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Mac Mini End Of Life?

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marbles said:
I was going to go the Hackintosh route but sorting all the updates etc , I just don't have the time or the inclination now tbh so I'm hanging in there with the rest of you guys , with everything crossed that , hopefully, Apple will finally release a new Mini , of sorts .

counting down to Sept 9th......
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In my case, if i was wanting to go the build-it-myself route I'd probably end up going the Linux route. Especially as Linux is designed and intended to be installed on anything you care to throw at it.
My new Mac (like my current iBook) will basically be to buy a nice complete system that shouldn't give me quite as many challenges and potential headaches. As working in IT, sometimes the last thing I want to do when I get home is yet more troubleshooting. I just want computers to work. So I want to buy a Mac, just preferably one that is this year's lowest-end components. Not last year's. :p

Even my next Linux machine is going to be a pre-built model. So, personally, the Hackintosh route certainly isn't something that appeals to me right now.
 
iDave said:
"Let's Rock" event scheduled for next Tuesday. iPods!

Mac mini in November. ;)
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Hope you right about an update for the mini. I've got two going HTPC duties, but I'd like use a third as aa file server. I know that's not very taxing, but I would also like to video transcoding on that machine also so the more processing power the better. However, a Mac Pro is probably over kill for what I would do with it.
 
TiggsPanther said:
In my case, if i was wanting to go the build-it-myself route I'd probably end up going the Linux route. Especially as Linux is designed and intended to be installed on anything you care to throw at it....Even my next Linux machine is going to be a pre-built model. So, personally, the Hackintosh route certainly isn't something that appeals to me right now.
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That seems like a more realistic threat to me than millions of would-be mini buyers turning into hackintosh builders. Many thousands? Yes, certainly, and that's a lot of lost sales, but there will never be more than a small percentage of people willing to do it...but what about Linux as a more enduring threat? It's getting better and better all the time, the price is right, and as you point out it's designed to run on anything, be it pre-built or homebrewed, which eliminates two big reasons why some people hesitate to hackintosh: no proprietary issues (now or later), and no problems whatsoever with updates and expansion.

I use Linux alot, but never at home. I've been meaning to do it for years myself, but OSX is sooo easy and I'm just a bit lazy...
 
shikimo said:
That [ed. note Linux] seems like a more realistic threat to me than millions of would-be mini buyers turning into hackintosh builders. Many thousands? Yes, certainly, and that's a lot of lost sales, but there will never be more than a small percentage of people willing to do it...but what about Linux as a more enduring threat? It's getting better and better all the time, the price is right, and as you point out it's designed to run on anything, be it pre-built or homebrewed, which eliminates two big reasons why some people hesitate to hackintosh: no proprietary issues (now or later), and no problems whatsoever with updates and expansion.

I use Linux alot, but never at home. I've been meaning to do it for years myself, but OSX is sooo easy and I'm just a bit lazy...
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Linux will obviously be a solution for some people, but I don't see it as any kind of major competition to Apple. Would you give a Linux box to your father or grandmother? And then, would you want to be the tech support for them? Especially after they tried to download or update something - and it didn't quite work? And yes, I'm generalizing about fathers and grandmothers - but its to make a point.

Apple is not trying to have something to sell to everyone. They have identified several discrete markets, and are exploiting them. For the most part, they sell systems "that just work" to people who don't really want to play around in the guts. Someone else pointed out that Apple doesn't sell computers, they sell solutions. The customers that Apple wants to sell to don't want to open up the box, or tweak the OS, or all the other things a Linux box allows (or even encourages). People who like to tweak and open the box still buy Macs, but I think Apple would be just as happy if they didn't.

Apple's support department has got to be really small compared to other companies.
 
snberk103 said:
Linux will obviously be a solution for some people, but I don't see it as any kind of major competition to Apple. Would you give a Linux box to your father or grandmother? And then, would you want to be the tech support for them? Especially after they tried to download or update something - and it didn't quite work? And yes, I'm generalizing about fathers and grandmothers - but its to make a point.
...
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Between now and the holidays Grandma and Grandpa could end up buying a Netbook running Linux from a major manufacturer (that provides tech support). And in 2009, their grandkids may buy a new Android phone that's running Linux.
 
TiggsPanther said:
In my case, if i was wanting to go the build-it-myself route I'd probably end up going the Linux route. Especially as Linux is designed and intended to be installed on anything you care to throw at it.
My new Mac (like my current iBook) will basically be to buy a nice complete system that shouldn't give me quite as many challenges and potential headaches. As working in IT, sometimes the last thing I want to do when I get home is yet more troubleshooting. I just want computers to work. So I want to buy a Mac, just preferably one that is this year's lowest-end components. Not last year's. :p

Even my next Linux machine is going to be a pre-built model. So, personally, the Hackintosh route certainly isn't something that appeals to me right now.
Click to expand...

