It also resulted in me buying an iMac instead. Which is exactly what Apple wanted me to do! :p
Click to expand...

Likewise here & who knows how many more! Fed up of waiting for an updated Mini, I succumbed to an irresistible discount on pre-updated iMacs.

Despite reservations about the glossy screen (& I still strongly feel that a matte choice should be offered), I bought a 20" iMac with HD 2600 PRO video card on the 19th (received the 21st) &, I must stress, overall I'm very pleased. (Mac game developers will be too :rolleyes:). Luckily in my home situation screen-glare is minimal, mostly non-existent, though only because of some strategic repositioning of my work desk.

As for the Mini, strangely no new rumours for weeks now, but plenty about new laptops, iPhones, etc. Presumably if nothing happens at WWDC (with iPhone taking centre stage), those speculating on an August update will probably be proven right.
 
almost page 50... and still nothing

This is so ... *$&?§%@#. So many posts on so many forums. I'm waiting since December because at that time the Mini was very ready for an update. Almost June now and still nothing. Let's go for the 50th page of hoping. If nothing comes before or at WWDC, I might look for a 2nd hand Mini or the cheapest version 1,83Mhz, just to have something newer than my G4. I won't be very pleased and won't be bragging about it to my friend though.... :mad:
 
Since Apple has already waited so long to update the Mini, they might as well wait a bit more and do it right by moving to Montevina.

It would be terrible if the Mini was updated to Santa Rosa now, and then six months later they go to Montevina. It would be even worse if it goes to Santa Rosa now, and then sits at that for a year until Nehalem, bypassing Montevina.

I honestly don't expect the Mini to go to Nehalem soon after the mobile parts are available, so if they update to Montevina in August or September along with the MacBook, then they can sit on it again for another 12 months when it moves to Nehalem.
 
zjokke said:
This is so ... *$&?§%@#. So many posts on so many forums. I'm waiting since December because at that time the Mini was very ready for an update. Almost June now and still nothing. Let's go for the 50th page of hoping. If nothing comes before or at WWDC, I might look for a 2nd hand Mini or the cheapest version 1,83Mhz, just to have something newer than my G4. I won't be very pleased and won't be bragging about it to my friend though.... :mad:
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Looking like Apple updates the iMac in Feb., then May - July is iPhone months, then the rest of the computers in August in time for the school buying and eventual holidays.
 
Montevina and GMA X4500 are calling out to the Mini. Miss Mini will hook up with Mr Montevina in January 2009, and it will be a glorious affair.
 
gkarris said:
Looking like Apple updates the iMac in Feb., then May - July is iPhone months, then the rest of the computers in August in time for the school buying and eventual holidays.
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Aaaahhhhrg... frustrating because you might be right, but I hope you're not. :(
 
gkarris said:
You have to remember, that June was a time when they updated the MacBooks and Minis for graduation time. Now, it seems those months belong to the iPhone...
Click to expand...

I strongly oppose the idea that Apple is reserving (or should reserve) certain months for certain products. It's not that I don't realize that the iPhone platform is the future of handheld computing (and eventually all computing, likely) but not even OS X received such airtime when it, in and of itself, represented the future of Apple.

I am of the opinion that once the "official" 3rd-party functionality of the iPhone is added, the insanity will die down and it will assume a place in Apple's lineup as just another product. The "uncharted territory" will be no more and Apple will return to concentrating on its product lines "equally."

Just a reminder, since the time of the last update, the MacMini was averaging an update every 6 months. The last update was a wait of 11 months, which was appallingly too long (especially since it did not get Santa Rosa) and we're currently at 9 months. I definitely attribute it to Apple's iPhone obsession, though that does not justify it in my mind.

The MacMini is simply WAY overdue for an update. In fact, it's overdue for about 3 updates.

-Clive
 
iPhone the saviour to the mini?

I can help but think that given that the iPhone and iPod touch seem to be Apple's favourite products at the moment, that maybe their being in the limelight may push forward the need for a 'switchers machine'.

The iPhone/iPod SDK only runs on a Mac and will probably find its way into XCode as a complete tool-chain by 10.6, so I'm wondering, with all the small developers out there that will want to earn a quick buck through the success of the AppStore (should it take off), there is a real market for a low cost, small form factor, headless mac.

I have a few colleagues that develop for windows mobile, and while they seem to love Visual Studio, whenever I fire up XCode to edit some source, they all seem to go quiet at the sight of a mac doing serious programming. While it is amusing, they've said to me on many occasion that they'd love to take a look at the iPhone SDK and maybe mock up some base applications, but that macs are too expensive and that they'd need Windows too... An upgraded and suped up mini would be great for them! 2.4GHz to 2.8GHz, 2Gb 800MHz as standard, SuperDrive, 802.11n, and either a decent IGP or a dedicated GPU for about £449 and they'd be sold!

The future of the mini may lay as a new switch machine for iPhone/iPod developers (if it's aimed, speced and priced properly)

Well, we'll soon know!
 
Atom?

Things like this ASUS Eee Box have me a bit concerned about the redesign of the Mini. Reports have the 1.6ghz atom being about the same speed as a 900mhz celeron. It could make for a smaller, lower priced Mini, but that's way to slow for what I'd want to use it for.
 
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