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Mac Mini End Of Life?
- Thread starter Dont Hurt Me
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Indeed, & I too always emphasize the updated Mini bit, preferably with the high-end model offering decent BTO video card options, rather than a mid-tower (for reasons I've explained in previous posts). I'm sure that a dedicated video card here would satisfy the majority of those baulking at glossy iMacs.
You're right that Hackintoshes are only an option for those who are computer-savvy enough & also have ample time on their hands. But a consumer-priced, upgradeable Mac, that people can keep upgrading for many years with easily-sourced, generic parts, giving Apple relatively little profit in return, simply isn't viable for Apple... as great as it may be for some consumers.
Actually, it's very easy if you pick the right components. It took me a couple of hours to assemble mine, but I could do another one in about 45 min or less now that I've done it once. The install was easy, too; just make sure you use Apple's kernel ("vanilla"). After that, I just installed the video driver and audio driver pkg. I did a couple of custom mods that took only a few minutes and that was it. To get from 2.4 gHz to 3.2 gHz took about 10 min of work on the mobo BIOS, but that, too, was pretty easy.
Those are good links... thanks. I hadn't really looked at the possibilities available. I believe though, that this actually supports my argument that Apple wants to control what goes into their machines.
I didn't see any motherboards listed on those links (admittedly I only looked quickly - and found some things I might "need"). I've build a couple of PCs (when I was using OS/2, and then eComStation) so I know what a blindingly vast array of choices there are. I think this is where so many of the hardware mismatches come in. There are a couple dozen or more manufacturers. Each manufacturer has several to dozens of models available. Even within a single manufacturer they will different chipsets in different models to control video, USB, northbridge - southbridge, side-bridge, bridge-to-nowhere, etc etc.
Then you start adding cards for wireless, video, serial IO, parallel IO, space-time-continuum IO - - the possibilities are endless. And when your Acme flux-capacitor messes with your USB card - most non-tech people will blame the OS, because both parts are certified to work with the OS. This will tarnish the image Apple has that its products "just work". Others on these forums have quoted Consumer Reports reviews that put Apple at the top for satisfaction (I haven't confirmed the reports, though....)
In Apple's case (and with the links provided above) the vast range of choices are eliminated. The mother-board choices (and all the on-board chipsets) are limited by Apple year/model. Its easy for manufacturers or Mac specific vendors to test the product combinations.
Mac Pros are essentially the only model that Apple makes that you can get into. At those prices there really only two markets.... professionals and gamers. I don't think many gamers are buying Mac Pros, so that leaves professionals. Professionals don't tend to muck about with the tools of their trade - so any upgrades will be carefully researched, probably bought from a Mac seller, and backed up with guarantee. The Apple experience is preserved, since the upgrade will almost always go well.
JMHO
Fine, so the Mac is a fad. At least it's a darn good one so I don't need to worry about it ending.
I'm thinking 2500 - 2600.
It's going to jump immensely around August, close to the release of the new MacBooks, especially if the delivery time at the Apple Store of the Minis become "3-4 weeks"
Nail on head
I think the time spent would be consuming more so on the software side of things , as we all know Apple likes to break 3rd party apps .
it's not going to happen (Apple making xMac ) I'm holding out for a BTO mini with decent graphics then I can have one as my desktop and a portable for traveling ....all for less than a MacPro , with a bit of luck my hold out will be worth it, I think I will do a cheap as possible Hackintosh for a hobby
This is getting silly. According to the Oxford American Dictionary a "fad" is "an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, esp. one that is short lived and without basis in the object's qualities."
By that defnition, cabbage patch kids are indeed a fad, as their widely spread enthusiasm was indeed intense and short lived, despite their current availability. In other words, extinction is not a requisite characteristic of faddishness.
As for the Mac, clearly not a fad...
- Intense and widely shared enthusiasm? Can a single digit market share be considered widely spread?
- Not based in the object's qualities? Why do you buy Macs? I buy them because the quality of their operating system is top-notch and I'd buy it if it came in a beige box, as would probably 100% of my clients.
- Short lived? Apple has had a solid niche for decades.