I think if you are planning on building a linux box anyway, you are a perfect candidate to give building a hackintosh a whirl. Try and buy some compatible components, attempt the build, and if it doesn't work out for hackintosh, turn it into a linux box.
 
mandoman said:
I think if you are planning on building a linux box anyway, you are a perfect candidate to give building a hackintosh a whirl. Try and buy some compatible components, attempt the build, and if it doesn't work out for hackintosh, turn it into a linux box.
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No. I said that I'm planning on purchasing a pre-built Linux PC anyway.
If I wanted to build anything, it would be Linux. I can get it up and running in mere hours these days, and I know exactly how I like it personalised, too.
But right nowI want to buy a complete solution. Even for Linux, so even more so for a Mac.

Anyway, to me the Mac is the designed-by-Apple-as-one-complete-solution computer. It's why I like it and why, personally, I think it does so well.
Linux is the DIY option. And it's the DIY option where I don't have to jump through as many hoops for updates. Although, mainly in the past, it has involved jumping through a lot of hoops getting it up and running in the first place. ;)
 
linux threat

a supported, good-quality 64 bit linux like suse is not gonna be much cheaper than snow leopard.
if you are talking bout the purest DIY route than you are not talking bout the core base of macusers. it doesn't pose a threat to apple. the kind of students that might do that can get a good educators discount on a refurbished machine anyway and more than that if they pay to join the developers consortium.
if someone in the usa builds a linux box it's just cause he wants to. i am sure the sitch is different in the developing world but those guys just use pirated versions of windows without regard to price. their big problem is tariffs on hardware and they end using parts of broken machines. not apples core base at all. :rolleyes:
 
mrglsmrc said:
a supported, good-quality 64 bit linux like suse is not gonna be much cheaper than snow leopard....
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The 32-bit Linux kernel can be recompiled to handle up to 64GB of RAM, but there's several (free) 64-bit Linux distros (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Fedora Core 5, Gentoo and at least a couple of FreeBSD flavors to name just a few) available that are updated on the same frequency of their 32-bit counterparts. A native Flash player is about the only major piece missing in 64-bit Linux, although not every app in a given distro's package is actually 64-bit. But 32-bit apps and libraries will work fine.
 
California said:
What's interesting is this is not a 2.0ghz mini updated but a 1.83ghz mini that they overclocked to 2.3ghz on that eBay mini...

it's got a combo drive.
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You could not overclock that, it's CPU swap. But you are right, that's the 1,83 GHz model. Funny is, that according to that seller it's "Sealed in Box" :p
 
snberk103 said:
Linux will obviously be a solution for some people, but I don't see it as any kind of major competition to Apple. Would you give a Linux box to your father or grandmother? And then, would you want to be the tech support for them? Especially after they tried to download or update something - and it didn't quite work? And yes, I'm generalizing about fathers and grandmothers - but its to make a point.
Click to expand...

Good point...and for now, this is probably enough to keep Linux in the shadows for most people. But it's gotten SO much easier, is it that hard to imagine it continuing to do so, especially with the availability of pre-built Linux boxes?

snberk103 said:
Apple is not trying to have something to sell to everyone. They have identified several discrete markets, and are exploiting them. For the most part, they sell systems "that just work" to people who don't really want to play around in the guts. Someone else pointed out that Apple doesn't sell computers, they sell solutions....Apple's support department has got to be really small compared to other companies.
Click to expand...

I don't think this is as true as it used to be (except for your third sentence, which is still 100% true IMO). Before Apple became a rock star of a multimedia company perhaps...but now, sometimes it seems like they are specifically trying to sell something to absolutely everyone. With diversification comes distraction, and dealing with this distraction is going to be their primary challenge for the foreseeable future.

PhotoPhoenix said:
i didn't think anyone bought these anyway...

they were terribly slow.
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Now that thar just ain't true, pardner...there are at least 200 posts above with details, if you really want to know ;).
 
Originally Posted by snberk103
Apple is not trying to have something to sell to everyone. They have identified several discrete markets, and are exploiting them. For the most part, they sell systems "that just work" to people who don't really want to play around in the guts. Someone else pointed out that Apple doesn't sell computers, they sell solutions....Apple's support department has got to be really small compared to other companies.

shikimo said:
...

I don't think this is as true as it used to be (except for your third sentence, which is still 100% true IMO). Before Apple became a rock star of a multimedia company perhaps...but now, sometimes it seems like they are specifically trying to sell something to absolutely everyone. With diversification comes distraction, and dealing with this distraction is going to be their primary challenge for the foreseeable future.

...
Click to expand...

Yes, you correct. Apple is trying to get into a lot of markets. I should have said the Mac computer division at Apple. I sometimes forget that they make more than computers since that is what I use most.
 
I hope they don't discontinue the production of the Mac Mini. It's such a great little machine- plus it makes a fantastic media center computer with a small formfactor.

Lots of people who want to "try Mac" will usually buy a Mac Mini. It's inexpensive, small, easy to use, etc... and makes for a good "starter Mac". If Apple discontinues the product line, think of all the sales of iMacs and Mac Pros that will drop due to people not being able to try a Mac at a budget. :O

If Apple continues the Mac Mini line, I hope they upgrade the GPU, HD, and RAM capacity. :)
 
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