Yes, there are elements of faddishness to Apple's computers, but that doesn't make them a fad. There have been faddish elements to the Volkswagon Beetle, but was it a passing fad? Look at the band the Beatles - sure they've had faddish elements, but the quality of their music is responsible for their longevity. That's what makes them different from The Spice Girls. They were a fad - immensely popular, briefly, and didn't have much going on musically. So things (like Apple, the Beetle, The Beatles, etc.) can have faddish qualities, but not be fads.
Yes, if you take away all the reasons they are a fad, then they are not a fad.
I think that pretty much says it best!
Macmini revamp
Hi im waiting....for macmini revamp to go with my new plasma old macmini in museum now no wi fi or blutooth etc, asked at apple store every time i go in same old reply we don't know! if they drop it will buy current one of course
Hi im waiting....for macmini revamp to go with my new plasma old macmini in museum now no wi fi or blutooth etc, asked at apple store every time i go in same old reply we don't know! if they drop it will buy current one of course
The Mac Mini is not going to be refreshed. The Mac Mini is being killed.
Reasoning: The Mac Mini is currently excluded from the Education iPod promotion. They don't want people scarfing them up and depleting their stock. Apple is having the Mini die a slow death. When they're out of the current stock, they won't make any more.
Reasoning: The Mac Mini is currently excluded from the Education iPod promotion. They don't want people scarfing them up and depleting their stock. Apple is having the Mini die a slow death. When they're out of the current stock, they won't make any more.
If they are working on a major upgrade they might do the same thing so they don't have to throw any more money into an outdated platform. We can theorize all day, but we're really still just guessing.
Apple does not need to make an XMac. Apple,Inc is letting Psystar take care of that.
As for the Mini, there is no reason to let it die. It is such a cute but powerful machine for it's size. Surely it will soon be upgraded to the level of the Macbook.
As for the Mini, there is no reason to let it die. It is such a cute but powerful machine for it's size. Surely it will soon be upgraded to the level of the Macbook.
Umm, no it's excluded from the back to school deal because that would effectively be a 50% discount on the Mini.
Sorry, I don't understand what you're saying. The 17" iMac was killed. It was also never excluded from the iPod promo.
http://www.apple.com/promo/pdf/BTS08_TCS.pdf
I was simply repeating what I read earlier. Didn't even know there wasn't a 17" iMac anymore.
To think that everyone has room for a 20" monitor (built-in computer or not) is ludicrous, that's one more reason to keep the Mac mini around IMHO.
I posted this in another thread,
http://www.apple.com/education/solutions/imac/
The 17" iMac wasn't killed, just hidden. Maybe it's just for Mac dealers that need to low-ball a school district proposal.
http://www.apple.com/education/solutions/imac/
The 17" iMac wasn't killed, just hidden. Maybe it's just for Mac dealers that need to low-ball a school district proposal.
WHAT in the WORLD?!
That's one way to get rid of your old stock after you've discontinued a product...
Once the Mini gets to a sufficiently low amount, they'll probably market IT as the new "eMac Mini".
Man... I forgot that that thing had integrated memory... Holy cow...
Actually, with those specs it may already be just a Mac Mini motherboard hot-glued into an iMac case
That'll certainly apply to some of the savvy posters here, but what percentage of the typical consumer market would that hold true for? I'd roughly guess no more than 5% at best. For most people, putting it all together & messing around with the Bios is a non-starter (that's without dealing with all the software/update issues later on). Hence the viability for the likes of Psystar to consider supplying cheap Mac clones.
But as long as Hackintoshers are buying legit copies of OS X (rather than using the one that came with their Mac), I say good luck to those who either refuse or simply can't afford to buy Mac Pros. I guess they'll always exist to a degree, whether Apple released a mid-tower (which wouldn't be cheap) or a Mini with dedicated video card.
Maybe along with the "updated Mini bit" (before "preferably") that went missing from the quote.
Indeed, but another future possibility that may offer a solution for you guys would be if Apple released a special version of OS X to run on certain (by no means all) PCs. This idea has been mooted countless times previously (I'm not seeking to debate it here as it's concurrent on other threads) &, however unlikely for now, it's something that I don't dismiss altogether.
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